Brisbane boss Dave Donaghy has ordered his players to grow up, while refusing to guarantee star five-eighth Ezra Mam a future at the Broncos in the wake of his traffic collision.
Donaghy on Monday delivered a scathing assessment of his players, indicating he believed there were leadership and culture issues at the NRL club after a year from hell.
In the latest drama to hit the club, Mam is currently awaiting the result of a secondary sample test after he allegedly failed a roadside drug test following a head-on car crash.
Police say they will allege the 21-year-old was driving without a license.
Donaghy said Mam was relieved the occupants of the other car were not seriously injured, and was also apologetic to the Broncos with his future now in the hands of the club, NRL and police.
Asked directly on Monday whether Mam had played his last game for the club, Donaghy said it was too soon to tell.
“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.”
Pointedly, though, Donaghy conceded that the issues at Brisbane extend beyond Mam.
The Broncos endured several off-field incidents during the COVID period, with Donaghy declaring last January that players had been shown a “line in the sand”.
Brisbane then reached last year’s grand final with a relatively drama-free year, before issues re-emerged this season as they plummeted to 12th on the ladder and coach Kevin Walters was moved on.
Co-captains Pat Carrigan and Adam Reynolds’ pre-season scuffle outside a bar foreshadowed issues this year.
Mam and Reece Walsh were investigated by the NRL’s integrity unit after a post-season interaction with a fan in Bali, before the five-eighth’s latest drama.
Renowned disciplinarian Michael Maguire will arrive as the club’s new coach on Wednesday, but Donaghy said the responsibility for the 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.”
AAP
