Lockyer pressed on $4m Mam issue amid Broncos squeeze

Brisbane legend Darren Lockyer has urged suspended young gun Ezra Mam to keep a close eye on his veteran teammates while serving a nine-game ban. Mam is not available for selection until round 10 after copping the ban and a $120,000 NRL fine after pleading guilty to one count of driving while relevant drug is present in blood, and driving without a licence over a car crash in October. The 22-year-old was on the verge of winning a Clive Churchill Medal in the 2023 grand final until his heroics were undone by Nathan Cleary's Panthers in 15 minutes of mayhem. He was one of the hottest young players in the game and inked a five-year contract extension last February, said to be worth $4 million. The year then fell off a cliff as his own form dipped and the Broncos missed finals, the coach was sacked and then he narrowly avoided jail. The club recruited veteran playmaker Ben Hunt, who alongside fellow elder statesman Adam Reynolds last week orchestrated a 50-14 demolition of the Roosters to kickstart their season under new coach Michael Maguire. Hunt had initially flagged an intent to play hooker once Mam was back in the No.6 jumper but with the likes of Cory Paix, Billy Walters, Blake Mozer, and Tyson Smoothy also battling for the No.9 jumper, spine spots are in hot demand at Red Hill. On Wide World of Sports' QLDER, club director Lockyer was asked whether Mam will struggle to get back into the team. "I think it's a premature conversation," Lockyer said.

Billy Slater lashes out over Reece Walsh detail as Darren Lockyer highlights $5m Broncos problem

Billy Slater has hit out over the level of scrutiny and criticism that Reece Walsh receives, while Darren Lockyer has highlighted the issue created by his new $5 million contract. Walsh has reportedly agreed to a new four-year deal with the Brisbane Broncos, which will net him a cool $5 million. It means the Broncos have Walsh, Payne Haas, Patrick Carrigan and Ezra Mam all locked up on long-term deals. But Walsh and Haas will both be earning over $1 million per season from next year, while Carrigan and Mam aren't far off that mark. It means there's very little money left for teammates, and one of Selwyn Cobbo or Kotoni Staggs appear likely to have to leave the club. It also means the Broncos won't be in the market for a big-name halfback to replace Adam Reynolds, who is set to hang up the boots in the next 12 months. Sam Walker and Braydon Trindall are both set to hit the open market on November 1, and even though Walker hails from Queensland, the Broncos won't be able to make a play for him. Walker appears destined to remain at the Roosters, and the Broncos will likely have to develop a young halfback instead. "Reece, done, Ezra (extended), and Adam's (Reynolds) got another year, so there becomes a bit of focus on who will be the 7 after Adam and who will be the 9 after Billy (Walters)," Lockyer said on the QLDer podcast on Wednesday. "And I think given the enormity of Reece's deal and Ezra and Payne, you know, it's not ... you're limited to how much money you've got out there for your 7 and 9 now. "We'll just have to see who's out there and who we can develop. A young 7 coming through who's not going to demand the big money straight away is probably where it's heading but as we know, the No.7 is so important and we've got to keep one eye on who's earmarked to go there beyond Adam Reynolds and who's there (at hooker) to go beyond Billy Walters." Lockyer also predicted the Broncos would be priced out of the market for Trindall considering how well he's been playing. "He's finished the year strong," Lockyer said. "I'd be surprised if the Sharks let him go. But again, I think the Broncs are pretty keen to develop from within, so we'll just see where that lands."

Lockyer's fear for Broncos amid Haas pay saga

Brisbane Broncos legend Darren Lockyer says the ongoing drama surrounding Payne Haas' contract has the potential to "distract the team going into the finals".Haas is expected to reject the Broncos' latest offer which would net the Blues star a reported $3.5 million over three years.The Broncos currently sit second on the NRL ladder, having won 16 of their 21 games so far this season, but Lockyer, who is also on the club's board of directors, is worried at how conjecture surrounding Haas' future might impact the club's upcoming finals campaign."I think this is about Payne trying to understand what his market value is and the only way he's going to know that is it has to get past November 1 because he can then actually go to the market," he told Wide World of Sports' QLDER."He's playing his 100th game for the Broncos this week, so it should all be about his milestone, not about his contract."The distraction has the potential to distract the team going into the finals."In a perfect world you'd find a way to get it resolved, but it seems like Payne is going to go to the market and understand what his value is out there, and maybe not just in this code."Queensland legend Wally Lewis labelled the contract dispute "disappointing", and suggested player managers were to blame for the standoff."One big issue that keeps coming up is the difficulty of dealing with player managers," he told QLDER.

