Queensland coach Billy Slater may have retained faith in Ezra Mam, but Brisbane coach Michael Maguire has delivered a blunt reminder representative selection does not guarantee club selection.
Just a week after Mam appeared on Queensland's bench for the State of Origin series opener, the Broncos' five-eighth has been dropped for Saturday night's clash against the Titans, with young playmaker Tom Duffy promoted into the starting side.
Mam has been named in jersey No. 18 after Brisbane's shock loss to St George Illawarra last weekend, a result made worse by the fact the Dragons had not beaten another team all season.
Despite Mam battling a quad issue throughout the year and appearing to hurt his ankle against the Dragons, Maguire insisted the selection call was purely form-based.
“No, there's no injury,” Maguire told The Daily Telegraph.
“It purely came down to performance.
“Tom Duffy is doing well, and I feel he can bring something to the team.
“We haven't been performing up to expectations - simple as that.”
The decision comes at a stellar time for Duffy, who is expected to lock in a two-year extension with the Broncos anytime in the next week.
When asked what conversations had taken place with Mam regarding the demotion, Maguire kept details private.
“I won't go into what I said to him, that's between us,” Maguire said.
“But you can see with our performances and our results, we need to find the change that is going to get us winning.
“That's the expectations around the team.”
Mam's defensive struggles have come under increasing scrutiny this season.
Statistics obtained by The Daily Telegraph show the Broncos star has missed more tackles than any player in the NRL in 2026, with 62, while also being responsible for 14 try causes, including three in a single game against Parramatta in Round 2.
Maguire acknowledged defence was one of the key areas Mam needed to improve.
“Defence is part of the performance aspect for ‘Ez'. As a five-eighth or halfback, you are going to have a lot of traffic sent your way, and that's one of the areas Ezra needs to work at, like all players,” he said.
“At the moment, our defence has been pretty disappointing.”
Despite the setback, Maguire rejected suggestions the 23-year-old was battling a confidence crisis.
“No, I don't believe it's confidence,” he said.
“Every player goes through their career where they are in great form or not-so-great form, and I just feel Tommy has been doing well in everything he is doing, so he gets his opportunity.
“I have a huge opinion of Ez (Ezra Mam), but the results aren't where we like, so we have to work hard to get results.
“We've captured moments in games, but we're not consistent enough, so I'm hunting for that.”
The Broncos were coming off a bye before their loss to the Dragons, but Maguire said fatigue was no excuse for the side's recent performances.
“The players are very aware of my views,” he said.
“The players are the ones who drive and push the expectations of where we are at.
“We are all hunting for that consistency.
“The guys just had a bye (before the Dragons' loss), so I don't know if you can call them flat.
“It's not about fatigue, it's about consistency.
“We're the ones in this position, and we're the ones who have to dig our way out of it, Ez included.”
This weekend's match is a must-win fixture for last year's premiers if they wish to keep the hope alive as back-to-back premiership threats, or at least a finals appearance.
