Broncos star Ezra Mam seeks immediate professional help following car accident, positive roadside drugs test

Brisbane Broncos star Ezra Mam is undergoing immediate professional treatment in the wake of his head-on car accident which has left his $4 million NRL contract in jeopardy.

Brisbane superstar Ezra Mam has begun undergoing professional treatment as he looks to overcome the “personal challenges” that threaten to cost him his lucrative rugby league career.

Mam’s management released a statement on Monday night confirming he had sought help after being involved in a head-on car crash with an Uber driver last Friday night.

As revealed by this masthead, Queensland police will allege Mam tested positive to a routine roadside drug test and he was driving unlicensed as part of a probe that has put his $4 million Broncos contract in jeopardy.

Mam has not been charged and police are awaiting the result of a follow-up test.

It is understood that in a bid to get his career and personal life back on track, Mam voluntarily entered a facility on Monday morning where he was cut off from the outside world.

The Broncos are believed to have reached out on Mam’s behalf to the mother and daughter who were in the Uber to ensure they were OK, and his management insisted Brisbane pivot was remorseful and understood the gravity of the situation.

“Ezra is extremely remorseful,” the statement said.

Brisbane Broncos star Ezra Mam. Picture: NRL Imagery

“He is concerned, first and foremost, for the other parties involved and understands the enormity of the current situation.

“He acknowledges he’s facing some personal challenges and, following these recent events, has taken a proactive step by seeking immediate professional treatment.

“We will continue to support him throughout this process and will not make any further comments at this time.”

The mother involved in the crash, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “I can remember looking up and straight ahead I could see a car veering in front of us... I knew what was going to happen.

“I can’t rest because all I can see when I close my eyes is that vehicle.”

She said her four-year-old daughter, who was in the car with her, was taken to hospital and the pair of them had suffered seatbelt burns.

Earlier on Monday, Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy conceded the club had cultural challenges and warned Brisbane stars to “grow up” as he revealed Mam’s playing future remained in limbo.

“We’ve got some cultural challenges — I won’t shy away from that,” Donaghy told radio 4BC as the Broncos and NRL integrity unit continue their own probes into the Mam incident.

“Leadership is an area we’ve highlighted and identified and Michael (Maguire) is clear on the standards he expects of the group.

“I won’t shy away from the fact I believe we have cultural challenges and that’s an area we will invest in and be really strong on.

“I’ve seen commentary about a line-in-the-sand moment. For this group, it’s a grow-up moment.”

The Broncos and Queensland police are awaiting results on a second drug test for Mam, who has apologised via the club to the two Uber passengers involved in the head-on collision, which included a young girl. While no-one was seriously injured, Broncos hierarchy are privately fuming over the incident and Maguire will play a key role in determining whether the Queensland Origin hopeful has his contract torn-up.

Mam’s five-year deal, only signed in February, expires at the end of 2029. Donaghy said the club would not make a kneejerk decision on Mam until what took place is known, but conceded he had “lost his way” and that his Broncos future was under a cloud.

Asked if Mam’s future is undecided, Donaghy said: “Yes essentially.” We haven’t had a discussion internally in depth, but we don’t have the full facts.

“It would be remiss of me to jump too far ahead.

“There is obviously a process to go through with police and the matters referred to, but when the full facts are known and the emotion gets taken out of it, we have to work through the process really methodically with firstly the NRL integrity unit, who we informed straight away.

“Ezra is a young man, he is 21. They do make mistakes but in this industry you have to grow up quickly. It’s the price of entry.

“He is a genuinely decent young man who appears to have lost his way of late, so that can be the traps of this industry.

“Speaking to Ezra, he has apologised for putting the club in this position and certainly his concern is for the others involved in this accident.”

Ezra Mam was hospitalised after being treated at the scene of the incident. Source: Supplied.

Asked if Mam had played his last game, the CEO added: “We want to make sure we have the full information so we make the right decision for us.

“But from the club’s perspective we are very disappointed to find ourselves in this position, we are a community-based club that puts the community at the centre of everything we do.

“For us to have these discussions in the off-season instead of talking about the build-up is disappointing.” Maguire officially moves from Sydney to Brisbane on Wednesday and he is set to subject Broncos stars to a punishing pre-season, starting November 1, following last season’s 12th-placed finish.

The premiership-winning coach is renowned for driving tough standards and Donaghy believes Maguire’s disciplinary style will drive a new era of professionalism at the Broncos. He made it clear Maguire’s football program would be “performance led, not lifestyle led” — a pointed reference to the perception some Brisbane stars have become distracted.” Michael arrives this week on the ground in Brisbane full-time,” Donaghy said.

“We appointed him because he was the best coach available but he also has a proven track record of performance and certainly holding really high standards within the football program.

“It’s not just on Michael, it’s on the whole club and myself, it’s on the staff around Michael and for the playing group, it’s on the senior players.

“We have been very deliberate in investing in our leadership capability and our culture in the football program.” We have been disappointed across the year with where we are, but we are clear that we want our program to be performance led, not lifestyle led, and we know that will take a hell of a lot of hard work.

“We might not fix it overnight, but we will be very deliberate about designing it.

“We will be rolling up our sleeves to get us to the point where we want to be.”