‘Load of crap’: Broncos address squad unrest claims
Joel Gould |
Brisbane’s senior players have rubbished claims of player unrest under new coach Michael Maguire, as the Broncos battle a form slump of epic proportions.
Maguire has been criticised of training the team too hard in some quarters, but it has been vehemently denied by skipper Adam Reynolds and Kotoni Staggs.
Reynolds, ahead of his 300th NRL match against Gold Coast on Saturday, and centre Staggs insist the players have welcomed the hard edge provided by Maguire and slammed suggestions the playing group was disgruntled.
After the 34-6 loss to Manly on Saturday night, 1991 premiership-winner Greg Alexander said the Broncos had “turned it up” and labelled them “wusses’ for complaining about being over-trained.
The Broncos have won one of their last seven matches and fallen in a heap in second halves of games, but Staggs said players had not been griping behind the scenes about Maguire’s methods.
“That’s a load of crap, I say,” Staggs said.
“You’ve got to train hard. It’s a very tough sport. If you don’t train hard, I don’t think you’re going to go far in this competition.
“The training load here is pretty even. I think any other club is doing the same as what we’re doing. I think it’s just excuses from outside noise that we can’t control.”
Reynolds also disputed reports of player dissatisfaction with Maguire and his regime.
“It’s easy to write headlines when you are not winning games. It’s external and doesn’t mean anything to us,” he said.
“The conversations we are having in these four walls are the important ones.
“If you listen to people on the outside you end up on the outside, so for us we know what we are capable of and what type of football team we have. It’s about sticking together, working hard and seeing it through.
“We will get a result and see what you write then.”
Reynolds is well qualified to speak about Maguire, having won the 2014 premiership under him at South Sydney.
He conceded the poor displays were an indictment on the playing group, but backed Maguire to lead the Broncos to title glory during his tenure and out of the mess they are currently in.
“I know how hard he works and what it means to him. He’s passionate. He’s loyal,” Reynolds said.
“He has seen success and knows what success takes. It hasn’t been smooth sailing, but we are working hard to turn that around. I can assure you we will turn it around.
“We get prepared extremely well and as players we have to take the blame and responsibility for it. The only people that are going to get us out of this are ourselves.”
As for giving up against Manly, Staggs wouldn’t have a bar of it.
“No, we didn’t give up,” he fired.
“There were times through the game where we could have been much better, yes, but there’s no giving up there.”
AAP
