The Brisbane Broncos have confirmed they’ve accepted the NRL’s sanctions on Ezra Mam, following his alleged breach of the NRL Code of Conduct.
But that’s not all – the club has also imposed its own penalties on the five-eighth.
A Nine-Week Ban and More
It was reported last week that Mam is set to be hit with a nine-week ban after he was involved in a head-on crash in October, which injured a child and a woman. The incident led to Mam failing his roadside drug test and later pleading guilty to driving while under the influence of drugs and driving without a licence.
The Broncos’ Additional Penalties
While the NRL has yet to confirm the length of Mam’s suspension, the Broncos have fined him an additional $90,000. The club has also required Mam to undertake a safe driving training program, ongoing work and study placement, and an ongoing wellbeing support program.
A Deterrent to Anti-Social Behaviour
Broncos chief executive Dave Donaghy said in a statement that the club believes both the NRL and club-imposed penalties reflect the gravity of what’s transpired and should act as a deterrent to risky and anti-social behaviour.
Ezra’s Remorse and Road to Redemption
Donaghy added that Ezra has taken responsibility for his actions and shown genuine remorse towards those involved. “Ezra has taken steps to get his life back on track since this incident and that must continue. We have been very clear about that,” he said.
The NRL’s Sanctions and the Future Ahead
The NRL said in a statement earlier in the week that information regarding the proposed sanction would not be made public until Mam had the opportunity to respond to the alleged breach and the matter is finalised. It’s clear that the NRL and the Broncos are taking a strong stance against this type of behaviour, and it will be interesting to see how Mam responds to his penalties and works to redeem himself.