NRL 2023: Broncos set to feel salary cab squeeze as rivals circle Ezra Mam | Saint, Sinner, Shoosh
They’re about to finish their best season in years, but Brisbane are already feeling the salary cap squeeze, as NRL rivals consider making plays at the Broncos’ underpaid stars.
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The Broncos are facing multimillion-dollar salary cap squeeze as rival clubs prepare to raid their playing ranks in November – and they’re not just aiming for superstar prop Payne Haas.
With a shortage of halves across the competition, at least half a dozen clubs have earmarked 20-year-old five-eighth Ezra Mam, who is now earning just $240,000-a-season, as a potential recruit.
Then there is the issue of keeping champion old halfback Adam Reynolds, who was originally to pull up stumps next year and was never part of their 2025 salary cap planning.
The Broncos also need to upgrade superstar fullback Reece Walsh, who is on only $500,000, which is probably half of his market value. At least he is locked in until 2025.
The others can sign with rival clubs from November.
Mam is expected to be in almost as much demand as Haas because so many lower-placed sides are desperate to strengthen their halves.
The Raiders have indicated they will use Jack Wighton’s money to have a crack.
St George Illawarra coach Shane Flanagan has already met with Mam’s agent Nash Dawson.
The Bulldogs, Wests Tigers and the Titans are also on the lookout for quality halves.
Just as in Haas’s case, Mam is likely to wait until November to test the market.
As one observer commented: “If Josh Schuster is worth $800,000 at Manly, what’s Ezra worth?”
The answer to that is probably triple the money he is on right now.
“There has already been a lot of interest around Ezra,” Dawson said. “People forget how young he is. He’s only 20. We can’t accept a formal offer until November but a lot of clubs are keen. We’ll test the market if we need to.”
The Broncos are now finding themselves in a similar position to Penrith. With success comes cap pressure.
The Panthers have lost the likes of Matt Burton, Api Koroisau, Billy Kikau and Stephen Crichton in recent years.
Brisbane have already lost Herbie Farnsworth and Tom Flegler to the Dolphins next year.
The biggest problem for the Broncos is finding $1 million-plus for Haas and accommodating Reynolds on around $900,000 when it was expected he was going to retire.
SAINT
Buddy Franklin. One of the few AFL stars to become a household name in a rugby league city, as recognisable as NRL stars Nicho Hynes or Kalyn Ponga. The word champion is too often used in sport but sits perfectly with this legend, who achieved it all in 354 games for Hawthorn and the Swans.
SINNERS
Billy Slater and Cameron’s Smith’s defence of the Melbourne Storm parading replica 2007 and 2009 premiership trophies. Other sides caught cheating over the years like Parramatta and Canterbury were stripped of their competition points and didn’t get the chance to compete for titles.
SPOTTED
Eels star Will Penisini celebrating his 21st birthday last weekend with his great mate, Roosters star Joseph Suaalii.
SPOTTED
A greyhound called Ezra Mam has as much speed as the Broncos five-eighth. It has won three from four starts at Grafton and Maitland.
SPOTTED
Broncos glamour boy Reece Walsh with a brand new set of wheels – a $100,000 Ram truck courtesy of a third-party sponsor. The Maroons fullback is being inundated with sponsorship and endorsement opportunities since emerging this year as a genuine superstar.
SPOTTED
Phil Gould’s abuse of a punter on Twitter who questioned the form of Wade Graham: “It’s better to be thought of as a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Take a hike dipshit.” We checked — Gus has called 29 people dipshits over the years on Twitter.
SHOOSH
It’s interesting that there was absolutely no interest from Catalans to hold Bulldogs-bound Siua Taukeiaho to his contract. He has played only six of 21 games this year because of injuries.
SHOOSH
There could be some awkward moments this weekend inside the Channel 9 commentary box. Paul Gallen works alongside Storm legends Cameron Smith and Billy Slater. Gal slammed the Storm on 100% Footy over their 25-year anniversary celebrations: “To celebrate with trophies was really disrespectful. I thought it was really poor form.
