MICHAEL MAGUIRE claimed the third top league title of his career last Sunday as his Brisbane Broncos won the NRL Grand Final.
He previously won Super League with Wigan Warriors in 2010 and the NRL with South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2014.
But if Wigan win on Saturday against Hull KR he can claim some credit for that too, and every other Warriors success in between.
That’s the view of club captain Liam Farrell, the last remaining player from that 2010 Grand Final-winning side but by no means the last influence.
“The biggest compliment I could probably pay him (Maguire) is some of his morals, we still stand by them now,” said Farrell, who was 20 when Wigan beat St Helens 22-10 in his first Grand Final and is now 35.
“For them to still be around 15 years after he left is a credit to him. We didn’t have any flashy players, it was all hard work and discipline, making sure you did that on the field but also off it. They’re ingrained in me.”
It’s no surprise those values have lived on at the club. The 2010 side was skippered by Sean O’Loughlin and led at halfback by Thomas Leuluai and Paul Deacon, with all three on Matt Peet’s current coaching staff, while Maguire was assisted by Shaun Wane, who led three further title wins and now has a leadership and management role.
Maguire was being criticised earlier in the season for his brutal training methods with Brisbane, which brought a smile to Farrell and no doubt many of his former team-mates who have a WhatsApp group and congratulated Maguire after his latest triumph.
Farrell said: “He copped a bit of criticism earlier in the year about his coaching style but that just took me back to 2010 and the things he did with us and the hard work we went through to get to the team we were.
“He was a tough coach to be under but you get all the rewards you deserve. He’s a very smart and hard-working coach so I was really pleased for him to get that win.”
Maguire effect can be seen in Wigan’s record before he took charge – six seasons without a Grand Final appearance and eleven without lifting the title – and the five further titles, from eight Old Trafford visits, since he left in 2011.
It can also be seen in the players inspired by it such as Brad O’Neill, Wigan’s first-choice hooker who went to his first Grand Final in 2010, at the age of eight.
O’Neill said: “I remember Liam Farrell playing, Paul Deacon, Tommy Leuluai, Lockers (O’Loughlin) all playing, Martin Gleeson played (and scored two of Wigan’s four tries), Darrell Goulding.
“It was the first time Wigan had been there in a while so it all starts with memories like that, which makes it all a bit more special to be here (playing in a Grand Final) now.”