NRL 2025: Maroons legends back Michael Maguire to succeed at the Broncos
Broncos coach Michael Maguire has won over some of the Maroons all-time greats, with a posse of Queensland legends backing him to end Brisbane’s premiership drought.
A posse of Queensland legends have backed Michael Maguire to parlay his NSW Origin success to the Broncos and reignite Reece Walsh to break Brisbane’s 19-year premiership drought.
Maroons greats Paul Vautin, Chris Close and Billy Moore watched with envy as Maguire masterminded Queensland’s downfall last season and the trio believe ‘Madge’ has the Midas touch to deliver Brisbane’s first title since 2006.
Maguire has put the Broncos through a punishing pre-season – Friday’s training session in 29 degree heat featured collisions as brutal as an actual NRL game – and Moore says the premiership coach has injected a harder edge.
The Broncos are under pressure to hit back after last year’s 12th-placed free fall under former coach Kevin Walters and Moore says Maguire will steer Brisbane back into immediate title contention.
“It’s a great appointment,” said Moore, the former Queensland Origin lock.
“The Broncos will play finals this year. Maguire will work, he will be good for the Broncos.
“They are definite premiership contenders.
“Michael Maguire will get the best out of them. He will make some players uncomfortable, but the Broncos needed to be uncomfortable, so he is exactly what the Broncos need.”
The ultra-talented but worryingly inconsistent Walsh – Brisbane’s most marketable figure – will be critical to the Broncos’ fortunes in 2025.
The Queensland Origin wonder boy endured an injury-plagued 2024 season and never quite replicated the lethal touches he showed in Brisbane’s 2023 grand-final charge, but Moore says ‘Reece Lightning’ will strike back under Maguire.
“I think Madge will be good for Reece,” Moore said.
“I don’t see Reece getting worse, he will be better this season.
“Maguire will teach Reece to be a more patient player and he won’t have to do everything because Ben Hunt (marquee off-season recruit) will be there to help Adam Reynolds.
“Several Broncos players are going to have the best season they’ve had for a long time and Reece will be a part of that.”
Bookmakers believe Brisbane will be the big market movers this year.
The Queensland glamour club are on third line of betting to win this year’s NRL premiership at $8 – behind only Melbourne ($3.75) and Penrith ($4.50) – and former Maroons coach Vautin says Maguire is a proven performer.
Maguire broke South Sydney’s 43-year premiership drought in 2014 and Vautin says the 50-year-old can shatter another famous club’s title hoodoo.
“Madge is a very experienced coach. He won a premiership in 2014 at Souths,” he said.
“The Tigers didn’t go so well for him, but he did really well in his first Origin series (winning 2-1 last season with NSW).
“I always felt an Origin coach needed Origin experience as a player, but Madge did the job.
“Rugby league can chew you up and spit you out if you haven’t got what it takes, but Michael Maguire did well in his first year as an Origin coach and he is going to get better at the Broncos.
“The players will believe in him.”
Asked what happened under Walters at the Broncos last season, Vautin said: “The fact is Brisbane won three of their last 13. I don’t know what happened, but smarter people than me will work that out and Madge is one of those coaches who is very smart.
“I reckon he has worked it out already.
“The Broncos got away with ill-discipline (last season) and Madge will not stand for that.
“It will be a really tight, disciplined team.”
Former Queensland centre Chris Close says Brisbane’s hopes hinge on skipper Reynolds staying fit and striking a partnership with Hunt to ease the strain on Walsh.
“The players need to find a combination with Ben Hunt and they need Adam Reynolds to stay on the park,” he said.
“If they don’t, it will be tough for them, but I think they have the manpower and the coach to win the premiership.
“They have the roster, they have the natural ability and they have the depth, they have great players in that group, they just need to come together and play as a team.
“Reece is still young, he can be forgiven for his impetuous behaviour because he is maturing, but he is so good at what he does.
“He has genuine speed and he has a genuine desire to compete and be the best every time he plays the game.
“I don’t think they will have a problem with Reece this season.
“He will find his feet when he needs to.
“He will be behind a different team this year to what we saw last year.”
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