Nowhere to hide: Michael Maguire’s desperate move to avoid TV cameras in Broncos’ Brookvale post-mortem

Try as he might, there’s simply no hiding for Michael Maguire and his bumbling Broncos. PHIL ROTHFIELD reveals ‘Madge’s’ move to avoid TV cameras in Broncos’ Brookvale post-mortem.

Michael Maguire didn’t want a repeat of Tales from Tiger Town at Brookvale Oval on Saturday night.

That’s why he took his players to a separate area at fulltime to avoid the dressing room TV cameras to deliver his post-game address to the team.

This is the sign of a man who is again struggling to cope with the increasing pressure and speculation around his hard-arse coaching methods and his deteriorating relationship with the players.

What was he trying to hide?

Madge’s ranting and raving and his F-bomb tirades in the 2021 Wests Tigers documentary on Fox Sports showed a man who struggled to cope with an ordinary football side.

It would be doubly as stressful at the Brisbane Broncos where he has a top-four roster that on paper should be capable of winning the premiership this year.

Haas, Hunt, Carrigan, Reynolds, Mam, Staggs, Cobbo and Walsh.

The Broncos don’t just expect good results, they demand it.

Ask Kevvie Walters or Anthony Seibold.

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Yet under Maguire they have now won just one of their last seven games.

It would be easy to sit back and blame the players.

They were woeful on Saturday night against a Sea Eagles team without Tom and Jake Trbojevic, flogged 34-6.

We couldn’t even blame a harbour cruise, Anthony Bell and his luxury yacht, or the Fort Denison cultural experience.

I received this text message in the second-half from a former NSW State of Origin player. It read: “The Broncos look soulless and empty. The body language and look in their eyes says it all.”

Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy and coach Michael Maguire after the Manly loss. Picture: Fox League

Then you read Peter ‘Bomber’ Badel’s scathing analysis on this masthead: “Broncos players should hang their heads in shame and publicly apologise.”

To make it worse the Broncos are just starting out on their most demanding period of the season during State of Origin.

They have the Titans, a bye, the Sharks, the Warriors and then the Bulldogs.

This is a side that lacks fight, intensity or passion.

And I don’t care what anyone says, they’re not playing for the coach.

At Brookvale they were not just beaten, but humiliated.

You look at the Wests Tigers up in Townsville. They were down 32-6 midway through the second half against the Cowboys and could easily have capitulated.

The mood was sombre in the away sheds. Picture: Fox League

Instead, they showed some spirit and some ticker – and almost stole the game. They’re obviously still playing for Benji.

It’s this attitude and hunger that the Broncos are missing.

Maguire has a roster that on paper is so clearly superior to teams like the Raiders and the Warriors.

The difference is that Ricky Stuart and Andrew Webster have found a way to get the best out of their players most weeks while Maguire can’t.

Going behind closed doors and avoiding the TV cameras in the sheds is not going to fix anything.

In rugby league there is nowhere to hide.

Originally published as Nowhere to hide: Michael Maguire’s desperate move to avoid TV cameras in Broncos’ Brookvale post-mortem