Sacked Bronco tells-all on Madge Instagram saga

Six months on from his acrimonious departure from the Brisbane Broncos, New Zealand and Samoan international Martin Taupau has lifted the lid on his “kick in the guts” sacking and what really happened.

In May of this year, the forward “liked” an Instagram post by Elijah Taylor which criticised the intense training approach of Broncos coach Michael Maguire.

“A lot of people are asking me what’s wrong with Madge (Maguire) and what’s wrong with the Broncos,” the caption on Taylor’s post read said.

“One, it’s his intensity. I’ve never seen a coach ride the game so hard.

“After a win the world is a better place. After a loss you’re off to a funeral and someone will be getting cooked at the video session.

“Two, training methods. Ninety-five per cent of the time on the field it’s full contact. You haven’t done an NRL pre-season until you have done a Michael Maguire pre-season.

“Three, time efficiency. Let’s have a meeting for a meeting for a meeting. I’d get home from training and the kids don’t know who I am any more.”

The fact Tupau engaged with it, reportedly left the club furious and discussions held afterwards made it clear his time was up.

“I always feel dumbfounded when I think about it,” Taupau said this week on the Chad Townsend Show podcast.

“I had a meeting with the CEO and the footy manager just to explain my actions, and I was really remorseful and apologetic for what had happened.

“There was no intention to cause any harm to anyone. It was an innocent like as it was, so a later meeting was called with the CEO, and I thought, let’s go for a walk. Let’s have a walking meeting.

“We talked it through, and he said it’s probably best that we mutually part ways, and thinking back to it now, I didn’t give it much thought, but when you know in your heart and your body’s telling you it’s time to go. It’s like okay, I’m happy with it.

“I wasn’t angry with it at the time. I understand it. It was hard, it was a kick in the guts, it was every emotion under the sun.

“But looking back it now I feel like it was God just stepping in and saying, ‘Okay Marty, it’s time for you to put your boots down'.”

Taupau insists he was not aware of how much drama the click of one button would cause.

“I’ve come across a post (from) Footy Hacks, Elijah Taylor...sharing his thoughts and feelings on how tough the pre-season training is under Maguire and at the end of it, it was if he changes certain things they’ll be really successful,” he continued.

“For me, to my unknowing, I just liked it and just kept going. Totally forgot about it, dropped my coffee, jumped on the scooter and went down to work. Then the boys go, ‘Uce you just liked this post’...and they’re all covering their mouths, so I just unliked it.

“It turned. I got told you’ve got to have a meeting and it’s tonight to explain your actions. It didn’t really click. I had the meeting (to) explain what had happened and I was really remorseful.”

Since the drama, Taupau has retired from league and missed out on being part of a premiership winning year with Brisbane.