Michael Maguire (rugby league)
Encyclopedia
Michael Maguire is an Australian professional rugby league
football coach and former player. He is the head coach of the South Sydney Rabbitohs
in Australia's National Rugby League
(NRL). After serving as assistant coach of the Melbourne Storm
under Craig Bellamy, in 2009 he became the head coach of the Wigan Warriors
in England's Super League
. In his first year as Wigan's coach he won the 2010 Super League Grand Final
. In his second he won the 2011 Challenge Cup
before signing with Souths.
Michael signed for NSWRL club the Canberra Raiders
in 1991 and made his Winfield Cup
début for the club off the bench against Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
in a narrow 14-15 loss.
Maguire did not feature again until 1994 when he came off the bench again against Penrith Panthers
. He had a more consistent season the following year, making six appearances in total, most of which he started as either Wing or Centre. Maguire's first try came as a centre against the Parramatta Eels
.
In 1997 Maguire left Canberra and signed for the new Adelaide Rams
club of the breakway Australian Super League
competition. He made his début at fullback against the North Queensland Cowboys
which Adelaide lost. Maguire also participated in the World Club Challenge
for the Rams that year. He went on to play four more games for Adelaide and scored one try before returning to Canberra in 1998.
Maguire made two appearances for Canberra in 1998 before retiring after persistent neck problems.
before signing as a Strength & Conditioning coach for Canberra and later became assistant coach for the Canberra Raiders reserve grade under Mal Meninga
. Maguire was eventually promoted to assistant coach of the Canberra first team alongside Matthew Elliott before leaving the club in 2004 to take the assistant coaching job at Melbourne Storm
under former Raiders teammate, Craig Bellamy.
Maguire was an integral part in Melbourne's stripped NRL grand final victories and took control of first team affairs when head coach Bellamy took up representative duties for the Blues in State of Origin
. This earned him plaudits from senior coaches in the NRL and Maguire was linked with a move to Brisbane Broncos
as head coach in 2008. He was heavily linked with a move to English club Wigan Warriors
towards the end of the 2009 season and signed a three-year deal with the Super League
side on 7 October 2009.
derby match at Knowsley Road
.
Michael Maguire and his assistant Shaun Wane
helped guide Wigan to the League Leaders Shield in 2010. This was the first time Wigan topped the table in 10 years and marked a trophy winning start to "Madge's" Wigan coaching tenure. Maguire has also guided Wigan to their first Super League Grand Final appearance in 7 years as the Warriors beat Leeds Rhinos at Headingley by a scoreline of 26-6 on 25 September 2010.
Maguire was crowned Coach of the Year 2010 at the annual Super League
'Man of Steel' awards dinner.
Michael Maguire Managed the Wigan Warriors side to their first Super League Grand Final win in over 10 years beating their arch rivals Saint Helens 22-10 in the 2010 Super League Grand Final
. The following February his Wigan side took on 2010 NRL premiers St. George Illawarra Dragons in the 2011 World Club Challenge
but were defeated.
Maguire announced his resignation from Wigan in 2011 to accept the head coach position for the South Sydney Rabbitohs
in Australia's National Rugby League
for the 2012 season.
Maguire coached the Wigan side to a 28 - 18 Challenge Cup
win over Leeds Rhinos
at Wembley Stadium
on the 27th of August 2011.
in October 2011, after the end of the NRL and Super League seasons. He had signed a contract with the club earlier in the year, to replace the retiring John Lang
.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
football coach and former player. He is the head coach of the South Sydney Rabbitohs
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
in Australia's National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
(NRL). After serving as assistant coach of the Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
under Craig Bellamy, in 2009 he became the head coach of the Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
in England's Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
. In his first year as Wigan's coach he won the 2010 Super League Grand Final
2010 Super League Grand Final
The 2010 Super League Grand Final was the conclusive and championship-deciding game of Super League XV. Held on Saturday 2 October 2010, at Manchester's Old Trafford stadium, the match was contested by English clubs St Helens and Wigan Warriors...
. In his second he won the 2011 Challenge Cup
2011 Challenge Cup
The 2011 Challenge Cup was a rugby league football tournament which began its preliminary stages in January 2011...
before signing with Souths.
Playing career
After initially starting playing in rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
Michael signed for NSWRL club the Canberra Raiders
Canberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
in 1991 and made his Winfield Cup
Winfield Cup
The Winfield Cup was an Australian rugby league trophy awarded to the winner of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership's Grand Final from 1982 to 1994, and to the winner of the Australian Rugby League Grand Final in 1995...
début for the club off the bench against Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
in a narrow 14-15 loss.
Maguire did not feature again until 1994 when he came off the bench again against Penrith Panthers
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
. He had a more consistent season the following year, making six appearances in total, most of which he started as either Wing or Centre. Maguire's first try came as a centre against the Parramatta Eels
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
.
