Moments after becoming just the sixth coach in history to win premierships at multiple clubs, Brisbane coach Michael Maguire declared: “I’ve been chasing this since 2014.”
Maguire has joined Jack Gibson, Wayne Bennett, Tim Sheens, Phil Gould and Chris Anderson in being part of a select group to have achieved the feat since 1908. The Brisbane coach won his first NRL title at South Sydney 11 years earlier, and he can now add his latest triumph to his Super League championship at Wigan, as well a series win with NSW and guiding the Kiwis to the top of the international game.
Speaking in a smoke-filled dressing room as his players enjoyed celebratory cigars, Maguire said he hadn’t had a chance to process joining the other coaching greats who have won the ultimate prize at more than one club.
“I probably don’t think like that, but there are some pretty cool names there,” Maguire said. “I just enjoy doing this, winning comps is something I love doing. It’s been a long time and a lot of hard work.
“I’ve been chasing this since 2014.
“I’ve learned a lot over the journey of the last 11 years and I definitely wasn’t going to miss this one because I knew that once I got the team going, I could feel that this was where they could get to.”
Michael Maguire celebrates following the grand final victory.Credit: Getty Images
The Broncos were down 22-10 at half-time but, just as they have throughout the finals series, finished stronger to pull off a memorable 26-22 victory.
“I felt this morning, when I woke up yesterday, at training, it was just something about them that I thought the journey that they’ve had to come [on] in this game, we’ve come from behind, we’ve done it in many different ways,” Maguire said.