Former Blues captain Paul Gallen has leapt to the defence of Michael Maguire, questioning whether Gorden Tallis’ attack on the Blues coach was based on a personal grievance.
Tallis has one of the loudest voices in the NRL in his roles with Fox Sports and Triple M radio. His view has carried considerable weight because of his storied career. Gallen, a Blues skipper and premiership-winning captain with the Sharks, has had enough.
Tallis attacked Maguire’s personality and coaching record during the week. “As the Tigers coach he had no personality,” Tallis said on NRL360. “He might even get sacked from this job [Blues coach]. He got sacked from Souths and sacked from the Tigers.”
Gallen defended Maguire, describing Tallis’ comments as “laughable” and “disrespectful”.
“A bloke who’s won two comps at big clubs [Souths and Wigan], international games and the NSW coach,” Gallen said of Maguire. “To comment on how he has been sacked from Souths and Tigers is irrelevant. To get personal and say he had no personality as Tigers coach, I don’t get it, why? Maybe it is personal?
“I remember Gorden being at Souths. I’m not sure why he left.”
Michael Maguire and (inset) Gorden Tallis.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone, Getty
Tallis was Rabbitohs forwards coach, but was moved on in 2011 when Maguire came in. I asked Maguire why, but he refused to get involved in the stoush.
I remember Maguire moving on Tallis. There was bad blood at the time. It’s clearly still there.
“All of us live in glasshouses,” Tallis said on Fox Sports in response to Maguire’s comments about Queenslanders. “Actually, he wouldn’t know, he never played Origin. I played against Madge [Maguire] and he was never targeted; no one even knew he was on the field.”
When his Fox colleagues questioned Tallis about Billy Slater’s indiscretions on the field, Tallis replied: “We are beating you guys by so much at the moment. You guys are worried about a bloke that retired five years ago, bringing up his playing career. What about his rap sheet as a coach? Does he go out and coach that way? Shouldn’t he be judged now on how he’s coaching, not how he played?”
Gallen said: “The question I ask is, should Madge also not be judged on his coaching now, Gorden?
“And then there is the why. Tallis is big and tough, played the game as hard as anyone and when he spoke everyone would stop and listen. But with ridiculous comments like that it’ll just be noise soon. This is Origin and we look after our own. Oh, and Gorden, you’re not beating us ‘by so much’. It’s 1-all. And this is the decider. Go the Blues.”
Tallis did not want to comment.
“I’m OK mate, thanks for the offer. No comment,” he texted.
State of Panic
Michael Maguire’s “people’s team” jab at Queensland is a lot more than a throwaway line. It’s a stab at the culture upon which the Maroons based their record-breaking run under Mal Meninga from 2006-15, when they won nine of 10 series.
And in the space of a week, a well-placed jibe has flipped that on its head. A team that current coach Billy Slater was a vital member of for many years created a culture that was all about the people of Queensland. When Meninga was looking to turn the state around after three straight series losses, he hooked on to the theme of being “the people’s team”. It was the creed they lived by, and with a team of champions, they dominated.
Maguire’s crack has not gone down well in Queensland, but the shutters-down approach from Slater – where he restricted access to the media and the public during the week – has not gone down well either. Even a victory on Wednesday in the Origin decider won’t take away all the angst.
NSW Rugby League chief executive Dave Trodden doubled down on Queensland.
“This is the biggest thing that happens in a state sports-wise,” he said. “And so our view is that you’ve got an obligation to make yourself available to the people that you’re playing for, and it’s really difficult for us to understand why the Queenslanders have gone another way.
“I don’t know that they’re arrogant, but their attitude has certainly changed. So when Madge referred to our team the other day as the people’s team, and I think he’s probably right because of the support that he’s been able to engage. Shutting the media out is shutting the fans out.”
Sink or swim
The Jarome Luai incident at URBNSURF – where he had to be helped from the surf pool by a lifesaver – was an eye-opener, and Luai showed humour and humility to front the media straight after it happened.
The “lifesaver” provided for Jarome Luai.
