Michael Maguire reveals why he gave up his NSW Blues job to coach the Brisbane Broncos

As NSW begins its hunt for his replacement, newly minted Broncos coach Michael Maguire reveals why he left the Blues to join Brisbane – and how he’ll make the club great again.

Michael Maguire won the State of Origin shield with NSW in 2024. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

It’s official. Michael Maguire is the new coach of the Brisbane Broncos.

The Broncos have confirmed Maguire has agreed terms on a three-year deal to replace Kevin Walters as Brisbane look to snap a 19-year premiership drought next season.

Blues Origin coach Maguire has secured a release from the NSW Rugby League, with Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy on Tuesday confirming the appointment of Walters’ successor for 2025 and beyond.

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Michael Maguire won the State of Origin shield with NSW in 2024. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

“Michael brings a wealth of experience across more than two decades of coaching and he has tasted success at club, state and international level,” he said.

“We believe he is the right man to fill the role of head coach at the Broncos to take our current playing group forward.

“We are looking forward to Michael supporting our football program as they get to work on preparations for 2025.”

Maguire flew to Brisbane on Monday night and will start at Red Hill immediately ahead of the club’s 2025 pre-season in early November.

“The Broncos are one of rugby league’s great clubs and it will be an honour to step into the role of head coach,” he said.

“The Broncos organisation has a high expectation on everything it does.

“It’s built a great history and shown the strength of what a club can be and what it can mean to fans.

“Playing my part in the great vision of what the Broncos stand for is the exciting part for me.

“We want the members to turn up and be proud of the way we play, proud of their team.

“I can’t wait to get started in Brisbane.”

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Maguire has the hot hand in the coaching world, topping Australia by winning a Pacific Championships tournament with New Zealand last year before dethroning Queensland this year in his NSW Origin debut.

He was contracted with the Blues for the 2025 campaign and said it was difficult to sever ties with a Blues side that helped him rekindle his desire to return to the NRL club coaching furnace.

The announcement stalled briefly after the NSWRL played hardball with the Broncos over the payment of legal fees as a condition of Maguire’s release, but the matter has been resolved.

“I loved every minute coaching the Blues,” said Maguire who denied Billy Slater’s Maroons a hat-trick of titles.

“To feel the support of a state, and everyone that was involved in the team, players and staff, it was an incredible moment.

“That’s what makes me hungry to want to go back and coach more and more in the NRL space.

“The NSWRL were great and very understanding. The position was very rewarding and naturally I expected to be doing it again next year but they’ve always known that I see myself as a career coach and I do miss club coaching.”

Despite concerns about Maguire never having played in the Origin arena, the 50-year-old had instant success with the Blues.

After the Blues lost in game one in Sydney, Maguire conjured a stirring Blues fightback, breaking a near two-decade hoodoo as NSW won a decider at Suncorp Stadium for the first time since 2005.

Michael Maguire will reunite with grand final winning halfback Adam Reynolds. Picture: Gregg Porteous

Blues stars such as Dylan Edwards, Latrell Mitchell, Payne Haas, Cameron Murray and skipper Jake Trbojevic bought into Maguire’s methodology. The veteran mentor said his Blues successor, whoever that was, could maintain the rage without him.

“The players and the staff were incredible, absolutely incredible,” he said.

“I think they’re in a place where they can take things forward with or without me.

“I was only one piece of the puzzle. Everyone had to play their part to be where they are now and the group is set up to keep building on our success this year.

“I suppose if you can bleed for the cause, that’s what I like building … I actually like building something that can be self-sustainable and keep rolling.

“The staff are in place. The NSW players understand what it takes, they’ve built the expectations, so there’s no reason why it can’t keep progressing in the way it has.

“It will be hard to leave because coaching at Origin level probably gave me a lot more than I expected. It taught me a lot. I think it’s made me a way better coach.

“Many of the things that it’s given me is what I’m going to take moving forward, which is this opportunity in front of me.”

 That opportunity is the resurrection of the Broncos.

Just 12 months after steering Brisbane to the grand final, Walters lost his job at the Broncos following a horror 2024 campaign in which the $80m glamour club crashed from title contender to 12th-placed also ran.

It was a shocking collapse and Maguire is tasked with getting results – quickly.

Maguire has experience delivering at big clubs with big expectations. In 2014, he took South Sydney to the premiership, breaking a 43-year title drought, and the Broncos will be expecting Maguire to engineer Brisbane’s first NRL trophy in almost two decades.

It is a worrying record that Wayne Bennett remains the only coach in Broncos history to have won all six of Brisbane’s titles.

There is a view the Broncos have a roster that is the envy of most coaches in the league and Maguire is determined to get individual stars Reece Walsh, Haas, Pat Carrigan, Kotoni Staggs and Selwyn Cobbo firing as a championship unit.

Maguire has had his eyes on the Broncos job since 2018, when he was short-listed for the post and was among four men interviewed to succeed ­Bennett.

He ultimately lost out to Anthony Seibold but six years later, he is hellbent on making the most of a second chance.

“I like that Brisbane’s got that prestige, it’s a huge club and brand,” he said.

“A challenge like that makes you hungry for more.

“It’s not the first time I’ve talked about wanting this role.

“I love the big clubs. All NRL clubs are big in their own way but the Broncos mean a lot to the town.

“It’s got a big space in the competition. They fill a big space in the competition.

“I’m looking forward to being able to try and take all the different talents but then build a character around the team.”

To a degree, the jury is out on Maguire after his last stint at club level. His four-year reign at the Wests Tigers from 2019-22 was marred by poor results – he missed the finals every year – and constant political drama involving the Tigers board, leading to his demise.

But Maguire learned harsh lessons from that experience and having won at every level, including Test and Origin crowns, “Madge” is backing himself to bring a premiership back to Brisbane.

“The club’s been able to create that image because of their success (winning six premierships from 1992-2006),” Maguire said.

“Like the people before us have been able to create that, it’s about, to me, working towards that and being in that same space.

“You can talk about it, or you can create it and do it, so I guess that’s something there to aspire to.

“Whoever’s involved at this present moment can be a part of those conversations (of NRL greatness) if you achieve that status (winning a premiership).

“Being able to be a part of the legacy of those great teams over periods of time is something that would be a really enjoyable part of coaching the Broncos.

“If this crop of players succeeds at the Broncos, they can put their names next to some of the greatest players that have ever played the game.”

Originally published as Michael Maguire reveals why he gave up his NSW Blues job to coach the Brisbane Broncos