Brisbane Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy has not ruled out the sacking of star playmaker Ezra Mam after the troubled star reportedly failed a roadside drug test after being involved in a head-on car crash on Friday.
Mum was involved in the alleged incident in the northern Brisbane suburb of Bardon just hours before the Australian Kangaroos took on Tonga in the Pacific Championships.
The 21-year-old was reportedly moving when the Ford Ranger he was driving reportedly collided with an Uber car driven by a mother whose daughter was a passenger.
No one was seriously injured in the incident.
Queensland Police conducted roadside drug and alcohol testing, with Mam reportedly failing the drug test but returning a negative result for alcohol.
Police and the NRL Integrity Unit are now investigating the incident and are awaiting the results of a secondary drug test, which could take weeks to return.
Donaghy said the club was working with police and the NRL and will not make a decision on Mam’s $4 million contract until the facts are clear.
Ezra Mam was reportedly behind the wheel of a car that crashed into an Uber in the Brisbane suburb of Bardon on Friday (Mam is pictured on the ground moments after the collision)
A mother and daughter (pictured) were treated by paramedics at the scene of the accident involving mum, but no one was seriously injured
“It would be remiss of me to jump too far ahead here.” he said on the radio station 4BC Brisbane.
‘We have not had an in-depth discussion internally. I think, first of all, we don’t have all the full facts. For us, we want to make sure we have all the information so we can make the right decision for us.
‘But from a club perspective we are certainly very disappointed to be in a position like this.
‘We are a community-based club that puts the community at the heart of what we do.
“It’s really disappointing that we’re having these kinds of discussions in the offseason instead of talking about building or preparing for next season. That point has certainly been made.”
Queensland Police and the NRL Integrity Unit are investigating the alleged incident involving the star Broncos playmaker (Mum can be seen playing this year)
It is the second off-field incident involving the Broncos playmaker this year, after he was involved in an altercation with a fan while on holiday in Bali with teammate Reece Walsh.
The Broncos duo were reportedly asked for a selfie at a nightclub in Bali and the fan’s phone broke during the interaction. Mom and Walsh replaced the broken phone with a new one.
Regardless of the outcome of the investigation, Donaghy said the twin scandals should be a wake-up call for the young players in the Broncos squad.
‘Ezra is a young man, he is 21 years old. They do [make mistakes] but unfortunately in this industry you have to grow up quickly,” he said.
‘It’s the price of admission, it’s a very privileged role. So it will be a process that we have to follow and we will do that. I – like all of us at the club – am big on personal responsibility and accountability.
“I’ve seen comments before about a line in the sand moment, I think it’s a coming of age moment for this group.”
Mom faces a fine, possible suspension or termination of his $4 million contract depending on the outcome of the investigation
The Broncos have been vilified for giving players too much leeway in recent years.
Despite reaching the NRL grand final in 2023, where Mam scored three tries in a losing cause, Brisbane crashed out of the finals this season and coach Kevin Walters was sacked.
Donaghy admitted there were cultural issues that needed to be addressed by new coach Michael McGuire and said the coach would also appoint a general football manager to help him set the new standards.
“We have some cultural challenges, I’m not going to shy away from that,” he said.
“Back to leadership, it is an area that we have highlighted and identified that we really need to invest in because that will help support and encourage leadership.
‘Michael is very clear about the standards he expects from the group.
“We have made a very conscious investment in our leadership and culture within the football program.
“We have been disappointed throughout the year with where we are today, but we are confident that we want our program to be performance-driven and not lifestyle-driven.
“And we know this will take a lot of hard work. The reality is that we may not be able to solve this problem overnight.”