Broncos star Reece Walsh has fired back at 2GB presenter Adam Hawse after the sports radio host told teammate Ezra Mam to cop his criticism on the chin amid a wave of crowd boos.
FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer >
Mam was booed mercilessly every time he touched the ball in the Broncos’ 32-6 loss to the Sea Eagles in Round 13.
The Courier Mail reported Hawse on his radio show on Tuesday offered Mam some “advice”, telling the Broncos five-eighth to “suck it up”.
“If you’re genuinely remorseful for your actions which injured a mother and her daughter you have to take it on the chin,” Hawse said.
Walsh, seeing the online video immediately hit back in the comments section, ripping in to the radio host.
“How has he not copped it on the chin?” Walsh said.
“You’ve never stepped onto a field so you wouldn’t know what it’s like out there, good reporting ADAM.”
The Broncos five-eighth is two games back from a nine-match suspension for crashing his car with drugs in his system and driving without a licence.
Mam was involved in a head-on collision with an Uber on October 18 last year when he veered onto the wrong side of the road, injuring the driver, a female passenger and her young daughter, who suffered a fractured hip.
MORE NRL NEWS
MCKINNON: Next Knights coach hiding in plain sight; Galvin move makes no sense
‘FATHER TIME CATCHES UP’: Debate on Broncos’ ageing halves amid skip’s future
‘STRUGGLES WITH SCRUTINY’: Freddy warning as Fittler firms for Kangaroos
Fox League reported James Hooper believes Mam is going to have to expect the boos from fans, given the nature of his transgression.
“I think he will be OK at Suncorp because his first game back at Suncorp against the Dragons he got a reasonably mid-range reception,” Hooper said on The Back Page.
“But at away games absolutely he is just going to have to wear it because it made massive headlines and it upset a lot of people understandably.
“And most people think he got off lightly, so I would be thinking Ezra is going to have to learnt to handle the hostile reception.”
Emotional Tapine opens up on his dad | 01:53
However, Socceroos legend Robbie Slater pointed out that Mam served the punishment he was given, which is all he can do.
“When you think about it, it is not his fault that he got off lightly,” Slater said.
“The action 100 per cent his fault, but it was the NRL who gave him the ban.”
However, Hooper believes the light punishment from the courts all the way to the NRL means that people are upset and will continue to be likely for the rest of the season.
“It was the courts first and then the NRL had to react off the back of how light the court sanction was,” Hooper said.
Meninga to Bears ‘not a done deal’ | 01:52
“But if you actually look at the incident itself that was a really bad scene and a lot of people were upset understandably.”
Mam told The Sydney Morning Herald, the boos do not bother him while he is playing.
“It doesn’t really bother me – I’m just happy to be playing footy,” Mam told The Herald after the loss to Manly.
“It’s not going to stop my performance. The only thing that will stop my performance is myself. If anything, that only motivates me more to prove people wrong.”
The Broncos five-eighth, said he can’t do anything about people not agreeing with the punishment that he was given, but believes he has served his time.
“In regards to the off-field incident, I’ve done the punishment I was given, and if people don’t agree with it, they can take it up themselves [with authorities].
“I’ve dealt with those punishments, I’ve come back on to the footy field, and that’s my main goal now.”
Broncos stars deny they’ve ‘given up’ | 02:04
Mam said he was accustomed to being jeered by fans who did not agree with him calling out Leniu’s behaviour.
“[Racism] has been in my life my whole life, it’s second nature to me.
“When you’re one to call something out, it comes back a bit harder. I’m not afraid to stand up for myself and my people, and people who look like me.
“I’ll keep doing that as long as I want, and if that means I get booed, I get booed.”
