He’s a super smart football coach: Josh McGuire impressed by new boss Powell
Warrington recruit Josh McGuire has been impressed by new boss Daryl Powell so far during his short time at the club as the pair prepare for the 2023 Super League season.
The 32-year-old utility forward makes the switch on a two-year deal from St George Illawarra Dragons. He enjoyed 14 seasons in the NRL, and now begins a new chapter with his young family having made the move to Stockton Heath earlier in November.
Powell, 57, begins his second pre-season with the club, hoping to put 2022 behind him following a disappointing first season in charge.
“He’s been good,” McGuire told Love Rugby League. “He’s a super smart football coach. The mood has been really good. All the boys are buying in and there’s a good feel at the moment.
“We’ve got to keep going and keep doing it. Powelly has been fantastic, I haven’t got a bad word to say about him. He’s been super accommodating and made the transition for myself and my family easy.”
Josh McGuire looking forward, not backwards
McGuire joins the side following an underwhelming 2022 campaign, having claimed just nine wins from 27 during the regular season and finishing 11th.
However, the Samoa international insists the team are only looking ahead now with pre-season well underway.
“It’s a very new squad. We have a lot of young guys come in and the older guys like myself come in from other places. That was last year and this is this year,” he said.
“We write our own chapter in the next stage of the Wire history. It’s important for us to do that and not think about the past, you can’t change it, it is what it is.
“A lot of hard lessons have been learned, but that’s probably made the boys hungrier.
“I think expectations are internal anyway. It comes from anywhere. Coming from the NRL, I think there’s an expectation anyway. If you don’t turn up in the right frame of mind with the right attitude, you’re going to get found out pretty quick.
“I have personal goals, always to play at a high level. If you start thinking about the end of the year, it doesn’t really help you.
“It’s about winning every day and every session and banking those things and investing in the team and in the club. By the time game day comes around, if you’ve made the right investments and smart choices, the football side becomes the easy thing.
“That’s how good teams perform. It’s built at training, in the gym and it’s a lot of hard work to do. It’s been a tough pre-season so far but we’re excited about it.”
Warrington kick-off the 2023 Super League campaign at home to Leeds Rhinos on Thursday, February 16th.
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