Michael Maguire has moved to explain his decision to start Ezra Mam on the bench against the Panthers on Friday night, with Michael Ennis, Braith Anasta and Greg Alexander all calling for him to start from now on. There was speculation through the week that Ben Hunt could start at hooker for Cory Paix, but Broncos coach Maguire sprung a surprise when Hunt moved into five-eighth and Mam was demoted to the bench.
It was the same line-up that Maguire went with in last year’s finals as the Broncos won the premiership, with Hunt partnering Adam Reynolds in the halves and Mam on the interchange. However it was the reversal of what we saw in the World Club Challenge when Mam started at 6 and Hunt was on the bench.
Michael Maguire has moved to explain why Ben Hunt started over Ezra Mam. Image: NRL/AAP
On Friday night the switch didn’t work as the Panthers ran away with a 26-0 victory. Mam struggled to get involved when he came onto the field, and Hunt had a poor outing from his standards.
“I just felt that having Ez coming on and we obviously didn’t get our start with the way the game rolled, we didn’t put them under pressure,” Maguire said in his press conference. “We didn’t put the fatigue into them and having Ez come on the way we know he can, he then wasn’t able to show himself the way he can play. So, it’s part of building a whole game.”
Michael Maguire is being urged to start Ezra Mam.
(Getty Images)Calls for Ezra Mam to start, Ben Hunt faces demotion
Maguire and Reynolds both conceded the Broncos made way too many errors to stay in the fight against Penrith. On Fox League after the game, Ennis, Anasta and Alexander all said Mam should be starting with Hunt demoted to the bench.
“I couldn’t get my head around it,” Anasta said of the decision to bench Mam. “I understand that last year Ezra had missed a big part of the season and the other guys had earned their positions.
“But in this case after a pre-season when he is your best option at five-eighth. It’s so hard to get into the game as a half when you start on the bench. Sometimes you try a little bit too hard, which I thought Ezra did tonight. I would have started him…I don’t get it.”
Alexander said: “I’d start Ezra. Off the back of what I saw him do last year. He can win you the match on his own. I don’t think there’s a need (to have him on the bench).”
Ennis said he “felt sorry” for Hunt having to do so much tackling on the left edge before moving into the middle to play dummy-half. “I would have thought Brisbane would be more suited to bringing Ben Hunt onto the field fresh (from the bench),” he added. “I just love the combination of Mam and Walsh together.”