Michael Maguire is one step nearer to taking up as Brisbane’s NRL coach after the NSW Rugby League (NSWRL) board met to debate releasing him from his contract.
Maguire stays the clear front-runner to take over from Kevin Walters after the membership legend’s brutal exit from the Broncos final week.
Nonetheless contracted to be NSW’s State of Origin coach for an additional season, Maguire informed NSWRL chairman Paul Conlon on Saturday he was within the Brisbane job.
That got here lower than a day after Maguire spoke at a Carbine Membership luncheon on Friday, detailing his plans for the 2025 Origin sequence with the Blues.
The probabilities of Maguire being a part of that marketing campaign now seems extremely slim.
NSWRL administrators met once more early on Monday morning to debate Maguire’s scenario. AAP has been informed they started planning for his potential launch.
Complicating the matter considerably is that NSWRL CEO David Trodden has simply begun a pre-scheduled end-of-season vacation in Europe.
The NSWRL was unable to remark publicly on the matter on Monday, with Maguire nonetheless formally contracted and the method ongoing.
Maguire had quick success because the NSW coach this yr, serving to the Blues overturn their heaviest-ever residence loss to win the sequence 2-1 in Brisbane.
His type appeared completely suited to the Origin enviornment, whereas his Blue Mountains camps had been a success with gamers.
The 50-year-old is seen as the best man to drag the Broncos again into line amid questions over the perspective of a number of gamers after final yr’s grand-final loss.
Michael Maguire had instantaneous success with New South Wales this yr in his first State of Origin marketing campaign as Blues coach.
However he’ll face challenges in Brisbane, notably given he’s an outsider and changing one of many previous boys’ favourites in Walters.
That scenario was made clear final week when Broncos legend Shane Webcke publicly shot down the suggestion that Maguire may take over the membership.
“He coaches NSW. Spare me that,” Webcke mentioned on SEN.
“I’ve obtained nothing in opposition to him, however did we eliminate Kevvie Walters for that?”
Maguire’s possible departure from the NSW job will put the Blues again at sq. one, after solely choosing him to succeed Brad Fittler as coach final summer time.
The Broncos endured a season to overlook after coming inside minutes of profitable the NRL premiership in 2023. (Getty Pictures: Russell Freeman)
Paul McGregor looms as a possible possibility, whereas Danny Buderus and John Cartwright are others concerned within the Blues set-up lately.
Andrew Johns is one other former assistant, whereas Fittler’s predecessor Laurie Daley has beforehand dominated out any likelihood of returning to the highest job.
The scenario may additionally doubtlessly depart the NSWRL with two calls to make on Origin coaches for subsequent yr.
Girls’s coach Kylie Hilder may have her destiny determined within the coming weeks, after NSW slumped to their third sequence loss in 4 years below her watch.
She is anticipated to entrance the NSWRL board at its subsequent scheduled assembly on October 18.
AAP
