Ezra Mam performed marvelously without his other half Adam Reynolds as Brisbane Broncos eased to a big victory over Parramatta in Round 10.
In his starring role, which constituted an eye-catching chip-and-chase try for himself and an assist, Mam earned plenty of praise just weeks out from the State of Origin opener.
Mam’s confident display alongside rookie Josh Rogers resulted in praise from one man in particular, Queensland coach Billy Slater.
The Maroons’ mentor has been a vocal supporter of the five-eighth in the past, including him in his 34-man squad earlier in the year.
The Goodna Eagles junior attended the camp alongside other rookies, including Sam Walker and Heilum Luki.
“We had a group of players get together in February and Ezra Mam was one of those players,” Slater told Channel Nine.
“I’m sure representative honours are around the corner for Ezra and I’m sure that’s a goal of his as well.”
The fight for rep honours in the halves will be an intriguing subplot for Queenslanders in the years to come, with skipper Daly Cherry-Evans potentially entering into his final Origin campaign.
Meanwhile, fellow stalwart Cameron Munster has had a mortgage on the No.6 jersey for some time now, although injuries have often plagued him and caused Slater to look for alternatives in big matches.
Tom Dearden was that man entrusted with replacing Munster last season and impressed on the big stage, yet he is far from assured of his spot with North Queensland enduring a difficult start to the year.
The Cowboys’ co-captain has Mam currently nipping at his heels with the livewire in career-best form, according to Slater.
“He’s playing the standard of State of Origin level,” the coach declared after the Eels had been put to the sword by the 21-year-old.
“I’m sure if Ezra Mam had a Maroons jersey on in the near future, he certainly wouldn’t let anyone down.”
The Maroons will be looking to make it three series wins in a row when the showpiece event on the rugby league calendar kicks off on Wednesday, June 5 in Sydney.
