NRL and Brisbane Broncos make huge call on terminating Ezra Mam's $4 million contract

The NRL and Brisbane Broncos are reportedly not considering tearing up Ezra Mam's contract, but the five-eighth could be facing a ban of at least 12 months. The Broncos star allegedly failed a roadside drug test earlier this month after a ute he was driving collided with a vehicle driven by an Uber driver.

The driver, a female passenger and her daughter were all injured in the crash, with the four-year-old girl suffering a broken hip. Mam was also allegedly unlicensed when he was involved in the head-on collision in Brisbane, and the NRL integrity unit has launched an investigation.

The league and Broncos officials are awaiting the results of a secondary drug test conducted by police, and the 21-year-old has checked into a rehabilitation clinic to seek professional help. There have been calls for the NRL to de-register him and terminate his five-year, $4 million contract, but according to the Courier Mail that won't be happening.

The publication is reporting that Mam won't be sacked by the NRL or Broncos, but could be facing a year-long suspension. "NRL bosses are unlikely to tear up Mam’s contract, with Broncos powerbrokers also set to push for the playmaker to be given a second chance," the report states. "NRL boss Andrew Abdo and ARLC boss Peter V’landys [are] prepared to give the Broncos pivot a chance for reform."

Michael Maguire speaks out on Ezra Mam incident

Mam hasn't been charged by police at this stage, and new Broncos coach Michael Maguire addressed the situation last week. "I have got to find out more about what the situation entails. I have spoken to him and it is more about the safety of everyone involved in the situation," Maguire said.

"I have been in the game a long time and I have seen many players go through many situations. You learn a lot of lessons in your life as young men. I am not downgrading this situation but it is one where we really need to have a look at … how he ended up getting in that situation.

"People will make mistakes but they have also got to own them. That's the big thing, if he owns where he is at. His actions moving forward are very important. I know he is getting some help at the moment about where he is at. When he works through that I will get some time with him."

Brisbane Broncos CEO offers scathing assessment of players

Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy said the incident was proof the players need to grow up. "Certainly from a club's perspective, we're very disappointed to find ourselves in a position like this," he said.

"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."

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Maguire is a renowned disciplinarian, but Donaghy said the responsibility for driving change would go beyond him. "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 said.

"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. We know that is going to take a lot of hard work. We might not fix it overnight, but we will certainly be very deliberate about designing it."

with AAP