PLAYER Ezra Mam

[McHunt]

Oloapu believed his own hype.

IMO: He also thought the Broncos would be cellar dwellers for years & Dogs will be a powerhouse first.

He got to play 7 NRL games and then got selected for the Samoan international squad. He wouldn't have got a first grade game, let alone an international had he stayed.

 

[Kaz]

He got to play 7 NRL games and then got selected for the Samoan international squad. He wouldn't have got a first grade game, let alone an international had he stayed.

I think you or I could be picked for Samoa.

 

[Alec]

With Mam claiming the 5/8th spot there was probably no future for him at the Broncos anyway?

 

[Broncapz]

Just like.... **** yeah!!!!

 

[theshed]

With Mam claiming the 5/8th spot there was probably no future for him at the Broncos anyway?

Broncos wanted him to be their future lock.

 

[Big Pete]

Broncos wanted him to be their future lock.

As do the Bulldogs.

 

[1910]

It's almost like staying at your club and developing is a good strategy?

He played more Cup and Flegg this year than NRL. He won a Flegg premiership too.

He did lots of development.

 

[broncos4life]

As do the Bulldogs.

But wasn’t the whole issue that he wanted to be a half?

 

[Battler]

Best young 5/8 in the comp (I’d say the best young half but Cleary is still like 25 lmao). Get it done.

Edit: there are virtually zero young quality half backs outside of Cleary coming through. Post Arey we’re either going to have to do the storm method of adjusting to a non-game managing half or cop a kick bot with no creativity (think Fogarty or tannah Boyd). I can see Mam playing a Hughes like role for us after Arey retires with Walsh sharing the kicking duties.

 

[winslow_wong]

Darren Lockyer sends his regards.

Sends them to Shane Perry

 

[McHunt]

I think you or I could be picked for Samoa.

They beat England to play us in the final of the last World Cup:

England v Samoa

England versus Samoa match centre includes live scores and updates. Includes official live player and team stats. Run metres, fantasy points scoring.

www.nrl.com

 

[Big Pete]

But wasn’t the whole issue that he wanted to be a half?

Supposedly.

As always there's multiple versions of each story. According to Reece Walsh, he left the Broncos because Kevie wasn't willing to give him an opportunity right out the gate. Meanwhile there's a story where the Warriors were willing to pay more than double and when they noticed Walsh was weighing it up, they offered him a $50K sign on fee right on the spot.

Similarly Oloapu got a new manager who allegedly believed he could get his client a better contract and was negotiating with other clubs to get them to induce Karl with a big offer. Of course this is a big no no, so it became about some shady back-door deal involving chicken sandwiches and how he'd been tricked into signing onto become a forward.

We'll never know the truth. What we do know is that the Bulldogs were able to successfully negotiate his release. They gave him a season in the halves and blooded him, but Bulldogs reps believe his future is in the forwards.

I'm a horrible punter but I still think there's every chance Oloapu doesn't last in Sydney and winds up at the Dolphins in the next year or two.

 

[broncos4life]

Supposedly.

As always there's multiple versions of each story. According to Reece Walsh, he left the Broncos because Kevie wasn't willing to give him an opportunity right out the gate. Meanwhile there's a story where the Warriors were willing to pay more than double and when they noticed Walsh was weighing it up, they offered him a $50K sign on fee right on the spot.

Similarly Oloapu got a new manager who allegedly believed he could get his client a better contract and was negotiating with other clubs to get them to induce Karl with a big offer. Of course this is a big no no, so it became about some shady back-door deal involving chicken sandwiches and how he'd been tricked into signing onto become a forward.

We'll never know the truth. What we do know is that the Bulldogs were able to successfully negotiate his release. They gave him a season in the halves and blooded him, but Bulldogs reps believe his future is in the forwards.

I'm a horrible punter but I still think there's every chance Oloapu doesn't last in Sydney and winds up at the Dolphins in the next year or two.

So really in any version he is pretty low character. Nice.

 

[BroncosFever]

Darren Lockyer sends his regards.

Yeah, because Ezra Mam is Darren Lockyer.

 

[Kaz]

They beat England to play us in the final of the last World Cup:

England v Samoa

England versus Samoa match centre includes live scores and updates. Includes official live player and team stats. Run metres, fantasy points scoring.

www.nrl.com

Mainly thanks for Jarome Luai

And what happened in the Final.

 

[Kaz]

But wasn’t the whole issue that he wanted to be a half?

Yep.

But that's besides the point. lol

We said he was a future lock & now genius Gus says the same thing.

 

[Scorchie]

He played more Cup and Flegg this year than NRL. He won a Flegg premiership too.

He did lots of development.

That was my point - could've stayed, played QCup and learnt from a more in control club in Brisbane than the basket case that is Bulldogs. Or was he happier doing that because they threw $500k at it

 

[Morkel]

I don't think the term "halves shortage" is accurate TBH. It's literally a halfback shortage. There are heaps of running halves out there, hence why I think clubs would be silly to pay big money for Luai etc. There are very few decent halfbacks, with the genuine ones being the game-controlling type.

I guess there are two main factors - one being that the Under 20's just never had the defensive mindset to need controlling halves, it was basically whoever made the least mistakes and held the most ball normally won. The second being that it takes a long time for them to develop. And by-and-large, they don't want to wait for 5 years in reserve grade, and a desperate team will snap them up with a first-grade contract and the dollars to match. It's a lot easier with forwards and outside backs, you can blood the forwards via the bench, and the outside backs often make up with speed and enthusiasm what they are lacking in experience. Or you can just blood them on the wing. It's not the same with Halves, and while you look at an example like Ben Hunt who was introduced via the bench, and how the time as a bench hooker was invaluable for his defence, that kind of role is only possible if they have some of those traits already.

As much as I hate the Roosters' poaching policy, it seems Sam Walker is one of the few halves being developed properly. It's surprising really, they are known for waving the cash to lure potential stars, and generally demand success immediately. But they are showing an un-Politis amount of patience with him. He's arguably barely first grade standard at the moment, especially when it comes to his size and defensive ability. But I would say they are convinced he will come good, and are looking to reap the rewards in later years. It is going to be much easier for them to find a gun 5/8 to replace Keary as his partner than it would to try to find a complete halves pairing, and while I wouldn't consider Keary a halfback (despite playing in the #7 on occasion), I'd say the Roosters are counting on his maturity and cool head to mentor Walker.

Wouldn't it be fucking wonderful if we were to have the Roosters put in all that effort to develop him and then we bring him back here to partner Mam when Reynolds retires.