THE BOSS Maguire Stomped The Naysayers! But...8 Months Later, Here We Are.

[Big Del]

 

[BroncsFan]

Carayannis nailed it... he's one of the only tolerable Sydney journos... doesn't seem to go hunting for ragebait articles.

 

[Big Del]

His reports on the ABC radio are usually very good .

 

[Jedhead]

I think they're talking bollocks to be frank.

To say he can only coach teams that are already in a premiership winning window shows how little they know about the man.

Madge took Wigan who were a mere shadow of their former self back to the top.

When he got there they were getting hammered 70-0 in some games. They'd won one challenge cup in the past ten years and in his first year he dragged them back up to their former glory and won 1 Championship, 1 Challenge Cup, and 1 League Leaders Shield.

Since then he left them in such good health when he went to souths that they've gone on to win 5 championships, 3 challenge cups and numerous other honours.

Speaking of souths they had not won a premiership in 40 odd years and Madge managed to break that drought. The last time they had won a minor premiership was 1989 so they were anything but in a "premiership winning window".

Granted we could have been considered as being in a premiership winning window. However we finished 12the the year before he came and the poor state of our mental health and our piss poor fitness meant we were really no chance of achieving our potential.

 

[Manofoneway]

I've been meaning to post in this thread for months now, but the narrative kept developing I was happy to let things unfold.

Firstly, a big congratulations to the Broncos management. It was a bold decision to bring Michael Maguire into the club and they could have easily rested on their laurels and filed the coaching position as 'too hard'. There's a lot of pressure that comes with the head coaching role at the Broncos and only a club legend like Kev is ever afforded any sort of reprieve from the public and the press.

Secondly, the club owes a debt of gratitude towards Walters. While he fell short, he achieved beyond expectation and he put the club back on track. The success on Sunday was eerily reminiscent of Penrith in 2003 where Lang was able to enjoy the fruits of Roycie Simmonds labour.

Finally, well done to Madge. The moment he arrived the media took him on and were relentless with their criticism. They did their best to destabalise the team but Madge held firm and built a resilience unlike anything we've seen from this club.

Walking through the season...

What stood out about the Broncos was their squad management. Under Walters the Broncos had an all or nothing approach so when they suffered injuries it would really disrupt them. With Maguire at the helm, he created a competition for spots which saw guys like Shibasaki, Gosiewski, Paix etc. thrive.

Shibasaki in particular was a revelation for the Broncos who struggled to replace Farnworth the previous year. Gehamat was a stronger defender than Cobbo and his carries coming out of trouble were handy.

The Broncos tried to play a more direct brand of football with a heavier emphasis on ruck plays and flat Chris Anderson esque footy. It was a style that the players struggled with but the stronger completion rates allowed them to fatigue the opposition and pick them apart later in halves.

They weren't perfect and they eventually got found out by the Roosters who exposed the Broncos inability to work the ball out of trouble. Arthars in particular only managed 55m and eventually the Roosters took full advantage of the field position.

The season took a turn in New Zealand when Walsh injured his knee in the first involvement of the game. It was a brave performance from Walsh and he played a key role in orchestrating an unlikely comeback before he kicked out on the full, enabling the Warriors to hold on.

It was a sliding doors moment for both clubs. The Warriors would go on a run that set up their season, meanwhile outside of an incredible first half performance against the Bulldogs where everything went Brisbane's way they kept finding ways to beat themselves.

Not only did the Broncos miss Walsh, but the Ben Hunt at 6 experiment clearly wasn't working out. The decision to move Hetherington into the starting team hampered the forward rotations. On top of that while Willison produced some fantastic moments in the second row, he struggled to make the complete transition and was clearly better off the bench.

The backs were also struggling. While he was a quality finisher, Arthars struggled to work the ball out of trouble. Mariner had a similar issues and had the tendancy to take poor options with the football. Selwyn Cobbo had fitness issues, floating in and out of games and wasn't combining well with his outside backs.

The Broncos always had an ace up their sleeve in Ezra Mam so it wasn't panic stations. Once Brisbane were able to get Walsh and Mam on the field at the same time that was going to be key but there needed to be other tweaks.

That's when Madge changed the formation of the forward pack and that immeditately left a positive impact on the team. The other change was the decision to drop Cobbo in favour of Karapani who had been going strength from strength in QCup. Karapani came in against the Gold Coast, took his opportunity and was one of the Broncos better players.

