Little known Maguire named Wigan coach

Oct 8 2009 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

WIGAN reverted to an overseas coach because of the advances in technology used by Australian clubs.

The Warriors yesterday appointed 35-year-old Melbourne Storm assistant Michael Maguire as the successor to former Great Britain boss Brian Noble on a three-year contract.

Noble’s three-and-a-half reign at the DW Stadium came to an end following their latest final near-miss – Saturday’s Super League play-off semi-final defeat by St Helens – and he is expected to join Celtic Crusaders in the next few days.

Wigan chairman Ian Lenagan revealed at yesterday’s press conference that, had the Warriors won the Challenge Cup at Wembley, Noble would have “probably” been handed a 12-month extension to his contract but he insists the club now needed to turn to an overseas coach.

The little-known Maguire is Wigan’s 11th coach in 14 years and their eighth overseas appointment in the last 20 years.

After giving opportunities in recent years to local men Mike Gregory and Denis Betts, Lenagan hopes Maguire can bring back the club’s glory days of the late 80s and early 90s when they won the Challenge Cup eight years in a row under overseas coaches Graham Lowe and John Monie.

Lenagan said: “It’s the sheer excellence of their systems – procedures, discipline and standards but in particular their technology.

“They particularly impressed me with some of their monitoring systems.

“We need to kick on. Some of the Super League clubs are ahead of us, you only have to look at what Nathan Brown has done at Huddersfield.

“I long for their technical excellence in rugby league and Michael embodies the intellectual approach to coaching that I think only Australia at the moment can bring.I hate to say that but, if it means we have to import some coaching ability to help our players, we will.”