Brisbane star Ezra Mam has been issued with a breach notice by the NRL for bringing the game and the Broncos into disrepute, and the playmaker is now closer to being banned from the game for a lengthy period.
Mam was fined $850 for drug-driving and driving without a licence when he appeared on December 16 in Brisbane Magistrates Court. He was disqualified from driving for nine months and also issued with an infringement notice for failing to have proper control of a vehicle.
The NRL has proposed a ban but due to the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the RLPA the details of the sanction cannot be disclosed until Mam has responded to the notice, which will allege he has breached the NRL’s code of conduct.
The court ruling related to an incident on October 18 when he drove his Ford Ranger into the oncoming traffic lane and collided with a car operated by Uber driver Marcel Van Den Camp.
The driver, female passenger and her infant daughter were all injured.
In court, Magistrate Mark Nolan gave the 21-year-old a verbal dressing down, chastising the Broncos star for his “stupid decision” to drive unlicensed with a “cocktail of cocaine” and other drugs 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 … killed or the other parties could’ve been … 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.”
The punishment handed down to Mam prompted a public outcry.
Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said the punishment was “disgraceful”, adding the court-imposed punishment was “a slap on the wrist”.
Queensland’s Attorney-General Deb Frecklington agreed and said the government would consider legislative change.
“I can understand that for many Queenslanders, this outcome doesn’t pass the pub test,” she said.
“Most Queenslanders would expect that the penalty for a driver who’s found to have drugs in their system would be more severe than the penalty for using a mobile phone behind the wheel.
“I will be consulting with my colleagues, in particular the transport minister, and considering what changes can be made to our laws.”
Mam issued a public apology.
“This incident isn’t a reflection of who I want to be [or] what is expected of me as a role model,” he said.
“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.”
The Broncos have a contingency to cover the absence of Mam. They recruited Ben Hunt on a two-year deal after the former St George Illawarra captain secured a release.
Mam has played 57 NRL matches for the Broncos after debuting in 2022. He scored three tries in the 2023 grand final loss to Penrith but was unable to recapture that form last season as the Broncos faded to finish 12th.
AAP
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