As the Storm prepare to host the Broncos in Round 23, all eyes will be on the dugouts. Craig Bellamy comes into this one holding an incredible 13–1 head-to-head record over his former assistant Michael Maguire, his only loss dating back to 2013.
This will be the first time the pair face off with Maguire in charge of Brisbane, but history heavily favours Bellamy. The rivalry began in 2012 when Maguire was at South Sydney, and Bellamy’s Storm eased to two comfortable wins.
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Over the next decade, whether Maguire was coaching the Rabbitohs or Wests Tigers, the outcome rarely changed.
One-sided dominance built over a decade
The lone blemish came in late 2013, a 10–20 loss at Accor Stadium. Since then, Bellamy has rattled off 11 straight wins against his former deputy, including some record-breaking thrashings. His Melbourne side crushed Maguire’s Tigers 64–6 in 2017, followed by a 66–16 hammering in 2021.
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Their most recent clash was in 2022, when the Storm saw off the Tigers 26–16 at CommBank.
Maguire’s return to club coaching with Brisbane now offers a new context, but the same old challenge: toppling his mentor.