Wigan Warriors old boy Michael Maguire confirmed as Origin coach, with ex-Warrington Wolves favourite one of his assistants
Matt King (left) will be one of Michael Maguire's assistants for New South Wales - Alamy
Former Wigan Warriors boss Michael Maguire has been officially confirmed as the New South Wales coach.
The 49-year-old stepped down from his role as head coach of the New Zealand national team last week ahead of taking the Blues job in the State of Origin arena.
And on Thursday, New South Wales officially unveiled Maguire as their new head coach on a multi-year deal after he relinquished his position as Kiwis boss.
Maguire guided Wigan Warriors to a Super League title in 2010 as well as the League Leaders’ Shield before lifting the Challenge Cup the following season.
The Canberra-born coach went on to lead South Sydney Rabbitohs to the NRL Premiership in 2014.
Maguire spent six years as New Zealand coach, helping the Kiwis lift the first-ever Pacific Cup this autumn after thumping Australia 30-0, being the Kangaroos’ biggest-ever test defeat.
Michael Maguire’s New South Wales coaching staff confirmed, including former Warrington Wolves and Salford Red Devils stars
Maguire will be assisted by former Warrington Wolves star Matt King, ex-Salford Red Devils ace John Cartwright and Brett White, who represented Australia and Ireland on the international stage.
King, Cartwright and White all won the NRL Premiership during their playing careers as well as representing their state and country in the representative arena.
On the appointment of Maguire, NSWRL chief executive David Trodden said: “Michael is a multiple Premiership-winning coach in two hemispheres and has been successful in the international arena as head coach of the New Zealand team.
“Together with Michael’s recent experience at the Raiders, they all bring strong current NRL experience to the Blues as assistant coaches – with John working alongside Kevin Walters at the Broncos, Matt with Trent Robinson at the Roosters, and Brett with Des Hasler at the Titans.
“Along with Frank Ponissi’s involvement with the Storm, we now have a high performance team that is not only impeccably credentialled but also has the breadth and depth of current experience across four NRL clubs.”
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