Magic Round Sunday live: Scores, SuperCoach analysis from Titans v Bulldogs, Panthers v Broncos, Storm v Raiders
Former Broncos flyer Xavier Coates has opened up about the criticism and attacks he copped in Brisbane as he prepares to put on a magic show at Suncorp Stadium.
Coates will return to his old stomping ground when the Melbourne Storm close out Magic Round against Canberra on Sunday night.
For Coates, Suncorp brings mixed emotions.
The Maroons winger loves playing at The Cauldron and the atmosphere it brings.
But it also dredges up memories of the turbulent infancy of his NRL career.
A Gold Coast product, Coates made his debut for the Broncos in 2019 and experienced one of the most tumultuous period's in Brisbane's 37-year history.
The Broncos collected their first wooden spoon in 2020 under Anthony Seibold, who was sacked that year and replaced by Kevin Walters.
Upon the coaching upheaval and Brisbane's poor 2021 campaign, Coates was being wooed by Storm supercoach Craig Bellamy.
Only 20 at the time, Coates was copping vicious attacks from trolls about his form and decided it was best to escape the Brisbane fishbowl for Melbourne and signed with the Storm from 2022.
'It was definitely a tough decision, the Broncos were all I knew,' Coates said.
'I grew up on the Gold Coast and moved to Brisbane. My family were only an hour away.
'But the best thing for me was to get out of my comfort zone and test myself.
'The best way to do that was go to Melbourne.
'You can't get out of the spotlight of a rugby league town like Brisbane. I felt like I needed to get away from that.
'As a young fella it's tough to get away from it and learning how to deal with media and criticism from the outside.
'In Queensland I copped it a bit. It's good to come down here and get away from it all and focus on myself. That's what I enjoy about Melbourne.'
Under the tutelage of the renowned Bellamy, Coates has transformed his talents into becoming one of the NRL's premier wingers.
He has the ability to finish a try as well as anyone in the game, evidenced by his remarkable match-winner against the Warriors last year.
Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga rewarded Coates with an Australian Test debut last year and the 24-year-old said his Melbourne move had paid dividends.
'The best thing for me was coming to Melbourne where NRL is foreign,' he said.
'I can focus on myself and my rugby league. The team really helps with my mental state as well. I've got to work on myself and my footy. I needed to work on myself a bit more.
'It was a great opportunity for me to come down and learn from a great coach in Craig Bellamy and there are great players here as well.'
The Storm are once again sitting pretty on the NRL ladder in second spot ahead of a showdown with the third-placed Raiders.
They have traditionally loved playing in Brisbane and Coates can't wait to get back out on one of his favourite grounds.
'I love playing at Suncorp,' he said.
'I am Queenslander and it's a great opportunity for my family and friends to watch the game.
'There is always a big turnout for Magic Round. Hopefully the field isn't too roughed up when we get on it.
'We are going pretty well at the moment. We've had a couple of losses, but collectively we've had a pretty good season.
'We want to have a good defensive performance at Magic Round. That's what we've been working on the last couple of weeks.
'We know we can score points but we need to hold out tries a bit better.'
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'Definitely. We've had a chat, and we're comfortable with each other now,' Mam says. 'The biggest thing is that we addressed it. I feel for Spencer, too, it would not have been an easy thing to deal with, either. 'I really respect him for coming up to me and we can move on from that. If we are ever in the same team, I wouldn't have a problem.' Footage of that Leniu embrace sparked a fresh slew of headlines. Mam has been no stranger to them in his young career. Not all of them have been positive. Few figures in Australian sport have ridden a rollercoaster quite like Mam's past 24 months. In the 2023 grand final, for all but the last 20 minutes, the Brisbane playmaker was the best on ground. However, a late Nathan Cleary masterclass wrenched away not only a premiership ring, but also a Clive Churchill medal. Then there was the Leniu incident, and the media storm that ensued. Yet nothing could prepare him for what was to come. On October 18, 2024, Mam was behind the wheel of his ute when it collided with an Uber at Bardon. A child and a woman suffered minor injuries and while Mam tested positive to cocaine at a roadside drug test, he passed the breathalyser test with no alcohol involved in the incident. The 22-year-old pleaded guilty in Brisbane Magistrates Court to one count of driving while relevant drug is present in blood, and driving without a licence. He left court with a suspended license and $850 lighter, but without a conviction. The NRL and the Broncos then applied sanctions of their own, totalling fines of $120,000, as well as a nine-game ban. When asked about what he has learnt from the incident, he offered: 'In hindsight, I didn't think about how my actions can impact others. 'Obviously I'm trying my best to learn from that now, I'm here to make better decisions for myself. 'There's no excuse for my actions, I've got to own that now. I'm still learning to deal with everything. 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'Definitely. We've had a chat, and we're comfortable with each other now,' Mam says. 'The biggest thing is that we addressed it. I feel for Spencer, too, it would not have been an easy thing to deal with, either. 