Latest news with #MichaelMaguire
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Broncos player signs one-year contract extension despite being offered two-year deal
Broncos forward Kobe Hetherington has opted to only sign a one-year extension with the club under coach Michael Maguire, but the lock turned down an extended deal raising eyebrows about his future. Hetherington has been a favourite under Maguire since the former NSW coach took over the club having started the season at 13. Hetherington has been pushed to the bench in recent weeks with Patrick Carrigan reverting back to lock and Xavier Willison to prop. The Broncos have benefited from an extra big body in the front-row and Hetherington's work ethic from the bench. And Maguire has moved to lockdown the 26-year-old for another season with the star signing a one-year deal. However, reported Hetherington's manager claimed the player turned down a two-year deal to keep his options open. While the Broncos will be thrilled to have locked down the forward, Hetherington could be keeping his options open when the Perth Bears enter the competition in 2027. Mal Meninga will be the coach of the Bears and will be building a roster across the next 12 months. While players such as Ryan Papenhuyzen and Jahrome Hughes have been linked as their marquee signing, the Bears will have plenty of money to throw at other players. And Hetherington could be looking at his future options going forward if a bigger deal comes his way after the one-year extension. Hetherington will be able to negotiate with rival clubs come 1 November this year as he prepares for another deal. Hetherington's manager, Chris Haddad, said they were happy to challenge themselves with a short-term deal. 'It's a great result,' Hetherington's manager Chris Haddad told the publication. 'Kobe is happy at the Broncos, so we were happy to extend for one year and we'll see what happens after that. 'The Broncos offered us a two-year deal but we were happy to do another 12 months and Kobe will keep testing and challenging himself. He could have left the Broncos. Several Sydney clubs were keen on Kobe, but when we sat down with 'Madge' (Maguire), he wanted a chance to work with Kobe and he is enjoying being coached by Madge." RELATED: Major blow for Panthers as two players sign with Dragons Cameron Smith flags new role after missing gig to Kevin Walters Brisbane Broncos continue retention plan The Broncos have made huge moves in retaining the key members of their squad in recent months. With Reece Walsh tied down on a $4.4 million upgrade, the likes of Ezra Mam and Patrick Carrigan will also be with the club for a number of years. Veteran halfback Adam Reynolds extended his deal till the end of 2026, while Kotoni Staggs and Blake Mozer were part of the Broncos' $4 million spending spree. Staggs signed a three-year extension, which will see him remain at the Broncos until the end of the 2028 season. The club is also looking to retain Gehamat Shibasaki with the centre having a standout season. The 27-year-old's current development contract is only reportedly worth around $85,000 but with his additional match payments and Origin windfall, that figure could rise to at least $160,000 if he plays all of Brisbane's remaining games and they reach the finals. Shibasaki knows he'll be able to command a much larger salary if he hits the open market though. The Broncos have a salary cap squeeze, but will be doing everything to keep the centre at the club.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Broncos could lose another player as 'formal' offers expected from rival NRL clubs
Gehamat Shibasaki could be the latest player to fall victim to the salary cap squeeze at the Brisbane Broncos, with the manager of the Maroons Origin winner alluding to his potential exit. Shibasaki has been a fairytale story this year in Brisbane, where he started off the season on a train-and-trial deal but impressed coach Michael Maguire enough to force his way into the Broncos' starting side. The journeyman has been a revelation in the centres for Brisbane in 2025 and earnt himself a shock call-up for Queensland in the Origin series decider, playing a decisive role for Billy Slater's side as they claimed the shield. But Shibasaki's current deal with Brisbane only runs until the end of next season, meaning he will be free to negotiate with rivals clubs from November 1, unless a new deal is agreed before then. Complicating the situation is the delicate salary cap situation at the Broncos, who have a number of stars tied down to big-money deals and have recently extended several other players. The salary cap squeeze has already seen Selywn Cobbo forced to leave for the Dolphins next season and hooker Cory Paix could be pushed out too, following reports Brisbane are close to tying down forwards Kobe Hetherington and Corey Jensen to new multi-year deals. Maguire's side recently locked down captain Adam Reynolds, centre Kotoni Staggs and emerging hooker Blake Mozer after the trio signed contract extensions. And the club also has a large chunk of its cap tied up in lucrative deals for superstars Reece Walsh, Payne Haas, Patrick Carrigan, Ezra Mam and veteran Ben Hunt. Gehamat Shibasaki expected to field offers from rival clubs It's understood Brisbane are keen to keep Shibasaki on their books after his incredible season in 2025. But the Origin centre's manager Wade Rushton told that he is yet to be offered a new deal and admits they expect to be inundated with offers for the 27-year-old when he becomes a free agent on November 1. "Gehamat loves the Broncos after the season he has had and is contracted to them for next season," Rushton told WWOS. "But they haven't been able to make him an