Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mam vows to not let relentless boos from rugby league fans push him out of NRL

Besieged Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mam has opened up on the barrage of boos he’s received from rugby league fans since his NRL return, vowing to not let the hostile crowds get in the way of his footy.

Besieged Broncos star Ezra Mam has opened up about vitriolic abuse from rugby league fans and vowed not to let constant booing drive him out of the NRL.

Mam has become the most reviled figure in the game with the Broncos playmaker having copped verbal brickbats from rugby league fans in the wake of his drug-driving scandal last October.

But a defiant Mam goes into Friday night’s clash against South Sydney at Suncorp Stadium determined to let his actions do the talking in his bid to win over his detractors.

The 22-year-old has been heavily booed by Manly and Bulldogs fans on away trips, but Mam appeared to be fuelled by the supporter backlash when he starred in Brisbane’s 22-18 defeat of Canterbury earlier this month.

If Brisbane reach the playoffs, Mam stands to face more intense scrutiny in the sudden-death stakes of finals football, but the Broncos pivot says he hopes he can eventually win over the rugby league public.

Asked if he is sick of being booed, Mam said: “That’s just footy and fans are what makes the game very entertaining.

Ezra Mam is determined to let his actions do the talking. Picture: NRL Photos/Scott Davis

“I think every fan is going to have their opinions, but I can only do what I do, which is play good footy.

“I’m sure within time people will change the way that they feel but if they don’t then I can’t really control that.”

After serving a nine-match suspension handed down by the NRL, Mam returned against the Dragons in round 11 and has been one of Brisbane’s best players in his eight appearances this season.

The Queensland Origin squad member copped an 80-minute pasting from Bulldogs fans in round 18, but Mam thrived under siege, producing one of the greatest performances of his career to inspire a comeback victory.

Mam says he sometimes hears a roar of disapproval from fans but channels his focus into performing for a Broncos side banking on his match-winning brilliance to stay in touch with the top four.

“For me I’m not really taking notice of that (the booing),” he said.

“My role is to be playing footy and while I’m on the field that’s what I’m purely focused on.

“I might hear some of that stuff during the game but my full attention is not with that, it’s the game of footy that I’m playing.”

Ezra Mam believes in time fans will change their tone towards him. Picture: NRL Photos/Chloe Davis

Asked if NRL fans will ever forgive him, Mam said: “To be honest I can’t really tell you.

“I can only just do what I’m doing.

“Hopefully people can realise that I’m just trying to play some good footy and their opinions might change over time but, yeah, I couldn’t really tell you.”

In an eventful season for Mam, the Broncos No.6 buried the hatchet with NSW and Roosters rival Spencer Leniu in a surprise meeting between the pair seconds after full-time in State of Origin II in Perth.

Leniu was banned by the NRL for racially abusing Mam, but the Broncos pivot said he has smoked the peace pipe after shaking hands with the Blues firebrand.

“I won’t touch on what was said but I’m definitely glad that we spoke to each other,” he said.

“It obviously means a lot more when you’re face-to-face and talking about that stuff so I’m very grateful for him coming out to me.

“He reached out initially at the start of when everything happened but I don’t think I was that ready to be approached at the time.

“But as time goes on you don’t want to hold grudges with anyone.

“I guess that was the next time we saw each other so I was more than happy to speak to him after that game and close whatever happened.”

Mam has 10 try assists and 10 line-break assists this season but says he has yet to find the sizzling form that propelled him to a hat-trick in the 2023 grand-final against Penrith.

“I don’t think anyone’s ever going to be perfect at footy,” he said.

“That’s something I want to try and keep doing is getting better at my footy and just narrowing the difference between my worst performance and my best performance.

“What I’m trying to do is perfect my game so I’m continuing to improve and finding where I can get better.”

Originally published as Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mam vows to not let relentless boos from rugby league fans push him out of NRL