The new Brisbane Broncos coach has set about changing the standards and culture at the NRL club.
Kevin Walters has shot down suggestions a ‘rock star culture’ took over during his time as Brisbane Broncos coach, and declared Reece Walsh should be allowed to wear nail polish and sunglasses inside if that’s what makes him happy. New coach Michael Maguire has been working hard to change the culture and work ethic at the Broncos after they fell from grand finalists in 2023 to 12th on the ladder in 2024.
The embarrassing fall from grace cost Walters his job, and it’s believed he eventually lost the playing group. The popular theory is the Broncos players started reading their own press and got too big for their own boots after their run to the grand final in 2023.
But speaking on Fox League’s coverage of Saturday’s NRL trial games, former coach Walters denied that was the case. “It’s a load of garbage, I can tell you from being inside the club,” Walters said. “The Broncos are not a ‘rockstar’ club.”
When Maguire took over from Walters, the hard-nosed coach was tipped to ban certain things that had crept into the dressing room and training standards. He’s banned players from taking their shirts off at training (which he said was to keep sponsors happy), and it was thought that players painting their nails and wearing sunglasses at night time or indoors wouldn’t fly either.
Michael Maguire tipped to rid Broncos of ‘arrogance’
Walsh is known to paint his nails in colourful shades, and he was also seen wearing sunnies in the sheds before the grand final in 2023. Speaking last October, NRL 360 panellists Braith Anasta and Dean Ritchie predicted the “arrogant” moves “won’t be allowed” under Maguire.
“The egos are out of control,” Ritchie said. “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’.”
Anasta added: “This is no disrespect to Reece, but do you think he (Maguire) will allow this in the sheds at a night game walking through with his Versace sunglasses on? I can’t visually see it or imagine it knowing Madge that he would allow that. I’m not saying that it’s the end of the world and Reece has got freedom of choice to do that. But I can’t see it happening. Can you see this happening with Madge as coach?”
Kevin Walters calls for calm with Reece Walsh
But speaking on Saturday, Walters and fellow panellist Michael Ennis encouraged Maguire not to curtail Walsh too much. “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 revealed the truth of the situation. The Manly great said Walsh should be allowed to wear nail polish all he likes as long as he puts in the hard work and backs up the cockiness with his performances on the field.
“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.”