offer beyond that and so on November 1, I'm expecting quite a few clubs to show formal interest. He's had a fantastic year and is a great story - and he will keep working hard on his game. Shibasaki has scored 12 tries in 16 games in his breakout season with the Broncos in 2025, having previously failed to crack into the top grade and moving away for a stint in Japanese rugby. He's also among the NRL's leading centres in terms of line breaks, tackle busts and average run metres per game, making it easy to see why there would be so much interest from rival clubs chasing a quality outside back. RELATED: Tigers player escapes charge over tackle that left superstar injured Craig Bellamy flags further absence for Storm star Cameron Munster Latrell moment says it all as Souths cop another season-ending blow The 27-year-old's current development contract is only reportedly worth around $85,000 but with his additional match payments and Origin windfall, that figure could rise to at least $160,000 if he plays all of Brisbane's remaining games and they reach the finals. Shibasaki knows he'll be able to command a much larger salary if he hits the open market though and with the Broncos reportedly only able to offer his teammate Paix $150,000-a-year to stay in Brisbane, the centre may well be the latest star squeezed out of the club.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Reece Walsh's perfect response after Broncos try celebration sparks NRL debate
Brisbane fullback Reece Walsh has defended his audacious try celebration against the Titans after sparking debate around the NRL world about whether he should be performing backflips so soon after returning from a serious knee injury. Walsh turned heads in an eye-catching performance for Brisbane on Sunday that also included a heated on-field confrontation with teammate, Kotoni Staggs. But it was the decision to mark his stunning second half try with an acrobatic celebration that left many questioning the Brisbane No.1. And it was enough to give coach Michael Maguire heart palpitations after Walsh executed a manoeuvre that American gymnastics sensation Simone Biles would have been proud of. Walsh is a confidence player and the celebration was further proof that the livewire No.1's swagger is back, with some arguing it should be embraced by Maguire, rather than discouraged. But others insisted the Brisbane coach would be rightly concerned seeing his superstar fullback performing backflips when his leg is heavily strapped and he looks a little ginger after returning last month from a knee injury that kept him sidelined for six weeks. Calling the moment live on SEN League, former NRL star Justin Horo described the try celebration as 'a beautiful 10 out of 10'. But after seeing Walsh appear to prop awkwardly in his stride before running over to score, Horo admits his heart was in his mouth after witnessing the acrobatics that followed. "Considering the injury and the fact he looked like he was on a treadmill here because he looked like he'd done his hammy. I thought he'd done a soft tissue injury there," Horo said after Walsh briefly appeared to pull up lame before the tryline. "It's almost a perfect 10 out of 10 for the celebration if you're not factoring in that he's been out for the last six weeks with a PCL injury." Madge watching Walsh doing a backflip try cele with a bum knee — Harold Holt Memorial Pool (@champagnesftboi) July 13, 2025 I wonder how nervous Madge was when Reece Walsh was doing his post-try celebration#NRLTitansBroncos — James Cheeseman @ (@shaggy84329) July 13, 2025 But Walsh says he was just doing his bit for the NRL's Try July campaign, where every try celebration across the month sees $5000 donated towards either the the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation (ASCF) and the Player Hardship Fund. And he suggested the reaction to his celebration was blown out of proportion. "I don't mind mate, it's all for a good cause and I've been doing that stuff my whole life," he told ABC radio after the game. The Brisbane fullback also insisted there were no issues with Staggs after chastising his teammate for a first-half error, before the pair combined for Walsh's try. "I feel like it's my job to get him involved in the games and I feel like there's a few games there where I didn't do my job to unlock 'Tones (Staggs)," Walsh added. "And I feel like I've just got to keep building that connection with him and getting him that ball where he's good and it's awesome to see him playing some good footy." Some commentators thought Walsh's spray showed there might be fractures in the Broncos playing group. But others argued it simply showed that they care, as you hardly ever see disinterested players call out their teammates' mistakes. Broncos captain Adam Reynolds and coach Michael Maguire both stated it was completely normal in the heat of the moment. "We're trying to be perfect out there," Reynolds said after the game. "It's not always going to go to plan, but we're adults, we talk about a situation when it happens. Sure enough, they fixed it up and scored a long-range try so they're working hard, and it's always good to have that feedback on the field." RELATED: Roosters playmaker tipped to exit after being overlooked for veteran Fury over Panthers star's ban after Parra rival cops season-ending injury Knights offer contracts to two State of Origin players amid Ponga blow Maguire added: "Reece, he loves his footy and he's striving to continually be the best, and that's all the boys and that's the perfection they're chasing. Whether or not it's him trying to get the ball to him early or not, Reece does wear his heart on his sleeve and that's why we love him and the boys love playing with him."
