Brisbane Broncos star five-eighth Ezra Mam has avoided a conviction in court over his role in a traffic incident during October.
Mam, who pled guilty to driving without a licence and driving while relevant drug present in blood after being charged in November by Queensland police, faced court on Monday morning.
Police had alleged Mam drove onto the wrong side of the road in the crash, before colliding with another vehicle which injured a four-year-old girl who was an occupant in the vehicle.
Mam failed a roadside drug test, and police allege a second sample also returned a positive reading for a prohibited substance. It also emerged that Mam did not have a valid driving licence at the time of the incident in the aftermath.
News Corp are reporting that Mam has avoided a conviction in court, however, has been fined $850 for both offences, and his licence has been suspended for a further six months.
Mam, who received rehabilitation after the incident, has not yet been sanctioned by the NRL or the Brisbane Broncos, who stood him down from training after the incident. It was revealed later that the five-eighth was working a trade while waiting for his day in court.
The five-eighth is one of the highest-paid players at the Broncos, but incoming coach Michael Maguire has publically supported Mam and suggested the Red Hill-based club have no intentions of ripping his contract up over the incident.
The Broncos have worked with the NRL's integrity unit throughout the process, and now that the matter is finalised legally, the NRL will take its next steps to resolve the issues.
Mam is likely to be sanctioned by the NRL, although it's unclear what penalty he will be served with.
Parramatta Eels winger Josh Addo-Carr was suspended for four games over an incident which saw him fail a roadside drug test recently, and Braydon Trindall also missed five games through the middle of the 2024 season for the same offence. Mitch Kenny, Latrell Mitchell and Valentine Holmes have all also received suspensions within the last 12 months for appearing in photos posted to social media which the NRL claims brought it into disrepute.
If Mam does miss the start of the 2025 NRL season, new recruit Ben Hunt is likely to slot into the number six jersey for the Broncos, who will be out to surge up the ladder after a disappointing 2024 campaign.