'I really respect him for coming up to me and we can move on from that. If we are ever in the same team, I wouldn't have a problem.' Footage of that Leniu embrace sparked a fresh slew of headlines. Mam has been no stranger to them in his young career. Not all of them have been positive. Few figures in Australian sport have ridden a rollercoaster quite like Mam's past 24 months. In the 2023 grand final, for all but the last 20 minutes, the Brisbane playmaker was the best on ground. However, a late Nathan Cleary masterclass wrenched away not only a premiership ring, but also a Clive Churchill medal. Then there was the Leniu incident, and the media storm that ensued. Yet nothing could prepare him for what was to come. On October 18, 2024, Mam was behind the wheel of his ute when it collided with an Uber at Bardon. A child and a woman suffered minor injuries and while Mam tested positive to cocaine at a roadside drug test, he passed the breathalyser test with no alcohol involved in the incident. The 22-year-old pleaded guilty in Brisbane Magistrates Court to one count of driving while relevant drug is present in blood, and driving without a licence. He left court with a suspended license and $850 lighter, but without a conviction. The NRL and the Broncos then applied sanctions of their own, totalling fines of $120,000, as well as a nine-game ban. When asked about what he has learnt from the incident, he offered: 'In hindsight, I didn't think about how my actions can impact others. 'Obviously I'm trying my best to learn from that now, I'm here to make better decisions for myself. 'There's no excuse for my actions, I've got to own that now. I'm still learning to deal with everything. I feel very remorseful for everything that happened. 'For me, I was dealing with stuff in the wrong way. I need to learn from that. That's how I grow as a person. Experiences like this, you can take a lot away from it and I feel like I've taken a lot away from this situation to improve myself in many different ways.' In handing down his sentence, Magistrate Mark Nolan chided Mam for taking 'a cocktail of cocaine and other matters that were found in your blood'. It is a comment that has been seized upon in much of the subsequent reporting, and prompted some commentators to conclude the penalties were insufficient. While Mam makes no excuses for his behaviour, he clarified that the only substances detected in his blood outside of cocaine were 'Paracetamol and Ibuprofen', which were administered to him at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. 'I shouldn't have driven,' he says. 'There was cocaine in my system, 0.01mg in my blood, which was from days earlier. That's my biggest regret, I wish I had not done that in the first place.' 'There's no excuse for my actions, I've got to own that now. I'm still learning to deal with everything.' Ezra Mam on the crash incident On legal advice, Mam has not been able to reach out directly to the victims of the accident. 'To be honest, I was more worried about everyone else than myself,' he says when asked if he feared his Broncos contract would be torn up. 'I just wanted to care for others in the accident, how they were first and foremost … 'For me now it's about getting back to who the real Ezra is. Doing the little things on and off the field the right way, continually working on myself to be a better person on and off the field. 'For me, I want that final goal, which is the grand final premiership. And to be a role model, for kids to look up to.' The last comment resonates. The personal growth Mam has undertaken since the incident hasn't been lost on Michael Maguire. The Brisbane coach believes a leader is emerging after witnessing the transformation Mam has undertaken after stints in rehab and on a job site. 'He's found a higher appreciation of what he does, what he's fortunate to do,' Maguire says. 'That's where I've seen him grow, he's actually a really good fella. 'As he goes through this period, he will learn how to lead, not just through the organisation, but also his own people of the Torres Strait Island. 'And then there's the community of young men navigating life. He will be able to tell the story of how he has had to deal with adversity in a big way. 'The way he communicates and does things, he has an opportunity to influence many. Influence is the big word I always talk about.' During his sabbatical, Mam undertook labouring work. The experience of concreting, carpentry and Queensland Cup – Mam initially returned to football via Souths Logan – was a humbling one. 'It was a really good experience for myself,' he says. 'I'd wake up at 4:30am to train at 5am and then shoot over to work. I'd work from 6:30-7am to about 3:30-4pm and then be back to the gym. 'For me it was a big couple of months. A bit of carpentry, concreting, bit of everything. I learnt a lot of skills on the way. Coming back into Q Cup, working every day, I'm privileged to be doing what I love doing. 'As he goes through this period, he will learn how to lead, not just through the organisation, but also his own people of the Torres Strait Island.' Broncos coach Michael Maguire 'That's what I've been doing since I was a young kid, I'm very fortunate to be back playing and doing what I love to do.' Just four NRL games into Mam's return, Queensland coach Billy Slater called him into his wider squad for Origin II. The decision hasn't gone down well with everyone, particularly those who believe he should have paid a greater penance. Loading 'I'm really self-focused on the moment, looking to better myself,' he says. 'I appreciate that others may be upset. I can't control other people's thoughts, all I can do is hopefully start to rebuild some integrity over time with my actions. If I'm allowed to play, obviously I'll play. 'I was very surprised and grateful for the [Maroons] opportunity and took it with both hands. 'When [Slater] calls, it's hard to deny a chance to go into the Origin squad, you always say yes. It was a good experience for me.' During a career that has spanned just 60 games, Mam has already endured a bumpy ride. The destination remains unknown, but he is excited about what comes next.
