Brisbane Broncos chief executive Dave Donaghy has come out swinging in defence of his coach Michael Maguire and shut down any claims that he will be moved on at the end of the season.
The Broncos have had a tumultuous title defence season, and remain in the bottom four with five wins and 11 losses so far in their 2026 season.
The premiers have had plenty of moments which could pinpoint their derailing as a back-to-back premiership threat, including former assistant coach Ben Te'o walking out of the club mid-season, off-field incidents to star players, and a horror injury run which has halted any chance of momentum throughout the season.
The club has been without a plethora of stars throughout 2026, as the Broncos' spine struggled to remain fit to string some wins together, with the depth of the squad being stretched on a number of occasions.
Despite the tough season, Donaghy has insisted he is backing Maguire to turn it around next year when the club can reset and leave the horrors of 2026 in the past.
“You can quote me on this ... Madge will be our coach,” the Broncos boss told CODE Sports.
“We signed Madge on a three-year deal.
“We had an amazing experience last year, but as a club, we always felt this was going to be a three-year exercise to get us to the place where we're consistently pushing for sustainable success.
“For a long time this club has been up and down.
“We've had good years and lean years.
“Let's call it for what it is: it took the club 19 years from 2006 until we won another premiership.
“We don't win that comp last year without Madge.”
The tide can change quickly in the NRL. Only 24 months ago, Maguire took the NSW Blues to a series victory, then followed up with a drought-breaking premiership with the Broncos in 2025.
It is no surprise Donaghy is nipping the chatter in the bud, given on paper Maguire has some serious runs on the board.
Despite this, whispers surfacing have suggested players are unhappy at the club, including star fullback Reece Walsh and five-eighth Ezra Mam.
Although Donaghy has quickly shut down any claims of a player walkout from some of the club's biggest stars.
“Reece has just been really unlucky,” Donaghy added.
“He was playing the house down on the Gold Coast and ended up with a facial fracture (in round 5) that set his season back.
“I was just talking to him the other day. He can't wait to get back after Origin.
“And the club has been really good for ‘Ez' ... I know how much he loves playing for this club. He's missed the last few weeks with a shoulder injury, but he'll be back and I'm sure he'll prove the doubters wrong yet again.”
The club was in a position three weeks ago to go on a run for a late push to the finals, but losses to the Cronulla Sharks and the Sydney Roosters have all but sealed their fate for 2026.
They’ve not fielded their first choice side once this year but good or bad they are always in the conversation.