Gorden Tallis smacked down over bizarre claim about Michael Maguire before State of Origin

Queensland legend Gorden Tallis has been called out over a bizarre conspiracy theory involving NSW State of Origin coach Michael Maguire and his previous role as a referees coach. Maguire named a new-look Blues squad this week as he looks to win back the Origin shield in his first series in charge and stop Billy Slater's Maroons from making it three straight series victories.

But it's Maguire's previous role as the referee’s high performance coach with the NRL in 2018 that has come under the spotlight for Maroons fans this week. Mind games before an Origin series are nothing new. An illness to Harry Grant saw the Queensland rake leave Maroons camp this week in the first of what will likely be numerous dramas to unfold before the series opener in Sydney on June 5.

As far as Origin controversies and mind games go though, pointing out Maguire's previous role with the referees looks like quite a stretch. He worked as a referees coach in 2018, before taking over the Wests Tigers' head coaching role from 2019 until midway through the 2022 season, when he was sacked. The Tigers finished ninth, 11th and 13th in his three full seasons in charge and ended up claiming the wooden spoon the year he was sacked.

However, Tallis told the NRL 360 panel on Tuesday night that Maroons fans had a right to have "a little bit of a concern" over Maguire's previous role with the referees, suggesting it gives his Blues side an advantage when it comes to how the Origin series will be officiated. "If you’re the coach of the referees would you know the strengths and the weaknesses of the referees? “If you coach the referees, you think you’d have a good relationship with them," Tallis said.

"I think it’s an advantage and I think that there’s no doubt that Queenslanders sit there and go ‘well if you coach someone, you know their strengths and weaknesses’. And as a Queensland, does it worry me? No.” Host Braith Anastasa was among those to cal out Tallis over the claim and said Maguire's former role should have no bearing on his job as NSW coach.

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“But what does that matter? So you’re saying he shouldn’t be allowed to coach NSW because he coached the referees?” Anasta asked. Tallis said he was not suggesting Maguire's previous role with the referees should prevent him from coaching the Blues but suggested it helped the Blues players know what they may or may not be able to get away with come Origin time.

“I just threw it out there. Do you know the style and what do you can get away with?" Tallis asked the panel. “When I got refereed by Bill Harrigan, I knew what I could get away with. There’s no doubt. I knew what you can get away with different referees. So if you’re the coach, you know, what their strengths and weaknesses are.”

Gorden Tallis ref claim about Michael Maguire shot down

News Corp league reporter Dave Riccio was quick to shut down the wild theory from Tallis though and called out the league great for playing mind games that work in the Maroons' favour. “Gordy, as a proud Queenslander, I can see, with you bringing this up and planting the seed right now one week before kick-off, you know what you’re doing,” Riccio said. “You’re planting the seed for Queensland to get the rub of the green for Origin I.”