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Evolve or die. Is it time for Maguire to go?

Ben Nicholls new author
Roar Rookie
22nd July, 2017
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Michael Maguire preaches a brutal form of rugby league. (Photo: AAP)
Ben Nicholls new author
Roar Rookie
22nd July, 2017
30
1639 Reads

First let me start off by recognising the impact that Michael Maguire has had on the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Since taking the head coaching role in 2012, he has played an integral part in restoring pride to Rabbits everywhere en route to the premiership win in 2014. Focusing on developing youth talent such as Dylan Walker, Adam Reynolds, Alex Johnston, and installing a strong training ethic and character values while being able to understand and embrace the exisiting culture, he has helped establish the club to be one of the powerhouses in the National Rugby League.

The past two years have seen the club’s standing fall with poor on-field performances backed up by off-field incidents, such as the Dylan Walker and Aaron Grey prescription drug scandal in 2015. In recent years, when analysing the Rabbitohs performances it has been the same comment, “They play like machines” and the regression of players such as Thomas Burgess and George Burgess has left many wondering if Madge still has the support of the players.

The retention and recruitment team at the Rabbitohs has been dreadful. The decision to let players like Chris McQueen, Dylan Walker, Api Koroisau, Cameron McInnes, Aaron Grey, Nathan Brown and Luke Keary all leave has damaged the club for years. The recruitment has been puzzling with the most notable players joining the club being Glenn Stewart and Robbie Farah both at the age of 30.

Michael Maguire smiles. What's he up to?

(Photo: AAP)

The structure of play has also been blasted for seeming more automaton. The regulation one out hit-ups and lack of ball movement has seen the attack stifle. The attack for the past two years has been poor with strike weapons such as Alex Johnston seeing little to no ball. The biggest drop has been in the defence, once one of the most impressive parts of Souths’ games has been reduced to tissue with teams regularly putting large scores past the Bunnies.

The last three weeks have shown the bizarre situation at Redfern. After coming off a 42-12 win over Penrith, the Rabbitohs had a match against the Roosters without their Origin stars. The performance of the team was frustrating, complete with fourth tackles penalties, errors in try-scoring scenarios and looking like a team with it’s tickets booked for Bali in September.

This has been followed by two performances against top-eight sides the Cowboys and Sharks which have presented more of the same.

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The most baffling decision has been to start Robbie Farah in the nine jersey. While being a relatively cheap pick-up in the offseason, he has not played at a decent level all year.

Farah’s ball playing and tendency to ignore the desperate pleas of the halves for quick delivery has long been a sore point for many fans. The Wests Tigers and NSW Blues reached the same conclusion on Robbie in the past few years. He maintains a large defensive workload and can, on occasion, kick the ball, but he cannot be in the ball distribution role.

But everyone has already seen this. The fans watching him play all know, so why doesn’t Maguire? With Cook having to spend time between bench and reserve grade, it leaves many questions. It isn’t all down to Maguire but the coach has a large input in everything mentioned above and the results now are showing a side that looks more like the hey days of the early 2000s.

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