Martin Taupau is facing sanctions from the NRL club and no chance to have his contract renewed.
Payne Haas has rejected suggestions there’s unrest in the Broncos’ playing group over the methods of coach Michael Maguire. And it’s been revealed the NRL club won’t offer Martin Taupau a new contract after he appeared to take a swipe at the coach on social media on Thursday.
Taupau was caught ‘liking’ a post from former NRL player Elijah Taylor, who played under Maguire at the Wests Tigers. Taylor lifted the lid on feeling mentally and physically exhausted while playing for Maguire, saying he sometimes felt drained before playing a game because of how they’d trained.
The former Kiwi international responded to a question about why the Broncos have been struggling in recent weeks, saying: “One, his intensity. I’ve never seen a coach ride the game so hard. After a win, the world is a better place. After a loss, you’re off to a funeral and someone will be getting cooked at the video session.
Two, training methods. Ninety-five per cent of the time on the field it’s full contact. The hardest pre-season I have ever done is with Michael Maguire. You haven’t done an NRL pre-season until you have done a Michael Maguire pre-season.
“Three, time efficiency. Let’s have a meeting for a meeting for a meeting. I’d get home from training and the kids don’t know who I am anymore…Hardly home.
“Nothing worse than running out for game-day warm-up and you are sore. I’m about to play an 80-minute game and my body feels like this. If Madge can clean that up, I’m sure he can turn the Broncos season around.”
Martin Taupau forced to front Broncos leadership group
One of the people to ‘like’ the post was current Broncos player Taupau, who’s been toiling away in reserve grade this year. Taupau later issued an apology, writing: “I regret this and it was not my intention to endorse the video. I removed the like immediately after. I want to make it clear, I’m thoroughly enjoying being coached by Michael Maguire and I will continue to do whatever I can to help the Broncos win a premiership in 2025.”
But Taupau’s public apology might not be enough. According to The Courier Mail, the forward will be forced to front the Broncos’ leadership group, and there’s no chance he’ll have his contract renewed for 2026. There’s a possibility he could be handed a sanction by the club, and he’s little chance to play first-grade for the rest of the season.
Payne Haas rejects claims of Broncos player unrest
Discussing the situation on Thursday, forward leader Haas rubbished claims of player unrest. Veteran journalist Phil Rothfield has continually made suggestions in the media that Maguire has rubbed players the wrong way with some of his methods, particularly after a gruelling pre-season that included a police-style boot camp.
We enjoy being here and enjoy training hard. We just haven’t got the results. If we win it all goes away,” Haas said. “I think it’s bollocks. We have got his (Maguire’s) back.
“Everyone has got belief in this group and what he does with us. We support him 100 per cent. I feel like the boys trained well the other day and Madge has been pretty positive. He is confident in our group and he has high belief in our group, so he has been good.”
Payne Haas has rubbished claims Michael Maguire is training his Brisbane team too hard after one of the coach’s former players criticised his methods.
The Broncos have appeared lacking in energy, particularly in the second half of matches, during their rough trot of four losses from the past five.
Maguire has been accused of over-training the players and being too intense during the week, leaving them flat for games. It’s a subject former New Zealand international Elijah Taylor addressed in a video posted to Instagram.
