Michael Maguire fires back amid backlash over brutal act towards Reece Walsh and Broncos players
The Broncos coach has implemented some brutal standards and not everyone in the NRL is impressed.
Broncos coach Michael Maguire has defended his decision to take players off to a pre-season 'police camp' this week after backlash from veteran journalist Phil Rothfield about his 'old school' methods. Reece Walsh and his teammates have been pushed through rigorous training to raise the club's standards in the wake of Kevin Walters' sacking last year.
Payne Haas and Kobe Hetherington have praised Maguire's influence as coach having joined the Broncos after Walters' departure. The Broncos went from grand finalists to missing the top eight and Maguire was brought in knowing his old school methods were a hallmark of his coaching style. And there has been no illusion in Brisbane so far with the players seen battling in sweltering heat as they prepare for the upcoming season.
Players have also been told to keep their shirts on for training after a stir was caused when Walsh reportedly warmed-up without his top on under Walters in 2024. Most recently, AAP reporter Joel Gould - who has been a regular at Broncos training - compared Maguire's methods to a military operation.
Maguire also took his players off to a police-style boot camp west of Brisbane this week - famous for 'breaking' Aussie cricket legend Shane Warne. It's believed the players were put through physical and mental tasks to toughen them up in both areas.
Speaking on SEN radio on Thursday morning, Maguire said: "It was a really good camp. We did various challenging things but it was also about connecting together and they (the players) were really good. They learned a lot about each other and there was a focus on leadership. The senior players connected with the younger players and vice versa. So it was a very beneficial camp. Sometimes it was just sitting around having dinner together."
Debate erupts over Michael Maguire's methods
However, not everyone in the NRL community has bought into Maguire's methods. Veteran reporter Rothfield took exception to Maguire's standards and believes the gruelling NRL season is already tough enough on the players' bodies without them having to endure 'boot camps' as well.
Pre-season training has changed in recent years with sports science helping coaches look after players and their condition so they can avoid injury and perform for the full NRL schedule. The general look of players vomiting is also deemed an outdated image for many in the community, especially in light of the tragic death of Manly player Keith Titmuss from being overworked at training.
Rothfield does not subscribe to Maguire's methods so far and believes he could be pushing the players too far, which could lead to burn out towards the end of the season. "I agree the Broncos need toughening up and less social media...I, for the life of me, think army camps are old school," Rothfield said on the 'Footy Talk League' podcast this week.
"I think players vomiting at training is old school. They've got to get mentally tougher, but there are other ways...they are not machines...if you burn them out, you won't win titles. The schedule is tough enough. The demands on a rugby league player isfar greater than they were 10 years ago in 2014, when he last won a competition."
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Michael Maguire setting the standard at Broncos training
But reporter Michael Chammas disagrees with Rothfield and feels there is room for army camps and mental training in today's game. And he feels Maguire is setting that standard in 2025 and isn't letting anyone walk over him.
"It's not a surprise...the hierarchy at the Brisbane Broncos when they appointed Michael Maguire was because they thought they needed a hard touch," he added. "And that is exactly what they need. It's no surprise...the point isn't the vomiting or the army camp. It is building that resilience. That is the whole point of these army camps.
"He has to set the standard. If he goes in with a soft touch, they would walk over him like they did with Kevin Walters." While there are debates over whether Maguire's hard style will afford him many years at the Broncos, the players are buying into his methods.
Reece Walsh back shining under Michael Maguire
At the end of 2024, there were reports swirling Walsh was struggling at Broncos training having returned to pre-season out of shape. Haas defended his teammate and claimed everyone was buying into Maguire's high-standards.
And speaking last week, reporter Gould dismissed concerns around Walsh and claimed the fullback was looking sharp a couple months out from the start of the season. "I was actually at a press conference when someone asked about that...I have watched Reece Walsh train at the Broncos - week-in and week-out - and I don't see any difference. He may have come back not as quick and not as good as some of the other players," Gould said.
"I don't see anything other than Walsh putting everything into it...it looks good and Walsh doesn't look off the pace. If he was, he has fixed it."