‘Moose’ will cause a stir
Ex-Bronco McGuire set for fiery Suncorp return
THE Broncos are bracing for Cowboys enforcer Josh McGuire to ignite the NRL’s greatest rivalry by sledging his former teammates in tomorrow’s Queensland derby.
McGuire will confront one of the most emotional moments of his NRL career when the Cowboys recruit squares off against his former Broncos teammates for the first time at Suncorp Stadium.
Renowned as one of the best nigglers, McGuire has moved to temper the hype, dismissing suggestions he will drag Broncos forwards into the gutter.
But Broncos winger Corey Oates has set the scene for a spicy derby, claiming McGuire will attempt to unsettle Brisbane players with the type of sledging he dished out to Dragons forward Jeremy Latimore last week.
The Broncos’ reputation took a hit last season when the hard-edged McGuire was pilloried for a hair-pulling incident against the Bulldogs, which led to his suspension.
“I’m sure there will be a bit of niggle there with the boys,” Oates said when asked about taking on McGuire. “It’s always good being on the same side as the stuff ‘Moose’ (McGuire) comes up with.
“I’ve never had to come up against it before so it will be interesting to see how he goes about this game.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we see something from Moose to get a reaction from the boys.
“Josh is a leader in their team. He will play a lead role for the Cowboys.”
Oates then couldn’t resist a cheeky swipe at his former teammate. At 180cm, McGuire has aggression and toughness but lacks the monstrous size of Cowboys hulks Jason Taumalolo, Matt Scott and Jordan McLean.
“I will be running at him,” Oates said with a laugh. “He’s probably the smallest forward they’ve got ... sorry Moose.”
Love him or loathe him, there’s no disputing McGuire’s credentials in the code. The 195-game veteran has amassed 11 seasons of NRL service, playing eight Tests for Australia and 11 State of Origin games for Queensland.
“Josh has been wonderful since he walked through the door,” Cowboys head of football Peter Parr said.
“I was here when we signed Kevin Campion and Josh has a lot of his attributes.
“Josh has those old-school qualities where he trains hard and plays tough and enjoys that physical aspect of the game.”