The clubrooms of the Marist Saints, a storied rugby league club in Auckland, have been destroyed in fire overnight. Video / Hayden Woodward
When the New Zealand Rugby League board met last week to consider the future of Michael Maguire, there should have been one overriding question on their minds.
What is the best way forward for the Kiwis to win the next World Cup?
Forget about optics, or what the public mightthink. Forget about supposed conflicts, or whether holding dual roles dilutes the standing of test football. And forget about history, or previous precedents.
The NZRL board has made some blunders over the decades and this feels like another one. It was a complicated situation but needed lateral thinking and analysis. And Maguire wasn’t the new kid in town; he has devoted six years to the Kiwis’ cause but who could blame him, as an ambitious coach for pursuing State of Origin, an opportunity that might never come again.
He didn’t want to walk away from New Zealand and genuinely believed both jobs could co-exist. The board decision reflects a lack of understanding of where the Kiwis are, how they got there and the reality of an Origin position.
It’s also strange timing, after the stunning 30-0 win over the Kangaroos in Hamilton. That was their biggest winning margin over Australia since 1952 and the kind of result that comes along once in a generation.
Michael Maguire coach of New Zealand embraces with captain James Fisher-Harris after winning the Pacific Championships Cup Grand Final. Photo / Photosport
The Maguire impact
It’s easy to forget now, but when Maguire took over in 2018 the Kiwis were at one of the lowest ebbs. The 2017 World Cup was a disaster, the environment was a mess and the pride in the jersey had evaporated.
Maguire and his staff rebuilt it, brick by brick. Look at it now. Players are queuing up to play, despite increasing club demands. There are no stories of ill-discipline, no off field incidents, while the individual and collective performances keep improving and the gap with Australia has been gradually closed, despite the gulf in financial resources and player depth.
That’s not just because of Maguire, as the NZRL have done a lot of good work behind the scenes, while New Zealand talent thrives across the NRL. But the coach drives the ship. Maguire is an astute selector and man manager; look at the performances he got out of the likes of Fa’aumanu Brown, Leo Thompson, Griffin Neame and Kieran Foran in the recent series.
Building the brand
The NZRL are in a constant battle over the prominence of test football, given the Origin juggernaut. There was a concern that having your national coach in a Blues’ tracksuit was a damaging look, reasserting the dominance of the interstate series. But the best way to dilute the Origin hype is to have a competitive Kiwis team, that regularly beats Australia. That – more than anything else – turns heads.
Ronaldo Mulitalo goes over against Australia. Photo / Photosport
Does the NZRL want to risk another home tournament of regrets? The Kiwis were in a great space, with a strong leadership group, good staff around them and a guy in charge who had found his calling.
That is why it is a risky move to undo all that. There is also strategic implications. Either Tonga or Samoa could be in the market for a new coach ahead of the next tournament. Who do you think they might call now?
The reality of the Origin role
As New South Wales’ coach next year, Maguire will have 10 days, eight days and eight days in camp. There is no time for developing players or individual coaching. It’s man management, deciding on a style of play, then selecting the best team to execute that gameplan.
That’s all it is. Maguire won’t be involved in youth development, nor have access to players at other times. Then from mid-July he could focus on the Kiwis. And there could be advantages, as Maguire hones his skills.
A conflict of interest?
The theory that Maguire could have divided loyalties, if a player is eligible for both NSW and the Kiwis is a red herring.
Over the last decade there has been only three players in such a position. Jason Taumalolo opted for the Kiwis, after overtures from Queensland, before his switch to Tonga. Kalyn Ponga was brought into Kiwis’ camp by Stephen Kearney but eventually chose the Maroons. Ronaldo Mulitalo was keen to play Origin, but ultimately missed the criteria.
Otherwise those scenarios don’t really exist and they are unlikely to arise over the next three years. It also comes down to integrity. By taking this route the board are questioning Maguire’s moral compass, thinking he will somehow undermine the Kiwis by having the NSW position.
Former Kiwis' coach Michael Maguire. Photo / Photosport
The playing group
Maguire can be intense and demanding but he is also supremely dedicated and driven, which engenders great respect and loyalty. That’s why Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad played three tests in the recent series with a broken rib. That’s why James Fisher-Harris played huge minutes, despite a battered body, while another forward took the field with a busted shoulder.
The answer
How’s this for an alternative solution?
Give Maguire another year as Kiwis coach, then reconvene next November.
If there have been any issues arising from the two jobs, they can be discussed and considered then, when you have the full picture and both parties know what the concurrent roles entail. If some kind of change is necessary, that would be the time, instead of leaping into an uncertain future now.
