Ezra Mam: 'Trying to be the best player I can and best person I can'
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Exciting young gun Ezra Mam was so stoked with his call-up into Billy Slater's State of Origin Game I squad that he was one of the first to arrive on Monday.
"Walking into camp, I didn't realise how early I was... must've been a bit too keen... was just me and Harry Grant," he laughed.
"Couldn't get much sleep. Goal ticked to make the squad, just very happy to come into camp and learn as much as I can."
The 21-year-old five-eighth, who starred for the Brisbane Broncos during last year's grand final with a hat-trick, first picked up a footy at Goodna Eagles and grew his love for the game there.
"Lucky enough to start my footy off there and come through the ranks with Goodna then obviously switched over the Souths Acacia Ridge later on and made my way through the Souths system and Broncos," Mam said.
"I always looked up to Matty Bowen and Johnathan Thurston... two very talented Indigenous players so definitely the two main people I looked up to, but also looked up to Karmichael Hunt and Izzy Folau.
"Very grateful to be here, and obviously JT is in camp, so pretty cool to pick his brain and Billy Slater's brain as well. Very fortunate."
Mam said getting the call from Slater was quite surreal.
"Billy just said he was keen to have me in the squad and embrace the week with all of the other boys... I've just taken that with both hands and seen it as a way to come in and enjoy the week with the boys and experience the feeling of what it's like to be a Queenslander," Mam said.
"Very fortunate to get the call from Billy... pretty lucky to be in this squad and be recognised alongside all of these players.
"Going to be a pretty good experience for myself... being around all of these players, it's all about learning and trying to find ways to get better."
Mam, who has gone through Queensland's junior representative pathways, said wearing the colour maroon was "pretty special".
"When I got into those teams it really showed what it means to be a Queenslander... just very proud that I get to be in this jersey and in this camp to work on myself and better myself," Mam said.
"I'm just starting off so I'm just trying to be the best player I can and the best person I can off the field... very lucky to be in the position I am to promote Indigenous culture and represent myself the best I can."
Mam said his family was very proud of his achievements thus far - but also quick to remind him who he was and where he has come from - and could not wait to see what he could do moving forward.
"They brought me back to reality, telling me to remember who I am and who raised me from the start... not to forget where I come from," Mam said.
"Very happy for me, but in saying that said 'don't let this get to your head... stay grounded and stay humble, but enjoy the week with the team and embrace the experience'.
"I want to embrace the week and really understand what it's like to be a Queenslander and just be a good energy around all of the players. If I'm being happy and the person I am, create some new friendships and learn off the best. Try and better myself."
Mam said making the squad - being one step closer to one day wearing the Maroons jersey - drove him to keep working hard.
"It would mean the world, obviously," Mam said.
"You play footy for the fun of it and as you get older you have a goal and a dream and I've thought about playing in the NRL, and I made the NRL and I'm very happy, but it's very exciting to make the Queensland squad.
"It would mean the world to me, to play. It's all happened really fast so I haven't really thought about it all. I'm sure I'll have a sit down, think to myself, that I'm actually here.
"It would mean the world to me to play... and a good challenge as well... I like challenges, so it would be pretty cool."
