Déjà vu with NSW Blues on the hunt for another new coach

The Brisbane Broncos have officially announced Michael Maguire as their new head coach after the dismissal of Kevin Walters.

Walters was let go by the club following the findings of a review and due to his impressive resume which boasts the 2014 Premiership with South Sydney and most recently the 2024 State of Origin series with the NSW Blues.

The NSW Rugby League board (NSWRL) are now scrambling to replace Maguire who has left with one-year remaining on his Blues contract.

“It’s now left the Blues and NSWRL back on a search for a new Origin coach just 12 months after hiring Michael Maguire,” The Daily Telegraph’s David Riccio told SEN 1170 Breakfast.

“NSWRL will tell me that Maguire always had an eye on being an NRL head coach.

“They have had thoughts in the back of their mind of who would be next.

“He was signed to a two-year deal with a bonus for a third if he was successful next year.

“It’s going to be fascinating because there aren’t really any new candidates this time around.

“The list are the names we heard last year and we will hear them again.

“They include the likes of Ricky Stuart, Laurie Daley, Michael Ennis and there have been calls for Geoff Toovey.

“The current (NSW) assistant coaches will be putting their names forward including Matt King and Brett White.

“This took around November-December last year, even pushed to January, until Maguire was announced as coach.

“There are no genuine frontrunners. There was only ever one clear frontrunner last time and that was Michael Maguire.

“This is going to be a long process now.”