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Michael Maguire's blunt response for Broncos critics
Emily Benammar • October 7th, 2025 11:32 am
Brisbane Broncos coach Michael Maguire has laughed off the suggestion he and his playing group have "kept receipts" for certain journalists and experts that criticised their approach when their season looked wobbly.
Having beaten Storm in an incredible come from behind win in Sunday's Grand Final, the Broncos' 2025 story makes for remarkable reading.
Half-way through the season they had won five games from 12 and sat outside the eight with the critics taking aim at the coach and his approach.
The season was by no means a write-off, but the results were below par.
Then came the turnaround. Maguire and his team won 13 of the final 15 games of the season - including their finals clashes - to be crowned Premiers.
It was a glorious salute to the critics that had rallied against Maguire in his first season on the job.
"We’re gonna have some fun with this," Maguire told SENQ Breakfast when asked about the players calling out their critics post Grand Final.
"Everyone has got an opinion, and people are paid for them.
"It’s not the opinions I care about it’s the people I'm fortunate to be with. They look at the past and come up with things, but we came up with something that the right people talk about.
"The right people know what goes on to create what we did. They're the people you want to hang around so that’s why I stick with them."
As they did against the Panthers in the preliminary final, the Broncos had to come from behind to claim their first premiership in 19 years.
They trailed the Storm by 10 points at the half-time break before launching an incredible comeback.
With 40 seconds left on the clock and the Broncos ahead by two points, there was a try saving tackle from superstar Reece Walsh which will live in NRL folklore.
It's a moment Madge won't be forgetting for some time.
"My heart rate was going towards the end of the game," Maguire added. "When Ryan Papenhuyzen came through and Reece crunched the tackle and saved the day. It was a very special feeling.
"They have shown the belief between each other and what they wanted to achieve, the hunger amongst the players, you saw it with Nathan Cleary the week before.
"We have worked and they have worked extremely hard to get this and what they deserved.
"They had to go the hard route (in finals) – Canberra the minor premiers, then Penrith who are one of the greatest teams in the competition and Melbourne who have been talked about for such a long time.
"The boys had to rise above all of that. It shows how our club has shifted."
