In a warning to all players, to tow the line off the field, the NRL and Brisbane have handed Ezra Mam a massive penalty.
In fact, he’ll need to pay $120,000 in fines, after the under-fire five-eighth accepted his nine-game ban for driving offences.
The Broncos confirmed late on Friday evening that Mam would accede to his NRL sanctions, which AAP understands to be a hefty ban and a $30,000 fine.
Brisbane then slapped the 22-year-old with an additional $90,000 punishment, for being caught drug driving while unlicensed after crashing his ute into an oncoming car in October.
AAP believes the club fine could be spread out over more than one year.
Mam is contracted to Brisbane until the end of the 2029 season.
In a statement, the Broncos also said he would have to complete a safe-driving program, work or study placement and commit to ongoing wellbeing support.
Mam was also fined $850 and had his license suspended for nine months in court last week, with a magistrate telling him he had a “cocktail of cocaine and other matters” in his system, and he “could’ve injured or killed” someone.
That punishment was widely criticised as too lenient.
“While we are extremely disappointed that we have been placed in this position, we believe both the NRL and club-imposed penalties adequately reflect the gravity of what’s transpired and should act as a deterrent from this type of risky and anti-social behaviour,” Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy said.
“Ezra clearly did the wrong thing, but he has taken responsibility for his actions and shown genuine remorse towards those involved.
“He understands the impact this has had on everyone around him… and the game.
“Ezra has taken steps to get his life back on track since this incident and that must continue. We have been very clear about that.
“We believe the additional measures in place are important and will go hand in hand with integrating Ezra back into the work underway at the Broncos.”
AAP has also been told Mam will not be able to include the Indigenous All-Stars fixture to his ban, meaning he will not be able to return until Brisbane plays South Sydney in round 10 of 2025.
His suspension will likely mean Ben Hunt will partner Adam Reynolds for the first two months of the season at Brisbane, after his move from St George Illawarra.
It is then possible Hunt could shift to hooker if Mam and Reynolds are fit, allowing him to share dummy-half duties with Billy Walters under new coach Michael Maguire.
Hunt will also need to bring significant leadership to Brisbane, with Broncos bosses admitting it is lacking.
Mam was one of their best players in 2023 as they went within a few minutes of ending a 17-year premiership drought, scoring a hat-trick in the grand-final loss to Penrith.
However, off-field issues returned to Red Hill in 2024, with co-captains Pat Carrigan and Reynolds involved in a scuffle outside of a bar following a pre-season fan day.
Mam and Reece Walsh were then investigated by the NRL’s integrity unit over a post-season interaction with a fan, weeks before Mam’s driving offence.
The club’s plummet from the grand final to 12th on ladder cost club favourite Kevin Walters his job as coach, while Donaghy told players they had to grow up.
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