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West Tigers coach Michael Maguire kicks chair as halftime spray backfires against Warriors

Michael Maguire exploded at the Wests Tigers, delivering a withering halftime message that sensationally failed to inspire.

The Tigers scored just before the break to take the lead, then got sprayed.
The Tigers scored just before the break to take the lead, then got sprayed.

Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire exploded at his team at halftime despite a six-point lead at the break.

But his side wasn’t listening as the New Zealand Warriors hitting back early in the second with three straight tries to snatch back the lead and go on to win 26-20 at the SCG.

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The Warriors’ sacrifice this season has been well publicised after moving to Australia, but despite farewelling stars after last week’s game and bringing in more loan players, the side hit the lead for the first time with a Peta Hiku try in the corner after 58 minutes.

In fact it was an 18-0 start to the half before the Tigers made it interesting late after a Tommy Talau try in the 73rd minute made it a six-point ball game.

But it wasn’t enough as the Warriors won their fourth game of the season.

The Tigers were preparing for another spray at fulltime after a furious Maguire erupted at the halftime break.

During the Fox League halftime show, Mal Meninga was talking about the half when the footage went to the sheds with Maguire exploding and even kicking a chair out of frame.

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“The Tigers started really well with a great kick chase game, relying on the Warriors’ errors to give them some points early and then there was a swing back again to the Warriors,” Meninga said.

“Michael Maguire kicks the chair and he’s obviously not very happy with the possession swing the other way and the Warriors getting back into the game.”

Fox Sports reporter Lara Pitt spoke to some players on the bench about what Maguire was unhappy with and the message was blunt.

“We asked the Wests Tigers bench what he didn‘t like about the first half and they said he didn’t like any of it,” she said.

“He was ramming home the message, ‘Don’t wait for things to happen, make them happen’.”

Post-game, Maguire’s mood could easily be summed up by when he was asked if it was more frustrating than the Titans loss earlier in the season, when he said he was “not happy”.

He tore into his team, lashing its attitude after scoring a couple of early tries.

“If you‘re going to play NRL, you’ve got to do it all the time,” he said. “That’s what we’ve all got to take ownership of. You can’t slip in attitude. I go back to our defence, that was a poor performance tonight.

“To talk about the things we’re good at, you may be good at them but you’ve got to do it every week, that’s called the NRL. And that’s where we need to go.”

As for his spray at halftime, Maguire said his side needed leadership and “everyone to own their jobs” but the Tigers weren’t willing to do the hard work.

“I know where I want, with the team, to take this club and you have these things along the way,” Maguire said. “We need to make sure it’s not like that performance because that was not a Wests Tigers performance anymore, that’s not acceptable in and around the club and the boys understand what’s acceptable and what we’re doing moving forward.”

Maguire said it was disappointing to concede 18 offloads and promised an “honest week”.

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/west-tigers-coach-michael-maguire-kicks-chair-as-halftime-spray-backfires-against-warriors/news-story/95bd16caeac00d68ba96311b135e5189