Michael Maguire's message to Reece Walsh as NSW stars make shock call on Origin replacement

New Broncos coach Michael Maguire believes he holds the key to unlocking Reece Walsh's potential as he vowed to bring success to the proud Brisbane club. Maguire was officially unveiled as Broncos head coach for at least the next three years at Red Hill on Tuesday morning and is somewhat of a polar opposite to Kevin Walters.

Walters was axed last Thursday after the Broncos missed the finals for the third time in his four years in charge, with last year’s grand final appearance not holding enough weight for him to retain his job for 2025. His replacement Maguire has experience in guiding big clubs to premiership glory, famously snapping the Rabbitohs' 43-year title drought in 2014 during a six-season stint in charge.

Maguire has won at every level of rugby league, winning titles in the NRL, and English Super League, as Test coach of New Zealand and securing the Origin shield for the Blues this year. But arguably his biggest task at the Broncos will be unlocking Walsh's potential, something the 50-year-old believes he can do.

Maguire, a renowned disciplinarian with an intense hunger for success, insists his work ethic as a coach can bring out the best in the Broncos' star-studded roster, in particular Walsh. "When you talk about standards and wanting to go the extra yard, Reece can really go the extra yard," Maguire said. "Everyone can see what he’s capable of doing. I’ve always seen with my players … if you can improve as a player, you get hungry for more success, because it’s actually good fun when you improve.

"What I like to do is get to know the players. Whether that’s firm or not, it doesn’t really worry me. I have seen young players through the connections I’ve had with them as people, that’s the first thing I care about. If they go out and train extremely hard, they excel and all of a sudden, before you know it, the first graders are winning competitions and playing at Origin level.

"I have been able to expand that over many a player. I really like to know and get to know a player and if that’s me being called hard because I want them to succeed, it doesn’t hurt me."

Michael Maguire insists no bad blood after Reece Walsh incident

Maguire also insists there isn't any lingering bad blood between him and Walsh after the pair just four months ago were Origin rivals. Maguire's plan to pay extra attention to Walsh spectacularly backfired in Game 1 as Origin rookie Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii was sent off for a horror high shot on the Maroons fullback, which left him heavily concussed. “I’m sure we’ll have a bit of a laugh about that one,” Maguire said of the Origin Game One incident.

Maguire says he doubts that incident will be an issue and revealed one of the first things on his list to do as Broncos coach is to have an open conversation with the fullback about how to take his game to the next level. “I’m really looking forward to sitting down with Reece and understanding his game and being able to build his game," Maguire said.

"I’d like to get to know Reece, that’s the first thing I want to do, is get to know him as a person. Like all the players across the competition, they’re talented, but I want to understand him, how he reads the game and educating him to the way I’d like him to play."

NSW playing group understands Michael Maguire's decision

Maguire's decision to leave the NSW State of Origin side to join the Broncos ruffled a few feathers, but the 50-year-old has always said he wanted to get back into full-time NRL coaching. "I am a career coach," he said on Tuesday. "I love the daily stuff and my last campaign in the Origin - it was an incredible experience - but I've missed having players around me daily and that's what I've got a lot out of, living as a coach.

"I'm extremely hungry to win another competition (after 2014 with the Rabbitohs). I just see the opportunities and the ability of what a club like the Broncos can be - (and) you can get pretty close to it."

But while Maguire may have netted his dream job, the NSWRL board are reportedly upset over how his exit went down. Channel Nine's Danny Weidler claimed the Broncos may have been making moves around Walters' exit close to four weeks before he left and it left NSWRL in the dark.

They will now begin a lengthy search for his successor, with no obvious options. But the Blues' playing group hold no hard feelings towards Maguire and says he made no secret of his desire to return to club land. "He's always come out and said that was his ultimate goal, to get back to NRL club land," Blues vice-captain Isaah Yeo said.

"It was certainly something he would be chasing at some stage. It's just that it's popped up now. The way he set up this year, it was the most outstanding Origin campaign I have been part of. And obviously it's easy to say that when you win a big one at Suncorp. But the way the whole set-up was, he did a wonderful job for the Blues. I couldn't wrap him enough. I wish him all the best for that role."

While Penrith five-eighth Jarome Luai, who Maguire recalled after his axing for Origin 3 last year, said while he is a big loss for NSW he understands why he made the decision to leave. "He's a massive loss, man, it's pretty sad," Luai said.

"I understand the role he wants to be in. He wants to be coaching week in, week out. I think it was a bit hard for him after we did win that series to then say 'What's next for me?' I respect his decision, he's got a family as well, and I think he's got ambitions to do great things with the club."

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Panthers Origin players back Ivan Cleary for NSW Origin job

Luai, Yeo and Liam Martin all said they reckon Panthers coach Ivan Cleary could juggle the NSW job while remaining full-time Penrith mentor. The NSWRL board have been hesitant to employ a full-time NRL coach for Origin, but they may relax that rule for the right candidate.

“He’s just like Madge (Maguire), Ivan is the kind of coach that you want to play harder for, the kind of coach you are willing to give you all for. I think he would be fantastic if did do that role," Martin said. Yeo added: "Ivan would be wonderful in that arena. The way he’s been for me as a player and the way he is able to get the best out of you is incredible. He’ll do a wonderful job if given the reins there. Whether he’d put his hand up, I’m not sure, he’s very integrated at Penrith. I’d be surprised if it happened but rugby league can be a funny world.”

with AAP