OLAM STUCK ON THE OUTER
The future of tough Storm centre Justin Olam is under a cloud, despite him having another three years on his contract.
The 29-year-old PNG star was dropped from the side two weeks ago to the Sunshine Coast Falcons, despite a shortage of centres at the club.
Olam extended his contract at Storm on a big-money package until the end of 2026 after winning Dally M centre of the year in 2021.
He broke his arm earlier this year and has struggled since returning.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy and general manager Frank Ponissi are monitoring the situation closely.
There has been talk of him being offered to rival clubs, although this could not be confirmed.
If another club was to make an offer, there’s no question the Storm would give it serious consideration.
Melbourne want to be in a position to make an offer to Broncos front-rower Payne Haas but are struggling to find the salary cap space.
HULL OF AN EFFORT FOR AUSSIE PETERS
It’s been 43 years since the great centre/fullback John Dorahy won a Challenge Cup final with Hull Kingston Rovers in front of 95,000 fans at Wembley.
His team that day included English champions Roger Millward, Phil Lowe and Brian Lockwood.
Next weekend another Aussie, coach Willie Peters, is taking Hull KR back to the famous London stadium to try to deliver their first Cup final victory since 1980.
Peters has done a sensational job with a team that includes 35-year-old Shaun Kenny-Dowall and former Raiders halfback Brad Schneider, who kicked a golden-point field goal to get Hull KR into the Cup final.
Peters has coached under the likes of Wayne Bennett, Anthony Seibold and Adam O’Brien in Newcastle as an assistant.
He has two years to run on his Hull KR contract but looks to be a real candidate for an NRL head coaching position. Not that he’s even thinking about it right now.
“I’m just looking forward to the final, it’s such a huge occasion for the club,” Peters said. “It’s a big deal to be going to Wembley against Adrian Lam’s team (Leigh Leopards).”
NIGHTMARE TRIP FOR NICK
Nick Politis has never been a fan of Clover Moore’s bike lanes on the city streets.
Even more so after taking a fall on Pitt Street on Thursday, tripping over a concrete divider.
The Roosters supremo had to be treated at a nearby medical centre then taken to hospital for X-rays. He escaped with a broken nose and some nasty bruises.
The fall could not have happened at a worse time.
The billionaire chairman was a scratching from the Roosters’ Hall of Fame dinner at the International Convention Centre on Friday night because of his injuries.
It was a huge night for the Roosters, with six new inductees into their Hall of Fame – including current Cronulla Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon, fullback legend Anthony Minichiello and dual international John Brass – in front of 600 guests.
Roosters greats Sidney ‘Sandy’ Pearce, Sidney ‘Joe’ Pearce and Arthur ‘Pony’ Halloway were also inducted.
BEST FOOT FORWARD
Newcastle’s powerhouse centre Bradman Best is on the verge of linking with leading management company Black Money.
The Blues State of Origin star, who discovered his Indigenous heritage earlier this year, will join Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker and Jack Wighton as a leading client of the powerful company.
Best is free to negotiate with rival clubs from November and will be in hot demand.
It is also understood the Knights star is keen to follow a similar pathway to Paul Gallen – and will step into the boxing ring at some stage in the next couple of years.
No Limit Boxing’s brothers Matt and George Rose are well aware of his interest.
He showed so much promise as a youngster at the Gosford PCYC that his trainers wanted him to take up boxing ahead of rugby league.
KYRGIOS BACK HOME
Controversial Aussie tennis star Nick Kyrgios is back in Sydney and was spotted having dinner at Italian restaurant Totti’s in Bondi on Wednesday night.
There has been no official announcement but it appears unlikely he’ll be fit to play in the US Open which starts this month as he undergoes treatment for wrist and knee injuries.
Kyrgios pulled out of Wimbledon last month, a day before the tournament began.
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