When Michael Maguire strides into Red Hill for his first official day as Broncos coach on Wednesday, to deal with the literal car crash that is the Ezra Mam debacle, the conundrum of who will start next season in the No.6 jersey will be front of mind.
It will not be Mam. A year after a hat-trick of tries in the grand final took him to within a hair of the Clive Churchill medal and Brisbane to the brink of a premiership – before 18 minutes of Nathan Cleary magic changed the course of history – Mam is at a crossroads.
There have been suggestions that Mam’s $4 million contract could be torn up after he was involved in a head-on collision, allegedly under the influence of drugs, while driving unlicensed last week.
That won’t happen. There are rules for middling NRL players and rules for star playmakers. Mam falls into the latter category, so will be given a second chance. While it’s unclear what the 21-year-old’s punishment will be – Brisbane will bargain with the NRL over an appropriate sanction after the police are done with the incident – he will certainly miss the start of the season.
Should his suspension be a lengthy one, the Broncos will need to find a suitable replacement to ensure Maguire’s first year in charge isn’t written off. And that could open the door for a favourite son to return for a shot of redemption.
Ben Hunt has likely played his last game for St George Illawarra. While neither party will say so publicly, for fear of losing the whip hand in severance negotiations, the situation has become untenable.
Ben Hunt’s future at the Dragons appears untenable.Credit: Getty Images
Hunt first asked for a release from his Dragons contract 12 months ago and, given the relationship has frayed even further since then, it’s likely he will belatedly get his wish. Hunt’s suggestion that restless Eel Clint Gutherson could take the spot of Kyle Flanagan hasn’t gone down well with Flanagan’s father and coach Shane.
It led to the Dragons granting Hunt a two-week head-start on exploring his options for 2026, an unwanted distraction for the player as he attempts to break into the Kangaroos team.
Brisbane and Canterbury are watching the drama unfold with particular interest. Hunt solves both their current headaches, albeit while creating new ones.
Let’s start with the Broncos. With Mam poised for an extended stint on the sidelines, a Hunt homecoming would immediately give Maguire a spine capable of contending for a premiership. When the NRL clears Mam to return, Hunt can shift into hooker, a role he has played capably during his representative career.
It’s also a win for Hunt; the family gets to move back to Queensland and the veteran finishes his career where it started. It’s also a chance for Hunt to lay the demons from the 2015 grand final, when his dropped kick-off allowed rivals North Queensland to win their first premiership, to rest.
To make the move happen, Maguire will need to move on at least one top-flight star – possibly one of his game-breaking centres. It would be a huge gamble, one that will give ammunition to the disgruntled Broncos old boys should it backfire.
Then there is Canterbury. The club couldn’t be happier with how Toby Sexton progressed over a season that culminated in a finals appearance few saw coming.
However, when the stakes were at their highest – in a sudden-death play-off against Manly the Bulldogs dominated everywhere but on the scoreboard – the incumbent halfback wasn’t able to steer his team to victory. There is every chance that, had the side contained Hunt, his experience would have steered it home.
Hunt would also give the Bulldogs the classy bridging player they need in 2025. There are high hopes that young guns Mitchell Woods or Cassius Tia will become the long-term No.7 the side can be built around over the next decade. However, the teens may still be about 12 months away from being physically and mentally ready for the rigours of first-grade football.
Phil Gould has made no secret of his admiration for Hunt, having been spotted with him in a series of secret meetings (the ones that make their way into the public domain, at least) in recent times. The catch is that Hunt will likely want a two-year deal to shift to Belmore, which could result in him holding up Woods or Tia at a time when he’s still running the team as a 36-year-old.
These are the difficult decisions facing his suitors. In the case of Maguire, the biggest call of his Broncos tenure could be the first one.
