Broncos coach Michael Maguire on player unrest, premiership hopes and Ezra Mam
Michael Maguire has hit out at reports of a player mutiny at Red Hill and pledged to keep faith in the methods he believes can break Brisbane’s 19-year premiership drought.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Michael Maguire has hit out at reports of a player mutiny at Red Hill and pledged to keep faith in the methods he believes can break Brisbane’s 19-year premiership drought.
In a candid interview with this masthead, Maguire addressed talk of internal unrest and opened up about the state of the Broncos ahead of today’s must-win clash against the Dragons at Suncorp Stadium.
“I’m not making excuses,” Maguire said.
“We have to turn up on Sunday and get the job done.”
The premiership-winning coach also backed Ezra Mam to close the door on seven months of anguish in his return to Broncos colours, challenging the Dragons to target him.
HOLDING HIS NERVE
The Broncos go into the round 11 clash desperately needing to find their mojo. They are seventh with an uninspiring 5-5 record. They have lost four of their past five games.
Their forward pack is being bullied in midfield and with State of Origin around the corner, the real grind is about to begin.
But if Maguire is panicking, he has a brilliant poker face.
There’s a reason why he is holding his nerve.
In 2014, when coaching South Sydney, the Rabbitohs were in precisely the same position as the Broncos now – placed seventh with a 5-5 record after 10 rounds.
Maguire went on to win the premiership, smashing South Sydney’s 43-year title hoodoo.
“I’m OK, I’ve been in this position before,” Maguire says.
“At Souths, I was hearing all the same things. We started the season slowly and people questioned us, but we ended up winning the premiership.
“Of course we want to be further ahead than where we are. But I see some really good things going on, we just have to stay at it.”
There’s a reason why fans can see the potential in the team.
“But it’s up to us to be able to deliver it more and more,” he says.
“There’s a reason people believe in this group, because they can see what we have, so I understand the reaction when we don’t quite deliver.
“You can feel when you have something special and I feel it at this club.
“But that’s the message I’m driving here. We have to do the hard work to achieve success in this game. You can’t just turn up and expect it’s going to happen.”
RED HILL REVOLT
It’s mind-blowing to think that, just 10 games into his three-year contract, Maguire is under the microscope at Red Hill.
Award-winning News Corp senior journalist Phil Rothfield revealed during the week he had a heated argument with Maguire over his belief some Broncos players are unhappy with the coach.
Then ex-Kiwi Test forward Elijah Taylor, who was coached by Maguire at Wests Tigers, posted a video that was critical of his former mentor’s methods.
Broncos prop Martin Taupau liked the social-media post. He later expressed his regret. But it was too late. The fuel was splashed on the Maguire inferno.
Maguire, steeled by 20 years in the coaching caper, is surprisingly calm when asked if the Broncos are a united club.
“One hundred per cent we are,” he says.
“Every day I see a happy team. I see laughter every day. I see smiles on the guys’ faces. I see guys working hard behind the scenes.
“Naturally, they aren’t happy they aren’t getting results for everyone. But I have players and great staff who are putting in huge hours. It’s a really great environment to be around.”
He understands the fanbase want results, but he’s steadfast in his ability to get success.
“I am putting in place here the right structures and working hard every day to make sure that I get the right culture that I know wins,” he says.
“People will either like it or dislike it.
“But the opportunities these players get to have can be positive ones. I can honestly say we will get results because of the things I am seeing each day.”
BUMBLING BRONCOS
After last week’s shock 22-14 loss to injury-ravaged Souths, Maguire expressed his frustration at Brisbane bumbling along.
A club renowned for free-flowing football, Brisbane’s attack has yet to find its electrifying groove.
They are guilty of concentration lapses and their forward pack is too reliant on Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan.
In the year he won the premiership at Souths, Maguire built success on the best defence in the league. The ruthless Rabbitohs of 2014 leaked just 15 points per game.
Brisbane’s tryline defence this year has largely been outstanding.
Maguire says that is the bedrock of his cultural overhaul.
“I am definitely seeing more of a harder edge,” he said.
“I see the drive and the will of the players. I see them talking about and practising what we want to achieve.
“We haven’t seen many teams being that consistent this year, so the competition is wide open.
“We made nine line breaks against Souths and if we were better with areas of support, it would have been a different outcome. That’s something we need to work on this week.