Broncos director addresses 'ugly split' claims

Broncos director Darren Lockyer has addressed talk that head of football operations Ben Ikin left the club due to a fractured relationship with coach Kevin Walters.Speaking on Wide World of Sports QLDER, Lockyer was adamant that it was "not an ugly split at all" pointing to the Broncos' ladder position as proof that the working relationship between the pair was professional throughout.Ikin joined the Broncos midway through the 2021 season in an appointment that was trumpeted as a huge coup for new CEO Dave Donaghy as he attempted to stabilise a football department that had rotted in the latter stages of his predecessor Paul White's chief executive tenure.During his two years at the club Ikin oversaw a huge improvement in results, with the Broncos occupying the top four for much of 2022 before a disastrous post-Origin slump cost them a spot in the finals. He leaves his post with the club two points clear at the top of the ladder and with its first realistic shot at winning a premiership since its last grand final appearance in 2015.Despite the on-field turnaround, speculation has persisted for the last 12 months that Ikin and Walters were not on good terms and that narrative has been rolled out again this week as it was announced that the football boss would be leaving to take the vacant CEO role at Queensland Rugby League.Speaking on QLDER Wally Lewis, who is a regular at Broncos training sessions and games in his capacity with Nine, said he had never seen any signs of a rift between Ikin and Walters.Lockyer said Ikin's exit was no more complicated than an opportunity to tackle a fresh challenge."Both men are there for the same purpose, to make the Broncos the best they can be," Lockyer said. "They're there to serve the Broncos and do what's in the best interests of the club. They were very professional about all that so it's not an ugly split at all."I just think Ben has done a job there and there's another opportunity and another bigger challenge for him out there and he's going to have a crack at it."Lockyer said the Broncos would need to get moving to fill Ikin's role, but added that the club could continue to operate effectively without a head of football operations in the short term.He said the likes of the club's head of recruitment Simon Scanlan, who Lockyer credited alongside Ikin and Walters for the Broncos' turnaround, would need to step up and take on extra responsibilities until Ikin's role was filled.

Lockyer shoots down unsettling Walters report

Broncos legend and board member Darren Lockyer has shut down suggestions coach Kevin Walters doesn't have the support of some of the club's powerbrokers.Nine's Danny Weidler revealed in his The Sydney Morning Herald column on Sunday, and reiterated on Nine's 100% Footy on Monday, that Walters is heading for trouble at Red Hill.Weidler reported that Walters' job would come under the spotlight if the Broncos, who currently sit in ninth spot on the ladder, don't start to show signs of significant improvement as they attempt to bounce back from consecutive seasons without finals football."He's probably doing enough at the moment but there are some people in and around the edges of the Broncos and of Kevin Walters' life that aren't necessarily supporting him the way that they should," Weidler said on 100% Footy.

Lockyer reveals Kelly's edge in halves battle

Broncos legend Darren Lockyer says the "X-factor" trait in playmaker Albert Kelly will be crucial to Brisbane establishing a potent halves combination this season.Kelly, who produced a spectacular 90-metre try during Brisbane's upset win over the Rabbitohs last week, has for now secured a spot in the halves alongside off-season recruit Adam Reynolds.The 30-year-old was handed the five-eighth jersey over fellow halves contender Billy Walters, the son of Broncos coach Kevin Walters.Lockyer said Kelly's threat can give the Broncos a taste of the successful Cody Walker-Adam Reynolds combination NRL fans have been accustomed to in recent years, with the pair grand finalists last year at Souths before Reynolds joined Brisbane."Similar to the Cody Walker-Adam Reynolds [combination], Albert is a bit of an X-factor, he plays instinctive, he looks really fit," Lockyer told Wide World of Sports' QLDER.