Brisbane Broncos star Ezra Mam’s remorse over car accident saga; feared Red Hill career was over

In his first public interview since being charged with drug driving, Broncos star Ezra Mam has admitted he feared Brisbane would cave to external pressure and terminate his $4m contract. WATCH THE INTERVIEW

Besieged Brisbane star Ezra Mam has opened up about his car-crash scandal and vowed to repay the Broncos as he fights to save his NRL career.

In his first public interview since being charged with drug driving, Mam expressed his deep remorse and says he has learned some harsh lessons from the toughest period of his fledgling NRL career.

Mam’s career was turned upside down last October when he had a head-on collision with an Uber driver and subsequently failed a roadside drugs test conducted by Queensland police.

The Broncos pivot was not only fined and given a dressing down by a Queensland magistrate, but was sanctioned a total of $120,000 by the Broncos and the NRL, who also suspended him for nine games.

There was a strong push for the Broncos to tear up Mam’s five-year, $4 million contract but the 22-year-old says the whole ordeal – which included a stint in rehab and voluntary work on a building site – has been the ultimate wake-up call.

Mam admitted he feared the Broncos would cave to the external pressure and terminate his time at the club.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried,” Mam said.

“I’m just grateful I did get the opportunity to keep going for the Brisbane Broncos and no doubt, I want to repay the Broncos for giving me a second chance. I think that’s just about growing now from this moment.”

A contrite Mam said he takes full responsibility for his actions and is committed to remaining on the ‘right path’ in the future.

“I’m truly sorry, I regret what I have done. That’s the main thing that I try to remind myself every day. I was in the wrong,” Mam said.

Ezra Mam says he’s committed to the ‘right path’ in the future. Picture: Adam Head

“But right now I’m looking forward to getting on the right path and being a positive role model for future generations. I regret my actions, I’ve accepted that and I’m moving forward.”

Mam won’t be seen on the football field until round 10 but isn’t guaranteed a starting spot in coach Michael Maguire’s outfit given the arrival of veteran playmaker Ben Hunt and the emergence of Cory Paix at hooker.

But Mam vowed to fight his way back into the Broncos NRL side in 2025.

“The preseason has been pretty good and no one is set on their role at the club. That’s the good thing we have at the club is a lot of competition with the players.

“I’m just going to have to work my way into the side. Whatever happens, I’m just going to have to do my best on the training field and hopefully I can get back in the team.

“Then if I don’t get in, I’ll be pushing to get back in the team.

Ezra Mam’s legal saga isn’t over yet. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

The saga is not over yet for Mam. It is understood he faces being sued personally over an insurance battle arising from the car crash with the Uber driver.

The Uber driver has launched legal action against Mam’s third-party insurer for injuries sustained and loss of income.

“For me now, I’m just going to be working on myself and (dealing) with that stuff when it happens … I don’t know what’s going to happen but we’ll deal with it when it comes around,” Mam said.

Mam also revealed he has reached out to the passengers of the Uber, a woman and young child, who suffered minor injuries in the October crash to express his regret over the accident.

“Leading up to the court case, I wasn’t able to for legal reasons reach out to the victims, which was on my mind throughout the whole process,” Mam said.

“Once the court case was settled, I reached out that day and expressed myself to them.

“I wanted to catch up and show how sorry I am to them. I’ve reached out a couple of times to them to try and meet up.

Ezra Mam has reached out to the passengers of the Uber since the incident. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“I don’t want to cramp their space and be too pushy about meeting them. I just want to respect their boundaries. When the time is right, they will get back to me and we’ll go from there.”

Broncos coach Michael Maguire recently told News Corp the club is determined to help Mam be a better player and person.

“He is still working through everything,” he said.

“Look, Ezra has made mistakes and he has been away and looked at himself. He is aware of the circumstances, he has had to go to work on a building site and he got on the tools for a period. He got a lot out of the experience which is important.

“Ezra is continually working on himself now. He has had to take a lot of lessons from what he has been through and one thing for ‘Ez’, he is looking to influence, not only himself but the people around him. He has been working extremely hard at training. He understands what he has been through. He is making sure he is giving to the players as much as he can because of what happened and that’s all I can ask of him.

“Right now, he will just train with us, that’s all he has to focus on.”

Originally published as Brisbane Broncos star Ezra Mam’s remorse over car accident saga; feared Red Hill career was over