Cooper Cronk urges Michael Maguire to resist recalling Ezra Mam in favour of Adam Reynolds-Ben Hunt halves partnership

Brisbane’s electrifying start to the 2025 season has left Michael Maguire with a call to be made on Ezra Mam, with one Queensland great urging the coach to resist recalling the embattled star. Have your say.

Queensland legend Cooper Cronk has declared the Ben Hunt-Adam Reynolds alliance can deliver a Broncos premiership and has urged coach Michael Maguire to resist recalling embattled Ezra Mam to the NRL.

They may be the NRL’s oldest halves pairing but 34-year-old duo Reynolds and Hunt sounded an ominous title warning by spearheading Brisbane’s 50-14 drubbing of the Roosters in a sizzling round 1 debut.

Reynolds produced three try assists, while Hunt, in his Broncos homecoming, set-up his side’s opening try and scored another himself to seal a 36-point rout that stamped Brisbane as a title contender in 2025.

Mam has been Brisbane’s first-choice five-eighth for two seasons, but the 22-year-old faces another eight weeks on the sidelines after being banned for nine games by the NRL following his car-crash saga last October.

It was widely anticipated that Queensland Origin utility Hunt would be shifted to hooker to accommodate Mam at five-eighth when Reynolds’ 2023 grand-final halves partner is cleared for an NRL return.

But as Brisbane prepare for Saturday night’s clash against the Raiders in Canberra, Cronk said the Broncos can win their first title since 2006 on the back of a Hunt-Reynolds union that is too slick and experienced to dismantle.

Cooper Cronk believes Ben Hunt and Adam Reynolds should remain the Broncos’ halves pairing. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Cronk believes Ezra Mam shouldn’t return to the No.6. Picture: Liam Kidston

Four-time premiership winner Cronk said Mam faces the whole season in Broncos exile.

“It doesn’t matter for me what Ezra Mam does, Ben Hunt stays there,” Cronk said.

“The combination of Ben Hunt and Adam Reynolds is going to be a very, very good thing.

“With Ezra Mam ... I wouldn’t move Ben Hunt.

“I don’t care what Ezra Mam does from here on, Ben Hunt is my five-eighth for the rest of the year.

“The 40 minutes in pre-season against the Dogs was enough to show they (Reynolds and Hunt) had something there.”

Cronk said not only did Mam have to learn some lessons from his off-field indiscretion, but the former Maroons No.7 believes Hunt can ease the playmaking pressure valve on chief halfback Reynolds.

Cronk referenced Reynolds’ patchy performance in Brisbane’s 2023 grand final loss, saying the Broncos skipper could benefit from Hunt’s game management on the left edge.

“One, it’s the cultural piece around what Ezra went through,” Cronk said on his new Fox League show with Matt Johns.

“Two ... Adam Reynolds in 2023 got a lot of things right to control that team in terms of all the decision making but, to be fair, he made a couple of decisions at the back end of that grand final that played a part in them losing.

“With Ben Hunt, at 34 years of age, having done what he has done, I like that there are two guys either side of the field that are good at making decisions.

“Their composure is great.

“Hunt has gone from being a first receiver halfback dominating the Dragons and touching the ball 1000 times, to basically picking his moments on the left side (at the Broncos) and complementing what Adam Reynolds and Reece Walsh have.

“The Storm, Penrith and Broncos are top-line betting (to win the premiership), I’m doubling down on them, Everyone else is chasing.”

Maguire has not given up on Mam. The Broncos coach wants Mam to serve his penance and earn the right to play NRL again, but says the Hunt-Reynolds can only improve, with the skipper on the comeback trail from neck surgery.

“They haven’t had a lot of time together due to circumstances in the pre-season with Adam,” Maguire said.

“The more I have them on the field, the more you can see them connecting together.

“To have two of those guys out there, with their kicking options, is pretty handy.”