Wally Lewis slams Michael Maguire's decision to sack Allan Langer amid telling Broncos warning

Queensland great Wally Lewis has slammed Michael Maguire's decision to sack Allan Langer, saying it's like axing Santa Claus. Having been involved with Brisbane almost since the Broncos' inception, Langer will no longer be part of the coaching team in 2025.

The club legend was reportedly rocked and angered at former coach and good friend Kevin Walters' dismissal, having won multiple premierships alongside his former teammate. Rated the greatest Bronco to ever play the game by foundation coach Wayne Bennett, Langer is Brisbane's favourite son and he has worked in an array of roles at Red Hill over the past two decades.

And the decision to remove him from the training ground has not gone down well with the Broncos old boys in particular, Lewis, who said there wouldn't be a single Queenslander not shocked and upset by the new coach's decision. "I don't have anything to do with Madge as a coach, so I don't understand what his plans are or what his thoughts were before that decision-making took place," Lewis told Wide World of Sports.

"Coaches are entitled to make a decision – I think he's come in with the thinking 'change is as is as good as a holiday' and probably believed there needed to be a broom put through the Broncos. I was shocked ... f—ing stunned. Sacking Alf is like sacking Santa Claus."

NSW great Paul Gallen echoed a similar sentiment, stunned at Maguire's decision to offload the Queensland great. "The Broncos struggled this year with 14 men on the field so without Alfie, they might struggle even more," Gallen said. "I've been involved with him with the Kangaroos and you can't let a guy like Alfie Langer go. He might not be running the water with a blue shirt on but I don't think Alfie will be lost to that club. That's Madge's decision but I'd be shocked if he was lost to the Broncos completely."

Maguire insisted when announcing Langer was no longer part of the coaching team that the club were working with him to find him another role at the club. “Alf will be in the organisation,” Maguire told The Courier Mail on Thursday. "I haven’t really had a chance to see him properly yet, but I have spoken to Alf over the phone and he’s a great man. I’ve been able to spend some time with him over the years. Now that I’m moving up, I want to sit down with Alf and see how best it all fits in together.

"He’s obviously one of the greats of the club and such a popular figure in the game. I think everyone enjoys Alf, but it’s just best how we put our program together. I’m looking forward to sitting down with him over the next couple of weeks to talk about where he fits in. Alf can play so many different parts within the Broncos organisation."

Michael Maguire facing uphill battle to win over Broncos old boys

Maguire's axing of Langer has done little to get the Brisbane old boys on side and reporter Brent Read believes he is facing an 'uphill battle' to win over the likes of Gordon Tallis and Shane Webcke after removing the club legend. "He is not completely out of the Broncos, he won't be the trainer anymore. He has done it for years and has built up quite a reputation. But I think the writing was on the wall when they moved on from Kevvie," Read said of Maguire's decision on Friday.

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"Madge does want to keep him involved in the club in some capacity...Bit of an end of an era for the Broncos." Although Read suggested Maguire will be facing an 'uphill battle' to win over the likes of Tallis and Shane Webcke after removing a club legend in Langer from his role at the Broncos.

"Madge was battling on that front anyway. Madge is fighting an uphill battle there regardless, and this decision will upset some old boys, like the move on from Kevvie did...if they don't win and they start poorly the pressure is going to intensify," Read added. "It's a significant move and it's going to upset some people, but Madge is going to do it his way."