In their opening 12 games of the season, the Brisbane Broncos won less than half.

The critics were out, not for the team, but for coach Michael Maguire, with high-profile journalists claiming that he had lost the sheds over his infamous pre-season methods, which included strategically placed vomit buckets at the Red Hill training centre.

However, it wasn't just journalists who believed the 51-year-old's methods to be too harsh.

Trent Barrett, an assistant coach at the Broncos, recently revealed that he was concerned for the well-being of the squad during pre-season.

"There were times in the pre-season when I said to Madge: ‘You're going to kill one of these blokes'," he told The Daily Telegraph.

"We had a couple of really hot days but they got through it. 'Madge' always says how amazed you can be at what the body can do. It's all in your mind. You can be surprised what your body can do – it's all mental."

Fast forward four months, 'Madge' and his Broncos side are premiership winners with the brutal pre-season training proving the difference.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 05: Adamย Reynolds and Billy Walters of the Broncos hold aloft the Provan-Summons Trophy as the team celebrates after winning the NRL Grand Final match between the Melbourne Storm at Brisbane Broncos at Accor Stadium on October 05, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 05: Adam Reynolds and Billy Walters of the Broncos hold aloft the Provan-Summons Trophy as the team celebrates after winning the NRL Grand Final match between the Melbourne Storm at Brisbane Broncos at Accor Stadium on October 05, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Maguire's side won all three finals games after being down significantly at the break, and since claiming his second NRL premiership, he has confirmed that he never paid much attention to the critics.

"Everyone has got an opinion, and people are paid for them," he told SEN.

"It's not the opinions I care about it's the people I'm fortunate to be with. They look at the past and come up with things, but we came up with something that the right people talk about."