Michael Maguire makes telling Trent Barrett call amid Adam Reynolds' Broncos retirement revelation
Maguire confirmed Barrett will form part of his Broncos coaching team in 2025.
Broncos coach Michael Maguire has confirmed he will honour the deals his predecessor Kevin Walters handed to new Brisbane assistants Trent Barrett and Ben Te'o as the former NSW coach wastes no time in building his new football department at Red Hill. Barrett and Te'o will join ex-Maroons hooker Matt Ballin as Maguire's right-hand men heading into the 2025 NRL premiership.
Former Broncos head coach Walters appointed Barrett and Te'o to replace Super League-bound John Cartwright and Lee Briers. But he never got the chance to work with them as he was unceremoniously ousted after a post-season review painted him in such a bad light that the club felt they had no choice but to sack him.
And with a new coach at Red Hill, the futures of Barrett and Te'o came into question given they were hired by Walters. But Maguire will give them a chance in 2025, something Te'o said he was confident would happen.
“I don’t get nervous about stuff like that. I just think it will work itself out,” Te’o told Code Sports. “In the last three years, I’ve done my apprenticeship coaching Queensland Cup and being an NRL assistant to Wayne Bennett at the Dolphins. I think I’ve done my time so if I’m good enough they’ll keep me around. I think I’ve got something to offer.”
As well as confirming Te'o and Barrett will join him at Red Hill in 2025, Maguire has also added his own touch by hiring high-performance expert Troy Thomson, who worked with the Rabbitohs from 2011-16. Maguire's coaching appointments come after former Queensland Origin star Darius Boyd departed the Broncos coaching unit, while club legend Allan Langer's future at Brisbane remains uncertain.
Michael Maguire ponders Broncos captaincy decision
Meanwhile, Maguire is also set to decide on who will captain the Broncos in 2025, with current skipper and halfback Adam Reynolds hoping he can retain the armband. Reynolds’ leadership was called into question after an underwhelming season, leading to the likes of Broncos legend Gorden Tallis calling for him to be stripped of the captaincy.
And while Reynolds hopes he will again lead his troops onto the park next season, the premiership playmaker says whatever Maguire decides he will support. "I’d love to do the job next year, 100 per cent," Reynolds told The Courier-Mail.
"I love the battle of the captaincy and the mental side of things as well. When the team’s not going well, everything’s going to fall on the halfback and the captain. If the club or the coach wants me to be the captain, I’m more than happy to continue that job next season. But if someone steps in and whether I have the ‘C’ next to my name or not, not much changes to be honest."
Adam Reynolds considers playing on past 2025
Brisbane's leadership concerns also stem from uncertainty around Reynolds' long-term health. The 34-year-old played just 13 games this year due to several injuries, including a bicep tear which kept him on the sidelines for three months.
And it was expected that Reynolds - who is off contract at the end of the 2025 season - would pull the pin at the end of next season, however, the Broncos skipper has hinted he may play on beyond next year. "I don’t know (if next year will be his last) I’ll see how the season starts, how the body’s feeling, and make a choice," Reynolds said.
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"I’ll be at the midway point next year. If things are going well and I’m playing good enough footy, we’ll reassess, but it’s still a long way away... I will work with the physios and the strength-and-conditioning coaches and see what they think is best I might try and change my body type a little bit, get a plan and go from there. I’m happy to be guided by the medical staff and make sure I’m working hard in pre-season because it was a frustrating year for me with injuries."