Last year the Broncos struggled during the Origin period and that was where the season slipped away from them. Meanwhile the competition for spots had the Broncos travelling well and where the club had deficiencies, instead of filing it in the too hard basket, Madge went out and recruited one of the form players in reserve grade in Ben Talty and gave him a chance. Talty repaid him in kind and proved a valuable player in that rotation.

If there was one criticism about the Broncos heading into the finals, it was their defence. There were times where they would just switch off and history has taught the fans that defence wins premierships. It was a concern but what the Broncos had was resilience and an ability to affect the scoreboard.

They became better at working the ball out of trouble, the combinations on the edges grew stronger and even without Reynolds and Mam they were always dangerous when they found their rhythm.

Still, at the heart of Maguire's success was his ability to motivate his troops. The Broncos found themselves in so many losing situations and yet overcame time and time again. They never knew when they were beaten and played as bravely as any Queensland team in history. It got to the stage where you had to put all the conventional thinking aside and just accept that Brisbane were inevitable and they were going to find a way.

There are coaches who have a brilliant mind for the game and can break down a defensive line like a scientist. They would be able to point out all the flaws in the Broncos and what it would take to beat them. However it's nigh impossible when you're up against a squad this talented and this motivated.

Granted, Madge and the team had plenty of support. If there was one turning point in this season, just one moment where a premiership seemed possible. It was the 34th minute of the Round 27 clash between Brisbane and Melbourne where Deine Mariner was sent to the sin bin. The way the Suncorp crowd reacted that night was unlike anything else. It was like the fans revolted, they weren't going to take it anymore and they believed in this team.

Those same fans came out against the prelim against Penrith and had Suncorp rocking. So much so, even the greatest team of the modern era were shook and it clearly inspired the boys. Those same fans then travelled to Sydney and they weren't leaving without a premiership. It would had to have been the most amount of Broncos fans in Sydney in any one time and the atmosphere was electric.

It took every bit of that to achieve what we saw on Sunday. The most unlikely premiership in club history, spear-headed by one of the most passionate coaches in NRL history.

Someone get this bloke a newspaper to write for!

 

[ivanhungryjak]

I would ask him this?
If Bellamy went to Tigers back when Madge did, would he have done any better with that team? Bennett? Trent Robinson? You can bet CB would have ridden them at least as hard as Madge. Cleary did no good. I doubt they do any better - maybe they would have been given a bit more time, who knows.

 

[Harry Sack]

I keep thinking of so many things like this.

Madge and Barrett for sure.

If someone told me even last year that Shibasaki would score two tries in the grand final then get picked for Australia.

If someone told me Ben Hunt would come back and get his redemption

If someone told me in 2021 that Reece Walsh will come back to Brisbane and win the Churchill.

If someone told me during 2020 that it will all eventually be alright.

The only one I'll push back on is Hunt. I always thought he'd come back and get redemption somehow.

 

[I bleed Maroon]

So how does Madge coach next year now that we're defending Premiers? Does he ease off a bit to try and avoid burnout? Or smash them as hard as he did this year?

 

[BroncsFan]

So how does Madge coach next year now that we're defending Premiers? Does he ease off a bit to try and avoid burnout? Or smash them as hard as he did this year?

I think he has to double down... doesn't need to be harder than last year, but he can't be softer.

There will be a fair chunk of the GF 17 not due back until December/January due to the internationals, but guys outside the squad should expect to be flogged... especially if they turn up unfit

He needs to sustain this culture now, and these guys need to expect that if you want to play for the broncos you need to be fit as **** and ultra resilient... if you're not then we'll find someone else who will

 

[Brocko]

I think he continues as if we didn't win it in his first year and continues to drive his non negotiables because I think he'll know he still hasn't got the team to their complete heights yet.

Sounds silly having just won the comp, but I think he knows theres still way more potential in the group.

 

[Jazza]

Hopefully he’s learned from 2015. They had an attitude of “we’re going to win everything” and were unreal through the nines tournament and the first ten rounds. But they fell in an absolute heap after.

 

[pennywisealfie]

Hopefully he’s learned from 2015. They had an attitude of “we’re going to win everything” and were unreal through the nines tournament and the first ten rounds. But they fell in an absolute heap after.

That is absolutely a huge challenge for us. If you look at the last 5 weeks, we beat teams that were expected to beat us. We seem to get to work when we really know we have to.

But in the past, we seem to take lesser teams lightly and maybe cut some corners. Now that we've won it all, will the arrogance lead to complacency?

