South Sydney coach Michael Maguire was so concerned about his team getting too far ahead of themselves, he even put Rabbitohs legends on media bans.
Maguire, like most coaches in the NRL, would prefer his players kept things low-key when talking to the press, a policy he has certainly stuck to himself in the lead-up to Sunday’s grand final against Canterbury.
Few big statements have come from Maguire’s mouth since arriving at Redfern, nor from his players since a few years ago when former prop Dave Taylor declared the Rabbitohs had the best forward pack in the competition.
However, Maguire has taken media managing to a new level by asking South Sydney greats like Craig Coleman and Mario Fenech to keep a lid on their public comments over the past 12 months.
It’s not like Maguire has turned his back on some of his most passionate supporters, in fact quite the opposite – Coleman and Fenech have been welcomed into the Rabbitohs’ burrow with open arms.
But they were kindly asked to play their part in managing expectations and hype surrounding the prospect of the club breaking its 43-year premiership drought.
“He said just speak about the game at hand,” Coleman told AAP.
“What game is coming up, just talk about that game. Don’t get too far ahead of ourselves.
“He didn’t want to get the players off the track.
“He knows we’re very passionate and Michael, he loves our passion and he welcomes the ex-players from Souths with open arms.”
Parramatta and Wests Tigers have had their fair share of trouble over recent years with former greats destabilising the current playing group.
However, the fact Maguire has been able to exercise control over people outside his club is a reflection of the respect he’s commanded since taking over at South Sydney.
The Rabbitohs have been waiting so long for success, it’s understandable that two men who have played with and supported the club through the toughest of times – Coleman and Fenech – would have started to get excited at the regeneration of the past three years.
However, after falling at the preliminary final hurdle the past two attempts, Maguire was desperate to eliminate distractions and psychological burdens.
Despite retiring in the 1990s, both Coleman and Fenech have played their part in Maguire’s master plan.
But now the next game at hand is the grand final – the first since 1971 – Coleman is allowed to talk about what victory on Sunday would mean to everyone involved with Souths.
“I’m very, very proud of our team and it’s just good to be enjoying all the hype around South Sydney,” said Coleman.
“I thought Madge should have been coach of the year. He never flinched, never questioned himself. He knew what it was going to take to get us to where we wanted to be and we got there.
“It’s been a long, long time and we’ll go there on Sunday and we’ll win the trophy.”
