Tensions have erupted after the Broncos’ stunning premiership victory, with NRL360 host Braith Anasta declaring Michael Maguire is “not getting enough credit” for their title.

Throughout the season, veteran rugby league reporter Phil Rothfield has been critical of Maguire’s hard-edged coaching methods, slamming his pre-season army camps and training methods.

Then by Round 13, the Broncos were licking their wounds, sitting in 11th place after flying out the gates, with reports surfacing Maguire was on the chopping block.

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However, from that moment onwards their fortunes changed, with Rothfield revealing one moment sparked their premiership run.

“I’ve got no doubt Madge changed, I said it on an after-show at Vegas… I said he’d driven them too hard,” Rothfield said on NRL360 on Monday night.

“They started strong and then went into this massive slump, they lost to Souths, they lost to St George. They got beaten 34-6 by Manly at Brookvale Oval.

“I am told… that Ben Hunt and Adam Reynolds went and saw Madge, not to complain about cruises, camps. It was about intensity.

“Saying the players are happy to work hard, nine hours a day, but we just are feeling a bit of anxiety around the place, would you mind rolling it back?

“At the same time they hired a crisis manager, a guy called Grant Williams… (he) worked very hard with Madge, and I can tell you that Madge pulled back a little bit.

“They were in big trouble, in the first 12 rounds they had won five games of footy. Madge himself was right over the appointment of Grant Williams.”

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But Rothfield was met by both The Australian’s Brent Read and Anasta, who strong disagreed with Rothfield’s commentary on the Broncos throughout the year.

“All the talk about Madge’s intensity, baseball bats, spew buckets, army camps. We saw what the players thought of that commentary with their reaction after the game,” Read said.

“Payne Haas was getting around with a baseball bat, they were taking the mickey out of it.

“Because that commentary Buzz, with due respect to you, I don’t want to be critical of you because you have done far more than I have in this game.

“But that commentary was ridiculous, and it’s been proven.”

Anasta specifically pointed to the changes Maguire made to the Broncos that sparked their premiership surge.

He was of the belief Maguire was not getting enough credit for taking a side that finished outside of the finals race in 2024 to a title.

“I love Kevvie and I think he’s a great coach, I can’t say he wouldn’t be able to do what Madge has done, it’s impossible,” Anasta said.

“But what I would say is when he got to the club, Madge has said he thought they were unfit so he trained them hard.

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“They had six comebacks, ten plus points against top eight teams from Round 16 onwards. You can question would they have done that this time last year.

“He dropped Cobbo and he dropped Arthars, would the previous coach have done that? We don’t know.

“(Gehamat) Shibasaki he plucked from oblivion and game him a chance this year, he was outstanding and I believe he is a big part of the transformation of Reece Walsh.

“You can disagree with me… I am not saying (Walters) couldn’t have done it, but he is not getting enough credit.”

But despite taking home a premiership, Rothfield believes his biggest win came off the field.

“Madge’s biggest win this year was his last of stubbornness, that he took board what Hunt and Reynolds said to him behind closed doors,” Rothfield said.

“And he changed.”

Again, he was met with heavy criticism, which prompted a fiery response from the veteran scribe — and an admission.

“What do you want me to say? When they are five (wins) from 12 weeks… do you want me to just come in and say ‘yeah, good weekend Braith’,” Rothfield said.

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“What do you want us to do? Do you want us to analyse? I said last week he proved me wrong, but I am not apologising as some people want me to.

“Madge proved me wrong, Madge deserved his premiership. Are you happy?”

Meanwhile, Gorden Tallis also admitted Maguire proved him wrong, having been one of the most outspoken voices against Brisbane’s decision to dump coach Kevin Walters.

“I will stand by everything that I said about Madge, my beef was when he took Billy Slater on with the ‘glass houses’, that’s when it started,” Tallis said.

“And then I read out his record at the Wests Tigers and I said ‘how does the management come up with this guy?’.

“With the record that he had, but they did and now he has proven me wrong. But the thing is, I am not saying that Kevvie (Walters) wouldn’t have the players in the same spot.

“I will never walk away from that.”