 

[Foordy]

So how does Madge coach next year now that we're defending Premiers? Does he ease off a bit to try and avoid burnout? Or smash them as hard as he did this year?

He does the same thing all the best sporting teams around the world do. Keep working them hard and setting the standards.

Cleary didn't make 4 straight GF's but taking his foot of the pedal ...

Bellamy hasn't made 11 GF's in 20 years by easing off.

Even when he tweaked things this season, he didn't take his foot of the pedal on the training paddock .. from all reports the tweaks occurred when the team was sitting in an air conditioned meeting room doing video sessions etc

 

[Dexter]

He does the same thing all the best sporting teams around the world do. Keep working them hard and setting the standards.

Cleary didn't make 4 straight GF's but taking his foot of the pedal ...

Bellamy hasn't made 11 GF's in 20 years by easing off.

Even when he tweaked things this season, he didn't take his foot of the pedal on the training paddock .. from all reports the tweaks occurred when the team was sitting in an air conditioned meeting room doing video sessions etc

In Walsh's interview with Matty Johns after the Canberra win he said he hoped Madge would give them a few days off because he had been flogging them.

 

[Manofoneway]

Its the last question that overhangs Madge's head. Is what he does sustainable? I'd say there is enough evidence to say probably not given his record at other clubs but we will see.

Regardless, it was a masterstroke getting him to the club to get the boys fit and mentally strong, it was the last piece of the puzzle.

 

[BroncsFan]

In Walsh's interview with Matty Johns after the Canberra win he said he hoped Madge would give them a few days off because he had been flogging them.

I think that was in jest because it was a bit of a leading question like "Week off now, will you get a few days off?"

 

[BroncsFan]

Its the last question that overhangs Madge's head. Is what he does sustainable? I'd say there is enough evidence to say probably not given his record at other clubs but we will see.

Regardless, it was a masterstroke getting him to the club to get the boys fit and mentally strong, it was the last piece of the puzzle.

It will be interesting.

Bellamy has been flogging his squads for like 20yr now and it keeps sustaining success, and I think that has to come down to the leadership group and culture of the playing group.

It seems like the players were all in with Madge this year and had great things to say about him... it also seems like he listened to the leadership group and lessened his intensity through the year.

So he may have upped his man management, whilst still being able to train them to be hard as ****, which I think was the issue with him at Souths... getting flogged by the coach, but him being a hard ass 24/7 probably starts to wear the squad down and lose the motivation to keep playing for him.

Bellamy gets away with it, because he's still a good man manager with his players.... but there's been so many in the media talking up how good a coach Madge has been... mostly from his NSW coaching. The broncos squad are now talking him up.

At Souths he probably didn't cycle through the squad as much either... potentially because they didn't have enough young talent coming through all the time to replace the older guys.

At panthers Ivan has a new crop coming through just about every year because of their conveyor belt of talent, but also losing top 17 guys each year that then have to be replaced.

Broncos may not be too dissimilar to that... we've continually got these young studs coming through and they just need the coaching.

They've now seen that what Madge coaches gets premierships, so as long as the leadership group and Top 30/17 keep driving those standards and culture, then the young guys coming through will want to be a part of it to get their own ring (same as penrith).

 

[Jedhead]

It will be interesting.

Bellamy has been flogging his squads for like 20yr now and it keeps sustaining success, and I think that has to come down to the leadership group and culture of the playing group.

It seems like the players were all in with Madge this year and had great things to say about him... it also seems like he listened to the leadership group and lessened his intensity through the year.

So he may have upped his man management, whilst still being able to train them to be hard as ****, which I think was the issue with him at Souths... getting fogged by the coach, but him being a hard ass 24/7 probably starts to wear the squad down and lose the motivation to keep playing for him.

Bellamy gets away with it, because he's still a good man manager with his players.... but there's been so many in the media talking up how good a coach Madge has been... mostly from his NSW coaching. The broncos squad are now talking him up.

At Souths he probably didn't cycle through the squad as much either... potentially because they didn't have enough young talent coming through all the time to replace the older guys.

At panthers Ivan has a new crop coming through just about every year because of their conveyor belt of talent, but also losing top 17 guys each year that then have to be replaced.

Broncos may not be too dissimilar to that... we've continually got these young studs coming through and they just need the coaching.

They've now seen that what Madge coaches gets premierships, so as long as the leadership group and Top 30/17 keep driving those standards and culture, then the young guys coming through will want to be apart of it to get their own ring (same as penrith).

Well Gould did copy our model and implemented into the pen ref system. So no surprises there.