Marty Taupau #

Introduction #

Marty Taupau is a veteran NRL prop who was sacked by the Brisbane Broncos effective immediately in May 2025 for liking an Instagram post by former teammate Elijah Taylor that was critical of coach Michael Maguire’s training methods. Taupau apologised, saying the like was unintentional, and removed it immediately, but the club parted ways with him anyway. The single tap ended his Brisbane career and, in practice, his playing days: he did not play in the NRL again, later announced his retirement, and was farewelled on grand final day as the Broncos went on to win the premiership without him.

Background Information #

Taupau debuted in 2010 and built one of the longer careers in the modern game: 256 NRL matches across 16 seasons with the Canterbury Bulldogs, Wests Tigers, Manly Sea Eagles and Broncos, in which he scored 21 tries, as well as 33 Tests representing both New Zealand and Samoa. He joined Brisbane in 2023 and played 34 games for the club across three seasons. The incident came early in Maguire’s first season in charge, with the Broncos teetering at five wins and five losses and the new coach attempting a cultural overhaul of a club with a history of internal leaks. Taupau had played just one game in 2025 when it happened.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #

The controversy began when Taupau liked an Instagram post shared by his former Wests Tigers teammate Elijah Taylor, in which Taylor recounted his own experiences under Maguire. Taylor described his pre-seasons under Maguire as the hardest he had ever done and said the schedule left him disconnected from his family. “A lot of people are asking me what’s wrong with ‘Madge’ (Maguire), what’s wrong with the Broncos,” Taylor said in the video. “One, 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.” He continued: “Two, training methods. Ninety-five per cent of the time on the field it’s full contact. The hardest pre-season I have ever done is with Michael Maguire. You haven’t done an NRL pre-season until you have done a Michael Maguire pre-season.”

Taupau’s involvement amounted to a single tap. He later said he came across the post while scrolling and liked it “to my unknowing”, then “totally forgot about it, dropped my coffee, jumped on the scooter and went down to work”, until teammates told him what he had done — “they’re all covering their mouths, so I just unliked it”, he recalled. He issued a public apology: “Today I liked a video by Elijah Taylor talking about Michael Maguire’s coaching methods. I regret this as it was not my intention to endorse the video. I removed the like immediately after.” He added that he was “thoroughly enjoying being coached by Michael Maguire” and would do whatever he could to help Brisbane win the 2025 premiership. The club nonetheless viewed the like as a direct critique of the head coach and a public challenge to the direction Maguire was trying to steer.

Public Reaction and Consequences #

The response inside the club was swift. Taupau was called before the Broncos’ leadership group to explain himself, and senior players were reportedly upset by his actions, particularly given the fragile state of the season. Captain Adam Reynolds, who had also played under Maguire at South Sydney, acknowledged the damage while stressing unity: “It’s not a good look, but we are united as a group. We are moving in a good direction. It is disappointing… whether he really meant it or not I’m not too sure, but that’s a conversation Marty will have with the club and they’ll handle that internally.” Payne Haas was among other senior players who expressed concern about the situation.

Despite the apology, the club did not back down. Taupau met with the chief executive and the club’s football manager to explain his actions, saying later that he was “really remorseful and apologetic” and that “there was no intention to cause any harm to anyone”. At a subsequent walking meeting, he said, the CEO told him “it’s probably best that we mutually part ways”. Maguire confirmed the departure without detailing the reasons: “I want everyone that is at the club or moves from the club at some stage to prosper on the back of what they do. It’s an organisational decision around how we have gone about it.” Taupau was released after just one game of the 2025 season.

Current Status #

Taupau never played in the NRL again. He hoped to play on for two more seasons and said a few English clubs tabled offers, but after discussions with his wife he announced his retirement from professional rugby league. He was farewelled on grand final day, appearing in the retiring players’ parade at Accor Stadium — the first time he publicly confirmed his career was over. He and his wife Michelle now run two businesses and he has become a public speaker; he says he does not miss playing and is content with where life has taken him.

Impact on Their Career/Life #

Taupau broke his silence on the sacking in October 2025, telling the Chad Townsend Show podcast, “I always feel dumbfounded when I think about it,” and describing the episode as “a kick in the guts, it was every emotion under the sun”. He said he was “aware but not fully aware of the repercussions”, and came to view the ending as fate, “like it was God just stepping in and saying, ‘Okay Marty, it’s time for you to put your boots down’.”

In August 2026 he made further claims about his treatment at the club. He said he passed out during a brutal training session on day one of his pre-season under Maguire — “It was 38 degrees” — and fell toward an ice bath before a physio grabbed him by the collar, and that he was not allowed to address his teammates after the sacking despite asking. “All I asked was ‘is it okay if I come in and see the boys?’” he said. “The hardest thing is that there was no conversation had when all this happened. It was just radio silence.” He also admitted he did not actually watch Taylor’s video until a later meeting with club officials, and said its comments resonated because he had experienced the tough pre-season first-hand. The Broncos declined to comment on his claims.