Brisbane star Ezra Mam could be the first player penalised under a new NRL sanctioning system that will be independent of the governing body.
Mam’s future – which remains in limbo after he was involved in a head-on collision allegedly while driving unlicensed last week – was the big talking point when Michael Maguire reported to Broncos headquarters on Wednesday for his first official day as coach.
Mam has not been charged by the police.
On Monday, Mam’s management released a statement saying: “He is concerned, first and foremost, for the other parties involved and understands the enormity of the current situation”.
Maguire and Brisbane chief executive Dave Donaghy dodged questions about whether Mam’s $4 million contract would be reviewed, stating it would not be appropriate to speculate.
The usual NRL protocol is for its integrity unit to propose a sanction once relevant details have been tested in court. However, Rugby League Central plans to overhaul its sanctioning system by outsourcing decisions to an independent legal representative.
The NRL is in the process of trying to finalise the new system before next season. The legal eagle will investigate allegations, make findings and then propose any punishment based on the in-house sanctioning matrix currently used by the integrity unit. Head office would be at arm’s length from player punishments.
Ezra Mam was drug tested and taken to hospital after a head-on crash in Bardon on Friday.Credit: Getty Images
Given the Mam incident is unresolved, it could be the first off-field NRL issue handled under the new system.
“I’m not even gonna touch on that at the moment,” Maguire said when asked if Mam’s contract would be reviewed.
“I’ve got to go through everything; I’ve got to look at where and how he got to that point and assess what’s going on and understand him, and also understand the position of where the organisation sits as well.”
Maguire felt there was hope for Mam to restore his reputation.
“I’ve been in the game for a long time, and I’ve seen many players go through many different situations,” he said.
“It’s one that we need to really have a look at, how he ended up getting to that situation.
“I think his actions moving forward are very important.”
Maguire added that the welfare of the victims in the car crash needed to be considered and would not rule out Mam making his way back into football via the Queensland Cup.
Donaghy said Mam has had a rollercoaster 12 months, in which the 21-year-old was pipped for the Clive Churchill Medal by Nathan Cleary in Brisbane’s heartbreaking 2023 grand final loss, was racially abused by Spencer Leniu in Las Vegas and recently was involved in an incident with a fan while in Bali.
“He’s obviously found himself in a really challenging, troubling position right now,” Donaghy said.
“For us, it’s just about working through the process once the facts are known to ensure that we’re not making a rushed call.”
Maguire said his immediate focus would be setting higher standards at the Broncos.
“I think every club has different situations with what’s going on inside,” he said.
“It’s about the people, the character of the club, the character of the people that plays a part in what brings success to an organisation.”
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