He might be a Craig Bellamy disciple but Matt King doesn’t expect to see South Sydney coach Michael Maguire emulate the Melbourne supremo’s infamous coaching box explosions.

Maguire spent three years as Bellamy’s assistant before a hugely-successful spell with English giants Wigan, where he instilled a culture similar to what he experienced at the Storm.

Images of an emotional Bellamy blowing his top behind the glass have been a regular sight in the NRL for almost a decade.

Souths players have acknowledged how much Maguire has lifted intensity and professionalism around the club during pre-season and not shied away from letting them know when standards slip.

However, former Storm and NSW star King, who has joined the Rabbitohs from Warrington, expects Maguire to only show his true feelings behind closed doors.

“Coming over from the UK, I have seen a fair bit of Madge on the telly with Wigan,” King said.

“I can tell he’s trying to control it a fair bit more than Bellyache (Bellamy) does.

“Bellyache is a bit more free and open and doesn’t care who’s watching.

“Madge is a passionate man and he got excited when Wigan did well and he got upset when they lost, but he tries to keep a lid on it a bit more when the cameras are on.”

Veteran Souths prop Roy Asotasi revealed he’s already been on the receiving end of Maguire’s sharp tongue and predicted the team’s error count will be reduced this year as a result.

“He’s certainly more direct than any coach I’ve worked with,” said Asotasi who, along with King, is one of Souths’ five co-captains this year.

“He tells you how it is but, at the same time, you can get along with him, but you don’t want to fall out with him.

“He only has to tell you something once, and you make sure you don’t make the same mistake twice as we’ve already seen a few times since he’s been here.”

Both King and Asotasi will feature in an almost full-strength Souths line-up for Saturday’s Charity Shield encounter with St George Illawarra at ANZ Stadium.

The New Zealand front-rower has endured a torrid run of injuries over the past three years and is desperately hoping for a sustained run of games this season.

“The last three years I want to forget,” he said.

“We have a new coach, some new players and hopefully 2012 will be a good year.”