Broncos approach Blues boss Maguire to replace Walters

Michael Maguire has been tapped as the preferred replacement for Kevin Walters at the Broncos, with Brisbane now preparing to table a proper offer for the State of Origin-winning coach through this weekend.

Broncos negotiators have already spoken at length with Maguire to gauge how interested he is in coming to Red Hill. The Sporting Base understands he wants the job.

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Brisbane’s most interested in Maguire’s ability to inject toughness into whatever team he coaches. The club also likes the fact that he has experience in winning cultures after previously guiding South Sydney to a premiership in 2014 and most recently staging an incredible series victory for the NSW Blues in State of Origin earlier this season.

One big sticking point will be that Maguire has to speak to NSW Rugby League before anything. It’s understood this happened earlier today, at the time of publishing, with the Blues bosses slightly unhappy Maguire wants to leave but very understanding regarding the fact it’s a full-time position back in the NRL again since mid-2022.

Things will now progress quite a bit quicker between Maguire and the Broncos now that the New South Wales powerbrokers have given their blessing to the huge contractual move for next year.

While things may well have changed since the last time things really shuffled at Red Hill, the 50-year-old came close to leading the Broncos in 2018 when Wayne Bennett left the club. At the time, he very publicly said he’d love to coach the powerhouse NRL club at some point in his career.

“I don’t know the ins and outs of the Broncos, but Brisbane are a club most coaches would view as a strong club to go to because of the facilities and funding they have,” he told the Courier Mail during the 2018 negotiations. “Ultimately, it’s the people involved in a club, the ambitions and desire of an organisation to be successful that appeals.”

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Maguire’s likely arrival comes after Walter’s emotional exit, with the now-ousted Broncos coach breaking down in tears on Friday after farewelling the club. He’ll now stay on as a Brisbane ambassador.