Maguire refuses to guarantee Mam recall despite injury
Jasper Bruce |
Brisbane coach Michael Maguire has refused to guarantee Ezra Mam’s NRL exile will end next week even after an injury to back-up five-eighth Ben Hunt.
Hunt limped up the tunnel in the second half of Brisbane’s 22-14 loss to South Sydney on Friday after suffering a hamstring injury that looks likely to have ended his 10-week stint in the starting side.
The veteran recruit had been deputising for Mam during the five-eighth’s nine-game ban for drug driving, a ban that officially ended this week.
Mam will make his return to the field with Queensland Cup side Souths Logan against Western Clydesdales this Sunday.
Maguire previously declined to put a timeline on Mam’s return and did not change his posture at full-time on Friday despite Hunt’s injury.
“I’ll go through this game before we get to that,” said a terse Maguire.
Hunt will go for scans on the weekend but was walking without assistance at full-time.
Maguire was unsure of the injury’s severity immediately after the game.
“I didn’t actually chat to the docs after the game, but I’ll assess that when I go back,” he said.
No other fit half in the Broncos’ top-30 squad compares to Mam, the Broncos’ best player in their 2023 grand final loss and a likely Queensland representative of the future.
Jock Madden, who filled in for the injured Adam Reynolds last season, would be the leading contender if Maguire was set on not picking Mam.
Uncapped teen Coby Black, rated a future star, and journeyman Perth product Josh Rogers are the remaining playmakers available for next Sunday’s home clash with St George Illawarra.
Brisbane captain and halfback Reynolds pointed out Mam still had a game to play before any decision could be made.
“Like ‘Madge’ said, we’ll review this game,” Reynolds said.
“(Mam) has been training well but he’s still got a game to get through.”
Maguire was visibly frustrated at full-time on Friday night after the Broncos gave up a 14-point half-time lead and conceded 22 unanswered points in the final stanza.
The loss is the Broncos’ second in a row following a dismaying 32-8 loss to Penrith at Magic Round.
“We need to have a look at ourselves in the mirror and say, ‘Well what do you need to do, what do I need to do to make sure that we get it done?’,” Maguire said.
“We show signs of what we can do but that’s irrelevant if you don’t do it for 80 minutes.”
AAP