News.com.au
14-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Beaten NSW coach Laurie Daley still reeling nearly a week after losing series decider
The full post-mortem of NSW's State of Origin capitulation is yet to come, but beaten Blues coach Laurie Daley says he's still 'trying to recover' nearly a week after a Queensland ambush delivered the Maroons a remarkable series win. Daley, who took over from Michael Maguire who steered NSW to the shield in 2024, returned to his day job on Sydney radio on Monday, declaring that he would 'have to take full responsibility' after his team lost the final two games. Having already stated his intention to coach on in 2026, as per his contract, Daley conceded losing would haunt him for some time. 'I'm trying to recover from Wednesday night. It will take a while to get over. I've been reflecting,' Daley said. 'The first couple of days were tough. We expected a better performance, obviously, so I've been scratching my head (and asking) why? Why did we have a performance like that? 'That has to start with the coaches, me in particular. I've got to look at myself and make sure I go through what I did to see whether that was the best I could have done. 'As head coach, I have to take full accountability because I'm the leader. I get that, I understand that. 'Going on what I felt after the game, I'm still none-the-wiser because I was so happy with the way we prepared and went about it. 'We have to find out what happened and why we weren't ready to go out at our best.' Daley told the Big Sports Breakfast that there were staff meetings to come this week and other debriefs where all questions would be asked 'Coaches meetings to come, leadership meetings. There is a lot to still happen behind the scenes,' he said. 'You want to get it while it's fresh – the thoughts about the week, the game, what do we need to do better, why did we miss the jump? All those things.' The Blues carried injured players into the game, including Payne Haas and Brian To'o, but Daley defended the decision to take them into the decider. 'Brian and Payne had limited preparations in games one and two and they were players-of-the-match in games one and two,' Daley said. 'With that body of work behind them, you trust them. Look at Brian's performance, he was great. He carried the ball 25, 26 times.' Daley said nothing could change the result, but he would work to change the future. 'No matter what I say today, we have to fix what happened. It was disappointing, very disappointing, but what do you do? You've got to move forward,' he said 'There'll be times when you reflect and you go over things. 'You've got to front up.'
News.com.au
14-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Laurie Daley's blunt admission after State of Origin disaster
The full post-mortem of NSW's State of Origin capitulation is yet to come but beaten Blues coach Laurie Daley says he's still 'trying to recover' nearly a week after a Queensland ambush delivered the Maroons a remarkable series win. Daley, who took over from Michael Maguire who steered NSW to the shield in 2024, returned to his day job on Sydney radio on Monday, declared that he would ' have to take full responsibility' after his team lost the final two games. Having already stated his intention to coach on in 2026, as per his contract, Daley conceded losing would haunt him for some time. 'I'm trying to recover from Wednesday night. It will take a while to get over. I've been reflecting,' Daley said on Big Sports Breakfast. 'The first couple of days were tough. We expected a better performance, obviously, so I've been scratching my head (and asking) why? Why did we have a performance like that? 'That has to start with the coaches, me in particular. I've got to look at myself and make sure I go through what I did to see whether that was the best I could have done. 'As head coach, I have to take full accountability because I'm the leader. I get that, I understand that. 'Going on what I felt after the game, I'm still none-the-wiser because I was so happy with the way we prepared and went about it. 'We have to find out what happened and why we weren't ready to go out at our best.' Daley said there were staff meetings to come this week and other debriefs where all questions would be asked 'Coaches meetings to come, leadership meetings. There is a lot to still happen behind the scenes,' he said. 'You want to get it while it's fresh – the thoughts about the week, the game, what do we need to do better, why did we miss the jump. All those things.' The Blues carried injured players into the game including Payne Haas and Brian To'o but defended the decision to take them into the decider. 'Brian and Payne had limited preparations in games one and two and they were players-of-the-match in games one and two,' Daley said. 'With that body of work behind them, you trust them. Look at Brian's performance, he was great. He carried the ball 25, 26 times.' Daley said nothing could change the result, but he would work to change the future. 'No matter what I say today, we have to fix what happened. It was disappointing, very disappointing, but what do you do? You've got to move forward,' he said 'There'll be times when you reflect and you go over things. 'You've got to front up.'
