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Michael Maguire has wasted no time in making his mark on the Brisbane Broncos, with the famously hard taskmaster instilling new rules to club training sessions in a bid to enforce discipline and improve standards at the club.
Most notable is his new ‘six pack ban’ barring players from training without shirts or in non-Broncos gear, both of which were commonplace under predecessor Kevin Walters, according to The Courier Mail.
According to Maguire, the initiative is part of a bid to ‘change perceptions’ around the club, with Broncos players accused of getting ahead of themselves after storming to the 2023 NRL grand final only to fail to even make finals in 2024, which cost Walters his job.
“I want a high standard and it’s important they [the players] help drive and create it themselves,” Maguire said.
“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.
“What I will say is perceptions are built, but you can change perceptions with what you do. What we get to build now is where we want to take the club and how we want to shape the club.”
Maguire believes the rules, as well as a hunger to atone for 2024’s disappointment, have had a marked impact on Broncos training already, with players having committed to the new standards expected of them.
“Already in pre-season, I’ve seen the players buy in and have a crack,” he said.
“They’re very hungry… so the opportunities for success will be in front of them if they’re prepared to do the work as a team.
“It’s on everyone at this club. There’s a lot of good men here but we have to back it up. When things are wrong, we need to pull people up.”
According to The Courier-Mail, the buy in extends to off the training track as well, with all players attending a recent team lunch in full Broncos gear.
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