The locals in the Blue Mountains wanted to present him with this “lifesaver” (pictured) at training.
I spotted it at the training ground and it was ready to go. I don’t know why it was not wheeled out, but Luai is the kind of person to take any kind of ribbing well.
Richo pickings?
There were interesting sights in the Blues’ hotel foyer in Leura during the week, including Jarome Luai having a chat to his boss at the Tigers next year, chief executive Shane Richardson.
Richardson was also deep in conversation with Blues and Storm head of football Frank Ponissi. Which players would they have been discussing? Also floating about was former Blues star Josh Morris. Nothing to do with football though. His wife booked a family holiday at the Fairmont Resort without knowing it was the Blues’ base.
The life of Brian
In an age where everybody strives to stay relevant, Brian Smith – who took three clubs to grand finals – has stayed out of the limelight for years.
Parramatta have been in the headlines for plenty of the wrong reasons in recent months, but the Eels are making quiet moves to honour a man who has been ignored by some clubs he has coached.
Brian Smith consoles his Eels players after their loss to Newcastle in the 2001 grand final.Credit: Steve Christo
Eels chairman Sean McElduff has been moving behind the scenes to make Smith a life member of the club. Smith, who took Parramatta to their infamous grand final loss in 2001, is reluctant to accept any kind of honour. He has told the club those kind of rewards are best reserved for the playing group.
Smith was not everybody’s favourite person, and made media enemies. That may be why he is reluctant to put himself back in the limelight as some of his old foes remain in positions of influence in the media.
While on the Eels, they are furious at suggestions they are looking to move on Junior Paulo. Not only is he club captain, but he is still a fine player. The club has assured him that he is not going anywhere. Paulo’s season is effectively over due to a foot injury.
Ryles’ departure a sign Bellamy could coach for ‘another decade’
Jason Ryles’ move to Parramatta has opened the door for “another decade” of the Craig Bellamy era. At least that’s the view of his right-hand man Frank Ponissi.
Ponissi knows Bellamy better than anyone in the NRL. “He couldn’t even spell retirement, let alone consider it,” Ponissi said.
And with that explanation of Bellamy’s mindset, it is clear why Ryles took the most high-pressure coaching position in the game. It is high risk for a rookie, but will be high reward if he gets it right.
Ryles had returned to Melbourne under the impression that Bellamy was heading out the door, but when the master coach said publicly that he did not know what he would do with himself in retirement, Ryles knew it was time to look for another job.
“The bloke in charge is showing no signs of slowing down,” Ponissi said of Bellamy. “In fact, he is coaching better than ever. He could coach on for another decade. That’s how well he is going. There is no question that Jason had the credentials to be a serious contender for the job, if it was ever going to come up.”
It could be a while before Craig Bellamy bids farewell to coaching the Storm. Credit: Getty
Ponissi has watched Ryles’ development during the past decade and a half. Ryles joined the Storm at the back end of his playing career, and Ponissi quickly realised he had an interest in coaching.
“I think that’s where he really started thinking about becoming a coach, was in those last two years he was playing ... he started asking questions about things behind the scenes,” Ponissi said. “I think that’s where his passion for coaching first arose, in those last two years.”
Ryles has been a long-time assistant, but he has coached a team of his own – Wests in Wollongong – after he finished playing with the Storm in 2013. He has also coached the Junior Kangaroos.
His apprenticeship under some of the game’s best coaches is well known, picking the minds of Bellamy, Roosters coach Trent Robinson and often catching up with Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould. He also worked with Eddie Jones in the England rugby and Wallabies set-ups. Ponissi says Ryles has done the hard yards to be in the best possible position to succeed at the Eels.
“I think he certainly served his apprenticeship and he’s ready to be given an opportunity, which he has,” Ponissi said. “He has a really good relationship with players and this time around he has been working with the leadership group here and they have only had great things to say. That player relationship is a strength, as is his calm temperament, but his new job could test that out.”
There have been rumours Josh Hannay was actually offered the job, but did not get a promise that he would be given total control. Hannay did not want to go on the record, but be sure that is not the case. He was very happy with the process.
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