After an impressive debut season in the NRL, itโs believed the Brisbane Broncos may have a fight on their hands to retain the services of young five-eighth Ezra Mam, with a number of clubs said to be monitoring the 19-year-old.
The Daily Telegraphโs Phil Rothfield said on NRL360 that there were multiple Sydney clubs keeping tabs on the talented youngster, who is contracted to Brisbane until the end of 2024.
โThere are a number of Sydney-based clubs interested in him,โ Rothfield said.
โWeโre talking long-term deals. Heโs an excitement machine โ give him a little bit more experience and another good off-season and he could be anything.โ
Fellow panellist and Cameron Munsterโs current manager Braith Anasta went further, claiming Mam has the potential to play in the NRL for over a decade.
โIโm a huge fan of Ezra Mam. He didnโt have his best game last week, but with his debut this year and the way heโs played, heโs a special talent. Heโs a special kid and heโs a 10-year player,โ said Anasta.
โHeโs got X-factor. He can break a game open. He has slick, fast feet and heโs a special talent.โ
The praise comes despite Mam being scrutinised for some poor defensive efforts in the heavy loss to Melbourne last week, with Mam and Adam Reynolds combining for 14 of the Broncosโ staggering 52 missed tackles in the loss.
Mam had the bulk of those as he was constantly isolated and run at by in-form Storm prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona.
โIโll back him,โ Broncos coach Kevin Walters told NewsCorp.
โI know he can tackle, weโve seen it in games. Iโm backing him 100 per cent.
โTo be fair to Ezra, Nelson has done that to a lot of players in his time. Whether heโs playing through the middle or on an edge, heโs been quite damaging. Heโs a big unit and hard to handle.
โItโs all about gaining experience for Ezra โ itโs the first time heโs played against someone thatโs 125kg.โ
Mam will face a similar test against the Eels this weekend, with 123kg Origin prop Junior Paulo sure to run at him all night after last weekโs struggles.
