The Brisbane Broncos insist the NRL sanctions imposed on Ezra Mam and the club’s own penalties for the five-eighth “adequately reflect the gravity” of his indiscretions. That’s despite many across the league world insisting the 21-year-old should have been suspended for the season or at least 12 weeks, rather than the nine he got for a drug-driving saga that injured three other people and left a four-year-old girl with a broken hip.
The Broncos released a statement on Friday evening to say they’ve accepted the NRL’s reported nine-game ban and $30,000 fine for the player. And the club also revealed they’ve hit the young playmaker with their own penalties which include a separate $90,000 fine (making it $120,000 in total), and the requirement for him to undergo a safe-driving program, work or study placement and commit to ongoing wellbeing support.
“Whilst 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 in a statement. “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.”
Mam was this month slugged with an $850 fine and disqualified from driving for six months, but had no conviction recorded in a sentencing that outraged the community and left Queensland’s Attorney-General calling for changes to the state’s laws. Mam caused a crash after driving unlicensed and with a cocktail of drugs in his system. But his $850 fine was significantly less than the penalty for driving a car while talking on a mobile phone and Queensland Premier Jarrod Bleijie described the sentence as “a slap on the wrist.”
Following his court case and what was widely described as an extremely lenient sentence, many fans were calling for the NRL to ban him for the season, such was the serious nature of the offence and the fact he put himself and members of the community in danger through reckless actions. Others suggested 12 weeks was the minimum suspension that Mam should have received if the NRL was serious about sending a strong message.
NRL world hits out as Ezra Mam sanctions confirmed
And after confirmation of Mam’s $120,000 fine and nine-game suspension, veteran NRL reporter Phil Rothfield was among those to criticise the leniency of the penalty. Rothfield also took aim at the Broncos for releasing their response to the Mam sanctions late on Friday evening and just after Christmas when the media scrutiny would be nowhere near as high.
The nine-week suspension means Mam will be eligible to return for the Broncos’ Round 10 game against South Sydney, after the NRL indicated he wouldn’t be allowed to use the All Stars game to count towards the ban. Even still, nine weeks is just one more week than Spencer Leniu got for racially vilifying Mam during the opening round in Las Vegas this year. Even former Roosters halfback Mitchell Pearce was banned for eight weeks and copped a $125,000 fine for simulating a sex act on a dog in 2016.
Ezra Mam’s absence poses several questions for Broncos
Mam’s absence for the first couple of months of next season means Broncos recruit Ben Hunt is expected to slot into the halves alongside Brisbane captain Adam Reynolds. Broncos coach Michael Maguire will have a big decision to make when Mam does return, with Hunt most likely to shift to hooker, where he has excelled for the Maroons in the State of Origin.
Maguire was brought in to replace Kevin Walters after the Broncos endured an underwhelming season in 2024, where they finished 12th and missed out on the finals. That came just after 12 months after Brisbane went within a whisker of beating Penrith in the 2023 grand final. Maguire has come in with a remit to change the culture at the club and will be banking on the experience and leadership of Hunt to help drive standards.
The Broncos found themselves at the centre of a number of controversies this year, with Reynolds and rep forward Pat Carrigan involved in a scuffle after pre-season fan day. Mam and Reece Walsh were also investigated by the NRL’s integrity unit over a post-season interaction with a fan in Bali, weeks before Mam’s driving offence that provided another reminder of the enormous task facing Maguire in 2025.
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