- Broncos five-eighth, 21, has been ordered to appear in court
- Star crashed his car into an Uber in Brisbane on October 18
Brisbane Broncos coach Michael Maguire has guaranteed the club will not sack troubled star Ezra Mam after he was charged with drink driving and entered rehab.
The five-eighth signed a five-year contract worth $4 million in February and there is speculation the deal could be torn up after Queensland police claimed he tested positive for an illegal substance in two samples taken after his head-on crash with an Uber last month.
On Friday, Maguire was asked if the 21-year-old had played his last game for the club and he said: ‘No, he hasn’t.
“We have to make sure we are slow with our decisions because we have to see everything for what it is.
“It’s a major incident that is not taken lightly, but Ezra is working on himself and making sure he goes through his process.
“We’re going to have to make contact with everyone who was involved in that accident.”
Broncos coach Michael Maguire is confident Ezra Mam will remain at the club despite facing serious charges.
Mom (pictured) has expressed remorse and entered rehab after his car collided with an Uber on October 18 – with police claiming he had an illegal drug in his system at the time
Maguire also told the radio 4 BC that everyone in the Broncos organization “must all take responsibility for what’s going on.”
Police have charged Mam with drug driving at Wednesady after he allegedly tested positive for an illegal drug after crashing his car into another vehicle on October 18, putting him at risk of a major ban from the NRL .
The 21-year-old is due to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on December 16 after charges were laid on Wednesday.
Mom has also been hit with a traffic violation for failing to maintain control of the vehicle during the Brisbane collision, which saw his Ford Ranger collide head-on with an Uber.
The star five-eighth was given a roadside drug test after the incident and is said to have returned a positive result.
He underwent further examination in hospital to confirm the initial result. The second samples are said to have returned positive on Tuesday.
Mom has been charged with one count of driving while the relevant drug is present in the blood, and one count of operating a motor vehicle without a license.
He was reportedly moving when the accident occurred in the northern Brisbane suburb of Bardon.
Mom’s Ford Ranger (pictured) collided with an Uber, with the car’s passenger claiming she and her four-year-old daughter had to be hospitalized as a result
The five-eighth was also involved in an off-field controversy this year with his teammate Reece Walsh (pictured together) in Bali during an end-of-season holiday.
Mom broke his silence on the allegations on Thursday.
“I understand the seriousness of the situation,” he said News Corp.
“I understand how important it is that I stand up and take responsibility for my actions.
‘I will cooperate in the upcoming legal proceedings.
“I also understand my responsibilities as a role model in the community and I am prepared to work hard to meet those expectations in the future.”
The passengers in the Uber that collided with Mom’s Ford Ranger in the crash were a mother and daughter.
The mother claims she and her four-year-old daughter were hospitalized after the crash, with the girl suffering a broken hip in the collision.
Mom is being investigated by the NRL Integrity Unit following the incident.
Mom’s teammate and close friend Reece Walsh pleaded with the club not to sack the playmaker earlier this month.
“I feel for Ezra, he’s a great person to begin with,” Walsh said.
‘He is going through a difficult time at the moment and everyone at this club sympathizes with him.
“They know this guy Ezra and how caring he is. We stand behind him and it is important that we are there for him and support him.
“He will take the actions necessary to come back the right way.”
It is the second time this year that Mam has been involved in an off-field incident with young star and fullback Reece Walsh, investigated by the NRL after an altercation with fans in Bali while on holiday.