A rival Queensland club has officially entered the race to sign Grand Final star Ezra Mam from the Brisbane Broncos.
The Dally M five-eighth of the year is coming off his best season in the NRL and has proven himself as a marquee player and top star of the competition.
Off-contract at the end of the 2024 season and free to negotiate with rival clubs, it is understood that Ezra Mam is in advanced negotiations with the Brisbane Broncos that will see him earn a massive contract extension.
However, The Courier Mail has revealed that the Broncos' rivals, The Dolphins, have officially entered the race for the star playmaker.
This comes after the club made a huge play for Melbourne Storm five-eighth Cameron Munster - offering him around $1.5 million a season - but was unsuccessful. The club also poached Thomas Flegler and Herbie Farnworth from Red Hill.
“He was the best player on the ground in the grand final,” Bennett said via The Courier Mail.
“If he comes onto the market, we would certainly be interested.
“We have four halves who can play there, but Ezra is a quality player. There is a lot of upside in him.
“For a guy like Ezra, there's probably eight other clubs too who are keen, so it does become challenging to get a guy like that. But if he is available, we'll be in the mix.
“We've signed three or four guys from the Broncos. I'm not looking at what club a guy is at, I'm just looking at whether a player has the qualities we need and Ezra can certainly add something to us.”
After a strong start to their maiden NRL season, The Dolphins faded by the end of the season due to injuries, suspensions, inconsistencies and their younger players being tested with more game time than they have ever experienced.
The Dolphins will enter 2024 with Sean O'Sullivan and Isaiya Katoa as their primary halves but also have Anthony Milford and Kodi Nikorima on their roster.
With 12 players off-contract at the end of the 2024 season, it is understood that the club will be freeing up approximately $3 million in salary cap space.
“We are always interested in quality players like Ezra that will add something to the Dolphins and have been deliberate in our recruitment strategy since day one,” Dolphins CEO Terry Reader added.
“We have signed three outstanding players in Tom Flegler, Herbie Farnworth and Jake Averillo for 2024 and beyond and we are very optimistic about the younger players in our squad, but also constantly looking to further improve our squad for the future.
“Our salary cap is in really good shape thanks to the patience we have shown in the recruitment market, and we are determined to make the Dolphins an even stronger team in years to come.”