Newly appointed Broncos coach Michael Maguire has been urged to tip the club “on its head” and harness some players’ “out of control” egos.
Maguire was unveiled as new Brisbane coach this week on a three-year deal after former mentor Kevin Walters parted ways with the club following a scathing review.
Known for his hard edge, Maguire is tipped to flip the script and pull players into line after a harrowing season in which the club finished in twelfth place.
Broncos captain Adam Reynolds won a premiership with Maguire at South Sydney, with the former Blues coach also handing the halfback his first grade debut.
“I’ve got a good relationship with Madge obviously from over the years. He’s a winner,” Reynolds told Triple M.
“He comes in, he demands success straight away and he holds everyone accountable to their actions both on the field and off the field and the boys will get a bit of a shock.
“We need the hard process and we obviously didn’t have that good of a season last year and no matter who the coach was we need to bunker it down.”
The Daily Telegraph’s Dean Ritchie said some players could be in for a fright when pre-season starts in November.
“He (Reynolds) has won a premiership with Madge in ‘14. But Madge will tip that club on its head and it needs to be tipped on its head. The egos are out of control,” Ritchie said on Fox League’s NRL 360.
“I think that some of the egos are out of control, Gordie (Tallis), and you can either confirm or deny that. You won’t see that (Reece Walsh wearing sunglasses in the dressing room at night). I’m telling you.
“And you won’t see nail polish either. You won’t see nail polish on the fingers of the players. Madge will say ‘you are kidding’.”
Tallis, however, claimed that things at Brisbane weren’t as dire as some were suggesting.
But NRL 360 host Braith Anasta questioned whether Maguire would stand for some of the players’ antics.
“This is no disrespect to Reece (Walsh), but do you think he (Maguire) will allow this in the sheds at a night game walking through with his Versace sunglasses on?” he said.
“Do you think? I can’t visually see it or imagine it knowing Madge that he would allow that? I’m not saying that it’s the end of the world and Reece has got freedom of choice to do that.
“But I can’t see it happening. Can you see this happening with Madge as coach?”
Tallis said there had been a shift in culture, with the modern-day player a very different beast to stars from the past.
Leave a Reply