Michael Maguire survived the club’s internal review into their dismal 2026 campaign but the Broncos coach could be given just a ten-week time frame next season to spark a turnaround.
Significant pressure has been placed on the club and Maguire after a horror season and while an extensive review demanded 14 changes, the head coach’s job is safe.
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However, CODE Sports’ Brent Read says Maguire and the Broncos will likely have to start fast in 2027 otherwise the two-time premiership winning coach will be on the hot seat.
“The most significant part of (the review) Braith is that the coach isn’t under pressure and perhaps we all thought that the review would show there’s pressure on the coach,” Read said on NRL360.
“Madge is going to start next season the way I see it and will be given the opportunity to turn things around at the club and if he can’t, then after ten weeks or so, they’ve got a decision to make.”
Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy faced the media on Monday to field questions about the club’s review, including Maguire’s future.
Donaghy says he’d “love” Maguire to be the club’s coach long-term, but didn’t commit to it.
“We’ll have those discussions behind closed doors,” Donaghy said.
“I’ve always said I’d love for Madge to be a long-term coach.
“It’s certainly been a challenging year on many different fronts and there’s been some things that have been in our control and some things that have been outside of our control.
“We’ve fallen short of our standards and our targets and as CEO I accept responsibility for my share of that.”
While Maguire was able to help break a premiership drought of 19 years in his first season at the club, things have become so dire at the Broncos according to journalist Dean Ritchie.
So much so, that Ritchie finds it hard to see Maguire being able to turn things around over the off-season.
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“They’re an absolute debacle on and off the field,” Ritchie said.
“The issues are so deep at Brisbane and they’re so hostile. I’m a Madge fan but I just wonder how the hell he’s going to pull this group together during the summer and somehow get the best out of them.
“They’re fractured. They’re unhappy. They’re unsettled.
“It looks like a club that isn’t going to somehow find a spark over December and January and come out of the fire.”
Ritchie’s comments led to NRL360 host Braith Anasta ask the panel if there’s any coaching contenders who would want to coach the Broncos.
“It’s the Broncos. Every coach in the game would want to coach the Broncos,” Read replied.
“There’s no candidate that stands out to me. There’s obviously guys on the staff like (assistant coach) Trent Barrett or (ex-assistant) Ben Te’o, who was on the staff.
“The left-field one is Wayne (Bennett) but there would need to be significant changes (at the club) for Wayne to go back there.”