The Tackle: Banned Broncos star Ezra Mam cops brutal reception from fans at Suncorp Stadium

Rugby league fans have given an insight into the reception waiting for Ezra Mam when he returns to the NRL, with large sections of the Magic Round crowd booing the Broncos star. WATCH THE VIDEO

Ezra Mam was Public Enemy No.1 at Magic Round.

Boos rang out around Suncorp Stadium when the face of the maligned star flashed on the big screen on Sunday night.

In a packed house at the cauldron it was impossible to tell which section of the crowd booed Mam, whether it was fans of his own club or Penrith supporters.

One thing is certain, Mam’s popularity has clearly taken a massive hit in the wake of the off-season drug-driving scandal that threatened to end his Broncos career.

The NRL hit Mam with a nine week ban for his involvement in the car accident which left a woman and a child with minor injuries.

A sheepish Mam reacts to crowd boos. Picture: Fox Sports

Mam will be available for selection this week when the Broncos take on the Rabbitohs.

Broncos coach Michael Maguire has a tough call to make on Tuesday given the state of the side’s uninspired attack in Sunday’s loss to Penrith.

Mam is a livewire that can add an X-factor to the faltering Broncos and inject an unpredictability to their attack.

MAGIC ROUND LIKES

CRONULLA HAIRLINES

This masthead covered the awkward Magic Round reunions dripping with the potential for drama, and Braydon Trindall and Mitchell Moses added their names to that list after a fiery Friday night encounter.

The duo got stuck into a war of words after Trindall hammered Moses in an off the ball tackle.

Trindall seemed to take umbrage to the reaction of Moses immediately after the hit and could be seen repeatedly mouthing the words “you’re a p***y” at the Eels halfback.

Moses did not hold back, firing his own shot at Trindall, pointing out the Cronulla playmaker’s so-called receding hairline.

Moses insisted there wasn’t too much into the confrontation after the match, but there was clearly no love lost between the two.

Tom Hazelton - who follically challenged - revealed exactly what got his Cronulla teammate Trindall hot under the collar.

“I was speaking to Tricky (Trindall) after the game, he was pretty stoked the camera was on him,” Hazelton told Triple M.

“Mitch was pointing out the receding airline he had going on. He’s hanging on for it a bit at the moment Trick. But I feel his pain. I held on for a bit too long myself, so I’ve been getting into him to get rid of it.

“He’s not ready to let it go yet.”

UP THE WAHS

The Warriors are not just flying high in the NRL, the club is now the reigning kings in the Harold Matthews (under 17’s) competition.

The Warriors first joined Harold Matthews in 2024 and on Saturday became back-to-back champions, taking down Newcastle 30-6 in the grand final at Leichhardt Oval.

Tucked away across the ditch, New Zealand’s pathways do not get the same credit as some of the other powerhouse clubs in Australia.

But as the Warriors continue to make headway in their battle with rugby union for the country’s top talent, it won’t be long before the club boasts one of the strongest production lines in the NRL.

Tearaway teenager Leka Halasima, who churned out more metres than Mitch Barnett and Marata Niukore in the Warriors win over the Cowboys, isn’t the only gem waiting to be unearthed at the club.

Harold Matthews stars Hinckley Ioka, Lucian Mikaele and fullback Jeremiah Lemana all have the makings of future NRL stars.

New Zealand Warriors celebrate their victory. Photo: Warren Gannon Photography

SUNCORP SUBMERGED

Suncorp Stadium is no stranger to going under water but normally mother nature is the culprit.

On Thursday night, Queensland star Lauren Brown became the first player, and probably the last, to flood the famous venue.

The Maroons hooker was touching up on her kicking in the sheds ahead of kick-off in the State of Origin opener on Thursday night but clearly underestimated the power of her boot.

She kicked the steeden so hard it broke one of the fire sprinklers, flooding the dressing room.

Thankfully, the Suncorp Stadium maintenance crew was able to cut off the water before a real flooding emergency unfolded at the venue.

Brown’s Maroons teammates couldn’t help but poke fun at Titans rake, a makeshift sign was added to the same wall marking water levels of previous flooding events at the Stadium.

MASCOT MAIMED

Home turf pride was restored when Buck the Bronco was crowned the winner of Magic Round mascot race on Saturday night.

Buck turned around a poor first start showing at Suncorp Stadium 12 months ago when he finished 9th in a field of only 11 runners.

The race wasn’t without drama. Reggie the Rabbit pulled up lame with reports the South Sydney mascot tore a calf muscle during the race.

Storm Man, a hot favourite in 2025, failed in his bid to avenge last year’s race where he was pipped at the post in a Steven Bradbury moment.

‘NOT HERE TO BE BEST MATES’

Jarome Luai has conceded he and halves partner Lachlan Galvin “don’t have to be best mates” for the Wests Tigers to win games.

It’s a bold statement from Luai that so far holds true. The Tigers secured back-to-back wins since Galvin was recalled into the side after his dramatic axing in the wake of his contract saga, which engulfed the club in recent weeks.

It’s also an incredibly nuanced statement.

It sheds light on just how far evolved the NRL is when it comes to being a business, where winning reigns supreme above all else, even mateship.

Luai and Galvin are merely business partners, or as the halfback puts it, ‘grown men’ with a job to do.

“What happens off the field, happens off the field. At the end of the day we are not here to be best mates,” Luai told this masthead.

Jarome Luai says he and Lachlan Galvin don’t have to be “best mates” to win games. Picture: NRL Photos

“We have a job to do and that’s to get results. Results come when there is connection on the field. It’s water under a bridge. We are all grown men here, with a job to play footy. We enjoy playing footy together.”

It’s the kind of honesty that is rare in the modern game, where players are conditioned to talk in cliches.

Though Luai’s candid approach is a show of maturity from the co-captain.

Luai doesn’t have to love the way Galvin has handled the contract situation or his thoughts on coach Benji Marshall but he can still love playing football alongside him.

Especially when Luai wants to put the ‘team first’.

Despite the back-to-back wins, there is no doubt that the truce between Galvin, Luai and the club is a fragile one.

It will be tested as the season goes on, particularly when wins are replaced with losses.

Latu Fainu is set to return for selection for the Tigers. Picture: NRL Photos

In a fascinating subplot, injured Latu Fainu – who Luai has huge wraps on and will be his future halves partner once Galvin exits Concord – will be available for selection as soon as next week.

For now, four-time premiership winner Luai is focused on a rare three-straight wins when the Tigers take on Melbourne at AAMI Park next Sunday.

If there were a time for Luai to solidify his credentials as a general in the No.7 jumper, which were once questioned by Panthers coach Ivan Cleary, it’s now.

“For me I know what wins games (because of my time at Penrith) and I have been able to bring that here to play finals football.

MAGIC ROUND DISLIKES

DREADFUL DEFENCE

The best Shane Flanagan teams are built on a gritty edge in defence and resilience when their backs are against the wall.

The Dragons showed little of those qualities in Saturday’s loss against the Tigers.

Five of six tries let in by the Dragons were on the back of either an error or penalty.

They’re the moments called coach killers, but also the moments that will kill the Dragons’ season.

In two games, the Red V have conceded 13 tries and 80 points against the Tigers and Roosters.

Unless Flanagan’s men can find some steel in defence, they are in for more pain with matches against Warriors and Broncos waiting.

BUNKER BLUNDER

Reuben Cotter’s high tackle on Marata Niukore on Saturday night was a blatant sin bin.

The Cowboys co-captain was put on report but given he launched his shoulder into Niukore, making contact with his head, Cotter needed to be binned.

It was the perfect opportunity for the match officials to implement NRL CEO Andrew Abdo’s directive regarding bunker intervention for foul play.

NRL Cotter tackle 2

“It needs to be serious or significant foul play for the Bunker to intervene and to bin someone once the play is moved on,” Abdo said on NRL 360 last week.

But the bunker didn’t intervene.

Cotter would have been marched last weekend but in Magic Round it was play-on, not even a penalty.

Originally published as The Tackle: Banned Broncos star Ezra Mam cops brutal reception from fans at Suncorp Stadium