In 1997 Maguire left Canberra and signed for the new Adelaide Rams
Adelaide Rams
The Adelaide Rams were an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Adelaide, South Australia. The team was formed in 1995 for the planned rebel Super League competition, which eventually ran parallel to the rival Australian Rugby League competition in 1997...
club of the breakway Australian Super League
Super League (Australia)
Super League was an Australian rugby league football administrative body that conducted professional competition in Australasia for one season in 1997. Along with Super League of Europe, it was created by News Corporation during the Super League war which arose following an unsuccessful attempt to...
competition. He made his début at fullback against the North Queensland Cowboys
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
which Adelaide lost. Maguire also participated in the World Club Challenge
World Club Challenge
The World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league football match held between the champions of the Australasian National Rugby League and the European Super League competitions to determine the world's best rugby league club...
for the Rams that year. He went on to play four more games for Adelaide and scored one try before returning to Canberra in 1998.
Maguire made two appearances for Canberra in 1998 before retiring after persistent neck problems.
Coaching career
When Maguire retired from playing rugby league he initially left the game and taught Physical EducationPhysical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
before signing as a Strength & Conditioning coach for Canberra and later became assistant coach for the Canberra Raiders reserve grade under Mal Meninga
Mal Meninga
Malcolm Norman Meninga AM is an Australian former rugby league test captain and current coach of Queensland's State of Origin team. As a player he was a legendary goal-kicking centre, counted amongst the finest footballers of the 20th century...
. Maguire was eventually promoted to assistant coach of the Canberra first team alongside Matthew Elliott before leaving the club in 2004 to take the assistant coaching job at Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
under former Raiders teammate, Craig Bellamy.
Maguire was an integral part in Melbourne's stripped NRL grand final victories and took control of first team affairs when head coach Bellamy took up representative duties for the Blues in State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
. This earned him plaudits from senior coaches in the NRL and Maguire was linked with a move to Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
as head coach in 2008. He was heavily linked with a move to English club Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
towards the end of the 2009 season and signed a three-year deal with the Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
side on 7 October 2009.
Wigan Warriors
"Madge" made the perfect start to his Warriors coaching career with a victory against Crusaders in his first home match of the season. He ended the Halliwell Jones hoodoo against Warrington Wolves in a thrilling match which Wigan won 22-20. He won RLW coach of the month for February. Maguire then recorded his biggest victory as a Wigan coach, beating nearest rivals St Helens in the last ever Good FridayGood Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
derby match at Knowsley Road
Knowsley Road
Knowsley Road was a stadium located in Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside. It was the home of St Helens RLFC from 1890 until its closure in 2010. St Helens Town FC played their home fixtures at Knowsley Road from 2002 until 2010. For a period, the venue also hosted Liverpool FC Reserves...
.
Michael Maguire and his assistant Shaun Wane
Shaun Wane
Shaun D. Wane is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and '90s, and current coach at Wigan Warriors. He played at representative level for Great Britain, and at club level for Wigan St Patricks, Wigan, Leeds, and Workington Town, playing at , /, i.e...
helped guide Wigan to the League Leaders Shield in 2010. This was the first time Wigan topped the table in 10 years and marked a trophy winning start to "Madge's" Wigan coaching tenure. Maguire has also guided Wigan to their first Super League Grand Final appearance in 7 years as the Warriors beat Leeds Rhinos at Headingley by a scoreline of 26-6 on 25 September 2010.
Maguire was crowned Coach of the Year 2010 at the annual Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
'Man of Steel' awards dinner.
Michael Maguire Managed the Wigan Warriors side to their first Super League Grand Final win in over 10 years beating their arch rivals Saint Helens 22-10 in the 2010 Super League Grand Final
2010 Super League Grand Final
The 2010 Super League Grand Final was the conclusive and championship-deciding game of Super League XV. Held on Saturday 2 October 2010, at Manchester's Old Trafford stadium, the match was contested by English clubs St Helens and Wigan Warriors...
. The following February his Wigan side took on 2010 NRL premiers St. George Illawarra Dragons in the 2011 World Club Challenge
2011 World Club Challenge
The 2011 World Club Challenge was contested by Super League XV champions, Wigan Warriors, and 2010 NRL Premiers, the St. George Illawarra Dragons...
but were defeated.
Maguire announced his resignation from Wigan in 2011 to accept the head coach position for the South Sydney Rabbitohs
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
in Australia's National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
for the 2012 season.
Maguire coached the Wigan side to a 28 - 18 Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
win over Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
on the 27th of August 2011.
South Sydney Rabbitohs
Maguire joined the South Sydney RabbitohsSouth Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
in October 2011, after the end of the NRL and Super League seasons. He had signed a contract with the club earlier in the year, to replace the retiring John Lang
John Lang (rugby league)
John Lang is an Australian former rugby league football coach and player. A Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative hooker, he played his club football in Brisbane with the Eastern Suburbs Tigers and in Sydney with the Eastern Suburbs Roosters...
.