Michael Maguire released from NSW State of Origin contract to take up coaching role with Brisbane Broncos

Michael Maguire’s path to become the next Brisbane Broncos coach has become clearer after he was released from the final year of his contract as the NSW State of Origin coach.

Maguire, who led NSW to a series win in his first year coaching the Blues, told the NSWRL that he wanted to return to coaching at NRL level.

It has been reported at a meeting on Monday the NSWRL agreed to Maguire’s request.

Maguire remains the clear front-runner to take over from Kevin Walters, after the club legend’s brutal exit from the Broncos last week.

Still contracted to be NSW’s State of Origin coach for another season, Maguire told NSWRL chairman Paul Conlon on Saturday he was interested in the Brisbane job.

That came less than a day after Maguire had spoken at a Carbine Club luncheon on Friday, detailing his plans for the 2025 Origin series with the Blues.

The chances of Maguire being part of that campaign now appears incredibly slim.

If he lands the Brisbane job it will be his third coaching stint in the NRL.

He led Souths to a premiership win in 2014, but then had a tumultuous tenure at the West Tigers from 2019 to 2022 where he had a win ratio of 36 per cent.

The 50-year-old is seen as the ideal man to pull the Broncos back into line, with questions over the attitude of several players after last year’s grand-final loss.

But he will face challenges in Brisbane, particularly given he is an outsider and replacing one of the old boys’ favourites in Walters.

That situation was made clear last week, when Broncos legend Shane Webcke publicly shot down the suggestion that Maguire could take over the club.

“He coaches NSW. Spare me that,” Webcke said on SEN.

“I’ve got nothing against him, but did we get rid of Kevvie Walters for that?”

Maguire’s likely departure from the NSW job will put the Blues back at square one, after only picking him to succeed Brad Fittler as coach last summer.

Paul McGregor looms as a potential option, while Danny Buderus and John Cartwright are others involved in the Blues set-up in recent years.

Andrew Johns is another former assistant, while Fittler’s predecessor Laurie Daley has previously ruled out any chance of returning to the top job.

The situation could also potentially leave the NSWRL with two calls to make on Origin coaches for next year.

Women’s coach Kylie Hilder could have her fate decided in coming weeks, after NSW slumped to their third series loss in four years under her watch.

She is expected to front the NSWRL board at their next scheduled meeting on October 18.

with AAP