Reece Walsh and Broncos teammates hit with ban over cocky move that Kevin Walters allowed

Reece Walsh reportedly had his shirt off during a pre-game warm-up on the field before a Broncos match in 2024. But under new coach Michael Maguire, the players aren't even allowed to take their shirts off at training.

While Kevin Walters was in charge in Brisbane, players were often spotted shirtless during training sessions at Red Hill. There were even reports that Walsh had his shirt off during a pre-game warm-up last season - a move that would never fly under a veteran coach like Wayne Bennett or Craig Bellamy.

And it seems it won't fly under Maguire either. According to the Courier Mail, the new Broncos coach has brought in an edict that players must keep their shirts on at training - in a bid to change the attitude and culture at the club.

Walsh and his teammates were treated like 'rock stars' last year, and it saw their egos over-inflated to the point where they thought they were better than what they actually were. Walters' side went from grand finalists in 2023 to missing the top eight completely in 2024, finishing a lowly 12th on the ladder.

The stunning fall from grace cost Walters his job, and Maguire has set about changing the attitude of players and the general culture at the club. Maguire is a known authoritarian and has instilled hard work as the biggest pillar at the Broncos since taking over.

“It’s about creating the environment that we’re in. I want a high standard and it’s important they help drive and create it themselves,” Maguire said this week. “That’s part of success. How you’re turning up is very important. That’s the professional part of being a rugby league player at this level. If the guys do that well, you’re going to get a pretty good output with the people that we have.”

New Broncos coach cracking down on 'rock star' behaviour

There have previously been suggestions Maguire will also crack down on players wearing sunglasses and painting their finger-nails, returning the club to an old-school approach. Walsh was seen wearing sunnies in the sheds before the 2023 grand final and is often spotted with bright colours painted on his nails.

"Madge will tip that club on its head and it needs to be tipped on its head. The egos are out of control,” journalist Dean Ritchie said on NRL 360 in September. “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 on the fingers of the players either. Madge will say ‘you are kidding’.”

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Michael Maguire fixing standards that dropped under Walters

Speaking this week, Broncos winger Jesse Arthars gave an insight into how Maguire has already changed the culture. Reports emerged late last season that standards had dropped at training under Walters and there were no consequences for making mistakes.

But under Maguire, the whole team does push-ups if someone drops the ball. "It's obviously a different training regime this year, so I guess the boys have been adapting to that over the last couple of weeks," Arthars said. "The boys are going through their paces at the moment so it's good to see everyone hurting, and hopefully we'll benefit come Round 1.

"It's refreshing to see what Madge brings. We’re obviously still learning, it's still early days for us, but I think Madge has been really good so far. The boys have just been a bit more accountable for their errors, so if someone drops the ball we're all down doing 10 push ups. Everyone's working really hard."