Injured Broncos stars Ezra Mam and Selwyn Cobbo won’t return in 2025

Maguire goes into Sunday’s clash against the Knights in Newcastle mulling over his scrumbase permutations for the finals with the coach resigned to not seeing Mam in Broncos colours again this season.

Ben Hunt and Billy Walters will start in the halves for the second consecutive week in Newcastle following the injury drama that saw first-choice duo Mam and Adam Reynolds tear their hamstrings against the Storm.

Mam suffered what was described as a “significant” hamstring injury and it was initially hoped the match-winning pivot would be available for selection if the Broncos reached the preliminary final or grand final.

But Maguire suspects Mam has played his last game this season and he is also planning for a finals campaign without strike utility back Selwyn Cobbo, who also tore his hamstring in Melbourne.

“I can’t see ‘Ez’ or ‘Sel’ getting back,” Maguire said ahead of the round 25 clash against the Knights.

“They are working extremely hard to make sure they’re going to give themselves an opportunity, so we’ll wait and see what happens there, but their injuries are quite significant.

“At the end of the day I want to give them (Mam and Cobbo) hope - but I think it’s a complete long shot for those two guys.”

The season-ending loss of Mam would be a hammer blow to Brisbane’s title prospects.

Mam’s return in round 11, after serving a nine-match suspension following his off-field car crash, ignited the struggling Broncos, spearheading a five-match winning streak which propelled Brisbane back into finals contention.

The Broncos have won six of 10 matches Mam has played in this season and without his speed and instinctive brilliance, Brisbane could rue a lack of creative scrumbase spark in sudden-death football.

But one ray of hope is the potential early return of Reynolds, who remains a chance of playing in Brisbane’s final regular season game against the Storm on September 4.

The skipper was expected to return in the opening week of the finals, but Maguire says the champion halfback could get the green light from Broncos medicos for the return bout against the Storm.

“Reyno might be two weeks I’ve been told,” Maguire said.

“When that time comes, we’ll work what it (Brisbane’s scrumbase) looks like, but at the moment we’ve got Billy and Hunty doing a great job from last week.

“We need to build on that because that’s what we have at this present moment.”

Should Mam be wiped out for the season, Maguire could reunite Reynolds and Hunt, the very duo that combined in the halves for Brisbane’s season-opening 50-14 rout of the Roosters in March.

Hunt, who was outstanding at halfback with three try assists in last week’s 38-28 disposal of the Dolphins, is preparing to fill the void at five-eighth if Mam is wiped out for the season.

“From what I’m hearing talking to the boys, it’s going to be a long shot with Ezra and Selwyn,” Hunt said.

“But I’m happy to play any role in the halves.

“I started round 1 with Reyno so I’m confident us older boys can get the job done if Ezra doesn’t come back.”

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The Hunt-Reynolds combination struggled to click in the first half of the season but Maguire is confident the Broncos can be a title threat without Mam.

“We get to prove that to ourselves this week and in the coming games,” the coach said.

“Hunty has shown many a time throughout his career that he can win games with the experience and that’s part of the reason I wanted him here, to give us that depth in the halves.”

Originally published as Injured Broncos stars Ezra Mam and Selwyn Cobbo won’t return in 2025