Michael Maguire

Michael Maguire (born 5 February 1974) is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player who last coached New Zealand at international level.

He played as a er and in the 1990s.

After initially starting playing in rugby union, Maquire signed for NSWRL club the Canberra Raiders in 1991 and made his Winfield Cup début for the club off the bench against Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in a narrow 14–15 loss.

Maguire did not feature again until 1994 when he came off the bench again against Penrith Panthers.

He had a more consistent season the following year, making six appearances in total, most of which he started as either wing or centre.

Maguire's first try came as a centre against the Parramatta Eels.

In 1997 Maguire left Canberra and signed for the new Adelaide Rams club in the breakaway Australian Super League competition.

He made his début at fullback in the Rams inaugural game against the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville which Adelaide lost 24–16.

Maguire also participated in the World Club Challenge for the Rams that year.

He went on to play four more games for Adelaide and scored one try before returning to Canberra in 1998.

Maguire made two appearances for Canberra in 1998 before retiring after persistent neck problems.

When Maguire retired from playing he initially left the game and taught physical education before signing as a strength and conditioning coach for Canberra.

He later became an assistant coach for the Raiders' reserve grade under Mal Meninga.

Maguire was eventually promoted to assistant coach of the Canberra first team alongside Matthew Elliott, before leaving the club in 2004 to take the assistant coaching job at Melbourne Storm under a former Raiders teammate, Craig Bellamy.

Maguire was an integral part in Melbourne's stripped NRL premierships and took control of first team affairs when head coach Bellamy took up representative duties for the Blues in State of Origin.

This earned him plaudits from senior coaches in the NRL and Maguire was linked with a move to Brisbane Broncos as head coach in 2008.

After a playing career spent mostly at the Canberra Raiders, with a brief stint with the Adelaide Rams, he became assistant coach of Melbourne Storm under Craig Bellamy and in 2009 became a head coach in the Super League with English club the Wigan Warriors.

He was previously the head coach for the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League (NRL)

He was heavily linked with a move to English club Wigan Warriors towards the end of the 2009 season and signed a three-year deal with the Super League side on 7 October 2009.

Maguire started his Wigan coaching career with a victory against the Crusaders in his first home match of the season.

He ended the Halliwell Jones hoodoo (Wigan hadn't won a competitive game away at Wire since they last played at Wilderspool) against Warrington in a thrilling match which Wigan won 22–20.

He won RLW coach of the month for February.

Maguire then recorded his biggest victory as a Wigan coach, beating nearest rivals St. Helens in the last ever Good Friday derby match at Knowsley Road.

In his first year as Wigan Warriors' coach Maguire won the 2010 Super League Grand Final.

He and his assistant Shaun Wane helped guide Wigan to the League Leaders' Shield in 2010.

This was the first time Wigan topped the table in 10 years and marked a trophy winning start to "Madge's" Wigan coaching tenure.

Maguire guided Wigan to their first Super League Grand Final appearance in seven years as the Wigan club beat Leeds in a semi-final at Headingley by a scoreline of 26–6 on 25 September 2010.

Maguire was crowned Coach of the Year 2010 at the annual Super League 'Man of Steel' awards dinner.

Maguire managed the Wigan side to their first Super League Grand Final win in over 10 years beating their arch rivals in the 2010 Super League Grand Final victory over St. Helens at Old Trafford.

The following February his Wigan side took on 2010 NRL premiers St. George Illawarra Dragons in the 2011 World Club Challenge but were defeated.

In his second year he won the 2011 Challenge Cup and was then signed by the Rabbitohs.

In 2011 Maguire announced his resignation from Wigan, in order to replace the retiring John Lang as head coach of National Rugby League club the South Sydney Rabbitohs for the 2012 NRL season.

Maguire coached Wigan to the 2011 Challenge Cup Final victory over the Leeds Rhinos at Wembley Stadium.

Maguire joined the South Sydney Rabbitohs in October 2011, after the end of the NRL and Super League seasons.

He had signed a contract with the club earlier in the year, to replace the retiring John Lang.

In his first year as an NRL head coach he took South Sydney deep into the 2012 finals series.

The Rabbitohs performed well during the 2012 NRL season with Maguire credited for the successful move of Greg Inglis from centre to full-back.

The team progressed to within one game of the 2012 NRL Grand Final.

In 2013, Souths finished the regular season in second place and in 2014 they won their first premiership in 43 years.

Maguire was born in Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia.