By Nick Wright
Michael Maguire’s first official day at Red Hill proved to be a baptism of fire, as the new Broncos coach confirmed he had spoken with under-siege star Ezra Mam, but refused to reveal whether the five-eighth would be granted a stay of execution at the club.
Another chapter has been added to the 21-year-old’s season of turmoil, which began with a racism saga in Las Vegas and has now ended with his involvement in a car accident while allegedly driving unlicensed, before then testing positive to a roadside drug test.
The incident resulted in a mother and daughter being sent to hospital after Mam’s car collided with their Uber. The 2023 NRL grand final hero has since admitted himself into a rehabilitation facility.
Ezra Mam was drug tested and taken to hospital after a head-on crash in Bardon on Friday.Credit: Getty Images
No charges have been laid.
When asked if Maguire would terminate his No.6 – who inked a lucrative contract this year through to the end of 2029 – the incoming mentor said he would not be making any decisions until he had gathered all the information.
“I’m not even going to touch on that at the moment. I’ve got to look at where and how we got to that point and what’s going on – and understand him as well – but also the position where the organisation sits,” Maguire said.
“I’ll keep the conversations I’ve had with Ezra, I’ll have to find out what the situation entails. But I have spoken with him, and now it’s more about the safety of everyone involved in that situation.
“The seriousness of the incident is huge, people get hurt in these situations. I’ll definitely find out how one of our players, or individuals, gets to that point.”
Michael Maguire
“I’ve been in the game for a long time, and I’ve seen many players go through many different situations. I’m not downgrading the situation, it’s one we need to really have a look at how he ended up getting in that situation, but also, too, people will make mistakes.
“But they’ve also got to own them, that’s the big thing.”
Maguire will be tasked with addressing a series of cultural problems that have filtered into the Broncos since their grand final heartbreak last year.
Michael Maguire confirmed he had spoken with Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mam.Credit: Getty Images
A filmed fight between senior players Adam Reynolds and Pat Carrigan, the fallout of Mam being called “a monkey” by Roosters enforcer Spencer Leniu, and perceived attitude problems that caused a slide to a 12th-place finish this season all preceded Mam’s actions on Friday. This in addition to an incident in Bali in which he was accused of breaking a fellow traveller’s phone.
But Maguire was confident he could turn Brisbane’s fortunes around.
“I’m very big on one-on-ones with my players and getting an understanding of who they are and how they tick. I’ll start making my own mind up about what we need to do moving forward,” he said.
“It’s well documented that there are things that need to be adjusted and fixed in what we do moving forward.
“There are a lot of positives around the place, but we also have to deal with the things that are in front of us.”
Broncos chief executive Dave Donaghy, who admitted Mam had “lost his way” over the course of the season, conceded the club was at a crucial juncture in its history if it is to transform its image and regain the community’s trust and admiration.
“I think we’ve got some real culture challenges; we’ve had some culture challenges across the course of this year,” Donaghy said.
“We want our community to be proud of our club, so we have work to do to rebuild that.”
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