“We learnt the hard way because we didn’t get the result, but if we keep playing with that energy and intent, then things will roll our way.”
EZRA MAM
They are the seven letters that have polarised millions of league fans.
Ezra Mam has gone from Broncos wonder boy to NRL villain following the drug-driving scandal that saw him injure a four-year-old girl, slapped with a nine-match ban and fined $120,000.
Now Mam is back.
On Sunday, he will run out against the Dragons for his first NRL game in 288 days, a fortnight after being booed at Magic Round when his face appeared on the Suncorp big screen.
The Dragons have vowed to target Mam but Maguire backed the classy five-eighth to handle the heat.
“I hope they do put the pressure on,” he said.
“I’m sure there will be plenty of cheers when he starts performing the way we know he can.
“I just want him to enjoy his footy because when he excites the way he can, everyone will realise the type of player we have.”
The Broncos came under pressure to rip up the playmaker’s $4 million deal but Maguire explained why he backed him and says he isn’t expecting miracles from Mam.
“He has grown as a man and what I have seen him do around the place, is the reason why I’m glad I kept him,” he said.
“Everyone knows what Ezra is capable of, but I don’t want to put too much expectation on him.
“He just has to slot into the team and practise what he has been doing for the past three months.
“He has been through a bit and now it’s up to him.”
Maguire is mindful the Broncos charged to the 2023 grand final on the back of the Mam-Adam Reynolds scrumbase alliance.
Mam, who scored a hat-trick in the decider, delivered the magic. Reynolds provided ice-cool game management. Now, the grand-final cocktail is reunited.
“Ezra and Reyno have showed what they can do when they play together,” Maguire said.
“They played a grand final together. It’s been good to see them back at training.
“Every person has gone through something in their life and this is now a challenge for Ezra to bounce back and show what he is capable of.
“Everyone’s memories will come back about what Ezra can do on the football field.”
THE BOAT CRUISE
Maguire and Rothfield clashed after the veteran scribe broke the news of Brisbane embarking on a Sydney Harbour cruise two days before the Souths defeat.
It fed into a recent narrative Maguire is desperate to extinguish – that the Broncos are ‘rock stars’ more interested in the good life than winning football games and premierships.
But Maguire said the harbour voyage was part of a planned educational trip to Fort Denison, which he has done previously as NSW Origin coach.
“Every team does different activities to bring people together,” he said.
“We came together as a group because we don’t get to do it very often outside of the times we are working at training.
“It was a very good experience with the players.
“Did we get the result against Souths? No we didn’t, but it has no correlation (to the boat cruise).
“I’ve done this stuff with other teams. I’ve seen teams I’ve worked with as an assistant coach do it many times.”
THE BRONCOS FURNACE
Brisbane’s foundation mentor Wayne Bennett has said coaching the Broncos is a pressurised experience like no other in the league.
Bennett has won all six of Brisbane’s titles. Four other coaches – Anthony Griffin, Ivan Henjak, Anthony Seibold and Kevin Walters – failed to climb the summit
Although club legend Walters went so close in 2023.
Brisbane have sacked three coaches in six years, Bennett included. But Maguire dismissed suggestions the Broncos coaching post comes with a searing, unprecedented level of pressure.
“No, I honestly don’t believe that,” he said.
“South Sydney were a big club with a huge history, too. Every club in the league wants the same thing. We are playing at the highest level here and it takes every week to turn up.
“We are all trying to be successful in the NRL.
“I’m loving this job. The club and the fans are magnificent. I have seen a positive shift in how these players prepare themselves.
“One thing I know is that if you continually create good habits, which they are, those things pay off.
“The teams that win premierships work hard and if you do that, the talent in the group comes out. I am very fortunate to have this roster I’ve got. I really enjoy coaching them.
“We will get rewarded if we are prepared to stick at it … I have no doubt at all about the talent at this club.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Broncos coach Michael Maguire on player unrest, premiership hopes and Ezra Mam
Origin I teams: Blues receive mixed news on NSW hopefuls
Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton has dodged suspension for a high shot on the eve of Origin selection, but Laurie Daley faces a new quandary as a prop pulls out of Game 1 due to injury.
Origin I teams: Bolters emerge as Dolphins star suffers injury blow
The Maroons have suffered an injury blow ahead of Origin I, with a Dolphins star in doubt after picking up an injury in their loss to the Warriors. But two replacements have emerged.