Some may question Michael Maguire’s methods, but they’d be mad to question the results

The Brisbane Broncos season has been far from a smooth ride, but with the finals now in reach the critics of coach Michael Maguire have gone silent and his players have begun to play for him.

Army camps, boat cruises and now winning streaks. The Brisbane Broncos season has been one hell of a ride but after all the criticism, they have strung together four wins, the pressure has eased on coach Michael Maguire and they seem ready to mount a premiership tilt.

Their winning streak began a month ago against the Gold Coast and their local rivals loom large again on Sunday. The Broncos are heavy favourites, as they should be given the way the Titans have played this season.

Brisbane Broncos head coach Michael Maguire speaking at a press conference at Red Hill. Picture: Tara Croser.

The Gold Coast have been shoddy and the walls appear to be closing in on Des Hasler. In a matter of weeks, when they are mathematically out of finals contention, they will be in position to dispense with Hasler at no financial cost.

Rather than immediately draw the curtain on one of the great coaching careers, the Titans and Hasler appear set for an amicable parting of the ways at the end of the year.

The fortunes of Maguire and Hasler make for an interesting case study. Hasler arrived with great fanfare but the playing group has never really bought into Hasler’s weird and wacky ways.

A winning club is a happy club. Picture: Getty Images

Next year it will be someone else’s turn to breathe some life into the Gold Coast. Maguire, though, looks to have won over his squad.

There were whispers of unhappy campers early in his tenure but Brisbane are now purring and they have a draw to die for over the remaining weeks of the regular season.

The Broncos play only two sides in the top eight, albeit they meet Melbourne twice. The Dolphins aside, the rest of their competition is labouring. After the Titans, they face Parramatta and South Sydney.

The top eight seems a formality now. The only question is whether they can crack the top four. Get there and they can do some damage.

Maguire stayed the course, backed his ways and he is starting to reap the rewards. His critics have largely gone silent. His players have begun to play for him.

Hasler walked the same path but results haven’t followed. Nor, sadly, have the players.

Originally published as Some may question Michael Maguire’s methods, but they’d be mad to question the results