‘Decent young man who lost his way’: Brisbane Broncos confront Ezra Mam saga, culture crisis

Michael Maguire has walked into a baptism of fire at the Broncos, with the coach and CEO Dave Donaghy revealing the club is dealing with major cultural issues in the wake of the Ezra Mam saga.

New Brisbane coach Michael Maguire’s quest to rebuild the Broncos has hit an early hurdle with grand final hero Ezra Mam potentially facing a monster ban and the prospect of being relegated to reserve grade.

Maguire arrived in Brisbane on Wednesday morning to officially begin his three-year tenure as Kevin Walters’ replacement at the Broncos.

Instead of a rosy unveiling, Maguire faced a barrage of questions about one of his star players following the off-season scandal that has rocked Red Hill.

Mam, 21, has been admitted to a rehabilitation clinic following a car crash in Brisbane last Friday night.

He allegedly returned a positive roadside drug test and was driving unlicensed after his Ford Ranger utility collided with a Toyota Camry sedan.

Michael Maguire (right) and Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy will front the media. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Police investigations are ongoing and no charges have been laid.

The driver of the Camry was a man working for Uber, transporting a woman and her four-year-old daughter, who were all hospitalised.

Mam is expected to miss the start of pre-season training in a fortnight as he faces at least three weeks in the rehabilitation facility.

But it could be months before he is seen in Broncos colours, with Mam facing potential sanctions from the NRL that could include a lengthy suspension and fine depending on the police investigation.

Maguire was reluctant to discuss the possibility of Mam’s $4 million contract being torn up but confirmed a reserve grade comeback was an option.

“I’m not even going to touch on that at the moment,” Maguire said when asked if Mam could be sacked.

“I’ve got to look at how he got to that point. I’ve got to assess what’s going on and understand him, and the position of where the organisation sits.

“I’m going to spend a lot of time getting a real good understanding of where the club’s at.

“All those things (reserve grade) are options.

“We need to look at the situation. I need a complete understanding of how he ended up in that position. From there we’ll make some decisions.

“It’s going to be a process. It could take quite some time to get to where we want to get to.

“He’s a young man and we’ve got to care for him the same as we have to for all the people in the accident.”

Mam has been admitted to a rehabilitation clinic following a car crash, where he allegedly returned a positive roadside drug test and was driving unlicensed. Picture: Getty Images

Maguire has walked into a firestorm at the Broncos following the club’s crash from 2023 grand finalists to 12th this year.

The dramatic decline resulted in Walters’ departure following four seasons in charge, opening the door for 2014 South Sydney premiership winner Maguire to step in.

Maguire now faces the prospect of being without one of his most talented players for an extended chunk of the 2025 season.

Broncos players have started reporting for training ahead of schedule and Maguire said that should be the expectation if the club wants to snap its 18-year NRL premiership drought.

“He’s got to go through a process with police, the game and the (Broncos) itself,” Maguire said.

“Wherever that lands, we’ll move forward with what we have.

“I’ve got a squad. Success in a team is about a squad.

“I’ve talked to a lot of great players over the last couple of weeks that I’m really looking forward to being around.

“They’re here at training and doing what’s required at this time of the year. They’ve got to turn up ready to go. That’s how you move forward at this level.

“That (training in off-season) should be the norm. We’ve got to adjust where we’re at.

“We are very fortunate to be rugby league players and coaches. There needs to be gratitude around where we are and humility about what we’re doing.

“Being ready to go on day one is how you get to October. You do the work now to give yourself the opportunities.”

Maguire refused to rule out the possibility of Mam getting sacked. Picture: NRL Imagery

Mam scored a stunning hat-trick in the 2023 decider against Penrith to take the Broncos to within a whisker of clinching the club’s first premiership since 2006.

The Panthers conjured an equally remarkable comeback to snatch victory from the Broncos and Brisbane CEO Dave Donaghy said Mam had struggled to cope with his rise to fame.

“Ezra is a very decent young man. I do feel like he had lost his way across the course of a really big 12 months,” he said.

“You reflect on his performance in the grand final. It’s been career changing and also life changing with how well he’s known now.

“I’ve not seen anyone perform what he does for us on the field and then on a Saturday perform a cultural dance acknowledging the Torres Strait Islander community. Not too many professional athletes can do that.

“That speaks to the decency of him.

“He’s found himself in a really challenging and troubling position. He’s sought help and now it’s about working through the process and making sure we’re not making a rash call.”