Reece Walsh believes new Broncos coach Michael Maguire can bring more consistency not only to the club but players such as him and Ezra Mam. The flashy fullback says Maguire had already given him some key advice that if he can put it into action will put an end to the “rocks or diamonds” displays he has been well-known for in his short NRL career to date.
And Maguire has already filled the Broncos No.1 with confidence that the 50-year-old can lead him and the club to great things. “It is about me growing as a person and a player,” Walsh said on Monday. “I want to be that player that everyone wants to play with. Madge is driving that. I have got so much growth in me and that is what is exciting. I feel like the position I play … it’s time for myself to start taking on more of a leader role. I’ve got so much more to learn and it’s good having Madge and all the senior boys there I can lean on for advice.”
However, one key member of the Broncos’ playing group will almost certainly be missing when the 2025 NRL season rolls around, with Mam expected to be handed a lengthy ban by the NRL. The five-eighth is set to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on December 16 charged with driving while a relevant drug was present in his blood and driving without a licence.
And after the police matter is settled, the NRL is likely to act by fining and suspending the five-eighth. But Walsh believes whenever Mam does return he will come back a better man and player and the fullback can’t wait to rekindle their dangerous partnership back on the pitch.
“He’s obviously got things he’s dealing with and has to get through,” Walsh said. “He’s an awesome person and we love having him around the club. It’s going to be a little bit weird without him for a little bit, but I know when he gets back in here he’s going to have the mindset to work really hard and get himself back up.”
Broncos handed massive Ezra Mam boost
While Mam will almost certainly miss the start of the Broncos’ 2025 NRL campaign, Brisbane have received a major boost with Queensland Police reportedly deciding the Broncos five-eighth will not face any more charges. Mam had a head-on crash with an Uber driver in the Brisbane suburb of Bardon last month that reportedly left the male driver with serious bruising and a four-year-old female passenger with a fractured hip.
Police allege Mam failed two separate tests for drugs and the 21-year-old was issued with a traffic fine for allegedly failing to maintain control of his car. But the Courier Mail is reporting he won’t face any further charges other than drug-driving and being unlicensed after authorities concluded their investigation. “No further charges (are) expected, the investigation is now before the court,” a Queensland Police spokesperson told the publication.
Top lawyer provides new details amid Ezra Mam saga
Top lawyer Lee Hagipantelis told SEN radio on Tuesday the Broncos five-eighth may have gotten off lightly in regards to criminal charges, but pointed out he could still be in some serious civil trouble. “In NSW if you are driving with drugs present in your system and without a license and are responsible for an accident the least you’d expect is a negligent driving charge,” Hagipantelis said. “So from Ezra’s perspective, he’s been charged with the lower end of the scale of the charges available for reasons best known to Queensland Police.
“The other concern he will have is from a civil perspective. He’s been involved in a motor vehicle accident and if he is held responsible for that accident there was property damage and also personal injury. Now if proven he was unlicensed and driving under the influence of a drug that would negate the insurance on the vehicle. So he may be personally liable for the cost to the damage of the vehicle and the personal injury claims.”
If that is the case Mam could be set to fork out some serious cash. It’s understood his stint in rehab will cost around $100,000, while his fine from both the NRL integrity unit and the Broncos could exceed $50,000. And with the potential cost of damage to the other vehicle and relevant medical costs because he was allegedly driving without a license, Mam could be out of pocket close to half a million dollars.
Michael Maguire says Broncos must learn from Ezra Mam incident
It had been widely tipped that Mam was set to be handed a ban of between two and three months. However, the fact he is now not facing more serious charges means he could cop just six to eight weeks on the sidelines. Before the 21-year-old was formally charged by police, there were talks his new five-year, $4 million deal could be torn up, but Maguire has categorically ruled that out.
Maguire said Mam will remain a Bronco and the club will support him fully. But the veteran coach noted the saga should serve as a massive wake-up call for the whole club. “Culture makes great organisations so we have to all take ownership for what’s going on,” Maguire said last week.
“Moving forward we will be steady and slow about our decision (on Mam) but we need to make sure as an organisation we take the incident and make sure we grow from that. That’s the last thing we want to be around, something like that.
“We have to go through the process, the charges have come out and Ezra is working on himself. It then goes to the NRL and they and the Broncos will deal with the situation. It will be what it will be, but we have to change where we have been as a club and use this moment in time to improve and build the culture on what we want it to be.”
