Calls for NRL to come down hard on Ezra Mam after Broncos star's lenient punishment in court

Journalists Phil Rothfield and Michael Carayannis have called on the NRL to take a hard-line stance on Ezra Mam, however Scott Sattler believes he'll only be facing a ban of between four and six weeks. The Brisbane Broncos player was hit with an $850 fine and disqualified from driving for six months on Monday in the Brisbane Magistrates Court.

The 21-year-old was charged with driving unlicensed and while under the influence of drugs after crashing his car into another vehicle in October. A four-year-old girl reportedly suffered a broken hip in the accident, although Mam escaped any charges relating to the crash itself.

The $850 fine has sparked uproar in the NRL community, with many left gobsmacked by the 'lenient' punishment. But the judge's hands were relatively tied considering the charges that were brought forward by police.

Magistrate Mark Nolan chastised Mam for his "stupid decision" to drive unlicensed with a "cocktail of drugs" including cocaine in his system. "At so many levels you are fortunate to stand where you are today given you were involved in a two-vehicle motor accident," he said.

"You could've been injured or killed or the other parties could've been injured or killed. There's no place for illicit drugs in our community and there's certainly no place for a person who is using illicit drugs to get behind the wheel of a car - you've got to learn from this."

Calls for NRL to dish out harsh punishment to Ezra Mam

Social media was flooded with angry comments on Monday afternoon that Mam had gotten off so lightly. It's sparked calls for the NRL to come down hard and send a clear message that Mam's actions won't be tolerated.

Rothfield wrote: "And you wonder why our national road toll is so bad. A high profile footballer on $700k a year gets fined a piss weak $850 for driving while disqualified with a cocktail of drugs in his system and causing an accident that seriously injures a young child. An absolute disgrace. Over to the NRL now. They’ve got to go hard."

Speaking on SEN radio on Tuesday morning, Carayannis was also gobsmacked. "This is a serious offence. The court's punishment was a joke. $850? It was weak," he said. "He's lucky someone wasn't killed. It was reckless and dangerous. I think he should've missed a whole season."

Previous reports have suggested the NRL are looking at banning Mam for around 12 weeks. But considering how light his punishment was in court on Monday, former NRL player Sattler isn't sure the league will be able to dish out such a heavy sanction because of the precedent that's already been set.

"It falls within the parallels of others," Sattler said on SEN radio. "Josh Addo-Carr got a three-month driving ban and $682 fine. NRL suspension was four games. Braydon Trindall got $1100 and three-month driving suspension, and he missed five games.

"So based on the precedent that's been set...you've got to anticipate the NRL suspension will be anywhere from four to six weeks. It can't be any more serious than that can it? The precedent has been set."

Ezra Mam very remorseful after crash

However co-host Michelle Bishop suggested the suspension might be more like eight weeks. And there's also a chain of thought that new Broncos coach Michael Maguire might take the matter into his own hands and force Mam to spend a large chunk of the season in reserve grade whenever his suspension comes to an end.

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Some have called for the NRL and Broncos to rub him out for the entire year. But the fact he pled guilty and the remorse he's shown means that's highly unlikely.

"Today is a very important step in owning my actions and starting to make things right," Mam said outside court. "To the people involved in the accident, I am truly sorry.

"This incident isn't a reflection of who I want to be, what is expected of me as a role model. To the NRL, the Brisbane Broncos, the fans and my family, I'm sorry. I promise to work on being a better person and representative of the club and the game that I love."

with AAP