Corey Parker's warning to Brisbane over Ezra Mam drama as Broncos player checks into rehab
Mam has checked himself in for professional help after the off-field incident.
Broncos great Corey Parker has urged the NRL club to stick by Ezra Mam and warned that sacking him would not be the right move after the under-fire star reportedly checked himself into rehab. Mam's $4 million contract has been placed at risk after he was involved in a car crash with an Uber driver in Brisbane on Friday evening, with Queensland Police alleging that Mam was driving an unlicensed car and failed an initial roadside test for drugs.
Mam was not seriously injured in the crash but a young girl travelling in the Uber reportedly suffered a broken hip. Mam was detained by police and then taken to hospital for tests, with police alleging that he returned a positive result for drugs and was then ordered to undertake a second drug test using blood samples - the results of which might not be known for a number of weeks. Mam is yet to be charged by police.
But according to Mam's management, the Brisbane No.6 "voluntarily entered rehab" on Monday morning as reported by The Courier Mail, and is "extremely remorseful" for his actions. Mam accepts that he faces some personal challenges and has taken a proactive step to address those issues by checking himself in to get professional help.
Corey Parker urges Broncos to stick by Ezra Mam
There are growing suggestions that if Mam is found guilty of the allegations against him then the Broncos board may have no choice but to tear up his contract. But Broncos great Parker believes that would be the soft option for the club to take and implored Brisbane to help the 21-year-old grow as a person by throwing their support behind him.
“Drawing a line in the sand and sacking him, doesn’t check the individual anything," Parker told The Courier Mail. “If a player is under my roof at the Broncos, I want to be doing everything I can to make sure he’s not just a good player but a better person. If every club just threw out a young player because they stuffed up, are we doing fulfilling our duty as a game when it comes to making young men better people. It’s a chance for the Broncos to offer that.”
Brisbane CEO Dave Donaghy said on Monday that Mam had the support of the club after he addressing the drama around his player on Brisbane radio. The Broncos boss said it was too early to say whether Mam had played his last game for the club but delivered a scathing assessment on his players after accepting there were leadership and culture issues across the club.
"We haven't had a discussion internally in depth," Donaghy told 4BC radio. "We don't have all the facts. We want to ensure that we've got all the information so we can make the right decision for us. But certainly from a club's perspective, we're very disappointed to find ourselves in a position like this.
"Ezra is a young man, he's a 21 year old. Unfortunately, in this industry, you need to grow up quickly. That's the price of entry. It's a very privileged role... I am big on personal responsibility and accountability. I am sure there will be that opportunity once the full facts are known."
Broncos CEO admits the club has 'some cultural challenges'
Donaghy conceded that the issues at Brisbane extend beyond Mam after the club endured a number of off-field incidents during the COVID period. Brisbane reached last year's grand final in a relatively drama-free year, before issues re-emerged this season as they plummeted to 12th on the ladder and coach Kevin Walters was ultimately sacked.
A pre-season scuffle between co-captains Pat Carrigan and Adam Reynolds foreshadowed potential problems this year and the attitude of Brisbane's players and standards at training were called into question on numerous occasions. Mam and Reece Walsh were also investigated by the NRL's integrity unit after a post-season interaction with a fan in Bali, before the five-eighth's latest drama. That investigation is also yet to be resolved.
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The Broncos will be hoping new coach and renowned disciplinarian Michael Maguire can help drive improved standards at the club after Donaghy accepted the Mam incident should serve as a major wake-up call for the entire playing group. "I've seen commentary previously about this being a line-in-the sand moment. I think for this group it's a grow-up moment," Donaghy added. "We've been very deliberate about investing in our leadership capability and our culture in the football program.
"We have been disappointed across the course of the year with where we are. I'm not going to shy away from the fact I do believe we've got some cultural challenges. Part of it is back to leadership. It's an area I've highlighted we need to invest in."
with AAP
