The Broncos coach was brought in to shake-up the Brisbane dressing room after plenty of speculation.
Michael Maguire has been urged to take note of Craig Bellamy’s man management at the Storm after the drama around Reece Walsh and the ‘rockstar’ dressing room in Brisbane continues. On the weekend, former Broncos coach Kevin Walters slammed suggestions standards slipped under his tenure in Brisbane after the club failed to reach the top eight.
The belief was Maguire was brought into the club to control a dressing room that has been labelled as ‘rockstars’ with speculation the players had become too big for their boots. Walsh came under particular scrutiny in 2024. Walsh caused a stir among some in the NRL community after he was captured wearing sunglasses in the sheds ahead of the 2023 grand final.
When Maguire took over from Walters, the coach quickly banned players from taking their shirts off at training (which he said was to keep sponsors happy). It was also suggested players painting their nails and wearing sunglasses at night time or indoors might not fly either.
While Walters hit back at these claims and suggested he wanted the players to express themselves, Broncos great Corey Parker said their is a line and Melbourne Storm’s success has come off the back of Bellamy’s hard-nosed approach. Storm stars such as Ryan Papenhuyzen, Cameron Munster and Harry Grant enjoy less media scrutiny at home due to the NRL playing second-fiddle to AFL in Melbourne.
Although Papenhuyzen and Munster are certainly ‘rockstars’ in their own rights within the NRL. And having been coached by Bellamy during his playing days, Parker claimed Melbourne’s sustained success is a result of all the egos being left at the door when playing for the coach. And he alluded to the Broncos’ dressing room drama in the process.
“Now the Melbourne Storm, they have their spotlight, but to a lesser degree…they can manipulate and control what is the narrative. You talk about ‘scallywags’, you talk about rockstars, you don’t see nails painted for any of these guys, but they have genuine rockstars. They have genuine runs on the board,” Parker said Tuesday on SEN Radio.
Harry Grant, Cameron Munster…scallywag, rockstar. Ryan Papenhuyzen has got the flowing mullet, no painted fingernails yet that I’ve seen. It’s about just how you manage it. Ultimately, when they come into the four walls of the training facilities, they are all on the one page. It is not about the flamboyant individual that is. It is all about team. Having played under Craig, that is something he really instills.”
Parker admitted Bellamy is relentless on standards and doesn’t budge. The Broncos great has predicted the Storm will finish minor premiers in 2025 as they look to build on their 2024 success..
Michael Maguire to shake-up Broncos season
Early in pre-season, Maguire moved to address the ethos he wanted to instil at the Broncos. The coach, coming from the NSW head coach role, is known for his hardline approach and was ready to make sure all players were 100 per cent dedicated to his training regime.
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 last yer. “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.”
Walsh appears to have bought into Maguire’s training regime already with the fullback looking fit ahead of round one. Walsh has also been named in the starting side to take on the Bulldogs this weekend.
Kevin Walters defends Reece Walsh from criticism
Only last week, Walters and fellow panellist Michael Ennis called for Maguire not to control Walsh too much in his first year as coach. “That was never an issue for me because I let them express themselves and I feel if they don’t, they’re not the person who they want to be and you don’t get the best out of them,” Walters said. “If he wants to wear those glasses, wear them. Paint your nails. Do what makes you happy and get the job done on the footy field.”
Speaking to SEN radio last year, NRL hard-man Mark Carroll weighed-in on the Broncos dressing room drama. The Manly great said Walsh should be allowed to wear nail polish as long as he backs it up with hard work and results.
“It’s ok to look flash but you’ve got to be able to do the hard work as well,” Carroll said. “I don’t mind seeing the finger polish or the make-up because these guys can play. But off the field, pull your bloody head in. It’s as simple as that.”
