Madge’s title hunger
SACKED Tigers mentor Michael Maguire has vowed to resurrect his coaching career as he chases premiership redemption in the NRL.
Maguire said his dismissal had only fuelled the fire to rise again and win another title after his premiership breakthrough at Souths in 2014.
It has been eight days since the New Zealand Test coach was given the bullet at Concord. For all the inferno of debate engulfing him for 12 months, Maguire didn’t see his sacking coming.
The 48-year-old was in his office, preparing notes for the Tigers’ upcoming clash against Manly, when he was summoned to a meeting with chief executive Justin Pascoe and head of football Tim Sheens.
They delivered the bad news and it hit Maguire like a sledgehammer. Some would call it delusional, but Maguire believed the Tigers were showing signs of progress under a fresh footballing program being driven by Sheens, the club’s first and only premiership coach.
Maguire declined to go into the specifics of his sacking, insisting he did not want to be bitter towards the club, but he was adamant his demise at the Tigers would not finish him as an NRL coach.
“For everything that has happened, I am a coach, I enjoy coaching and this won’t break me,” Maguire said.
“While it’s disappointing, I am keeping myself busy with my commitments to New Zealand – we have a Test coming up (against Tonga on June 25) – and I will be busy working with the Kiwis to have us ready for this year’s World Cup.
“I haven’t lost confidence. I haven’t lost my self-belief.
“If anything, what’s happened has made me hungrier to keep coaching.
“Every team you coach has their differences and I will apply the many years I’ve had as a head coach for my next role.”
Maguire’s next role is said to be the vacant coaching post at the Bulldogs. It is understood a third party with ties to the Bulldogs made furtive inquiries with Maguire a fortnight ago, but he said no approach of any kind had come from Canterbury chiefs.
“I still have a burning passion to keep coaching,’’ he said.
“It’s the one thing I really do love. I love developing players and watching them succeed and I will always cherish what we did at Souths.
“I just want to win another premiership.”