Roosters prop Spencer Leniu suspended for eight weeks after NRL judiciary hearing
New details of Spencer Leniu’s infamous Las Vegas hotel run-in with multiple Broncos players emerged during the Roosters prop’s judiciary hearing. Re-live the emotional hearing.
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The NRL has sent a clear message that it does not condone racism with Roosters prop Spencer Leniu suspended for eight matches for calling Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mam a “monkey” during the game in Las Vegas.
Leniu repeatedly said that he did not think the comment was racial in nature, but it didn’t stop the NRL from handing him a hefty ban in the biggest hearing since Billy Slater’s case in grand final week six years ago.
“We accept the suspension of eight weeks, but in relation to the hearing, the club stands behind Spencer and is firmly of the belief that he is not racist,” Roosters chief executive Joe Kelly said afterwards.
“The club remains strong in its position that Spencer did not use the word – the subject of tonight’s hearing – in a racially derogatory way.
“To be clear, the club does not believe that Spencer was putting Ezra down in a racially based way.”
It’s been the biggest talking point in rugby league for the past week with current players supporting Mam and calling for a monster suspension for an incident that left him distraught and unable to focus on the final 11 minutes of the game.
The Broncos star made an official complaint on the field to referee Adam Gee after he was abused for telling his teammates to run at Leniu who he thought would be gassed after making the previous tackle.
Mam did not attend the hearing but sent a 12-paragraph statement, with the final eight paragraphs remaining confidential.
“I saw him at marker and recall saying words to the effect of ‘run it back at Spencer’,” the statement read.
“I then recall Spencer saying ‘f--- up, you monkey’. I felt so angry and disappointed at the incident, and from that point my focus was no longer on the game.”
Leniu admitted last week that he made the comment but was adamant that it was not racist in nature and that he’d been called “monkey” and “coconut” in the past but hadn’t taken any offence.
“I heard Ezra Mam say something to me. That’s when I said to him ‘f--- up, monkey’,” Leniu told the panel, with the star recruit to return the week after his side plays Brisbane for the second time.
“I’m so sorry that I used that word and I made him feel little.
“This game happens so fast. In that split second I said a word that I didn’t know the meaning to. I didn’t know how much that meant to the Indigenous community, Ezra and his family.
“I thought it was banter.”
Leniu came under fire for comments made to Triple M where he said it was all “fun and games”, which led to Broncos players confronting him at the hotel that night.
“I didn’t think I did anything wrong and that’s why I said it. I thought it was one brown man sledging another brown man,” he explained, telling the panel he said “check me” to Broncos lock Patrick Carrigan that night.
“There is no room for racism in this game. I’m happy he brought this thing up. I had no racial intent towards Ezra and the community. I love them and their culture. I don’t think there’d be a game without those people.”
Leniu told defense counsel James McLeod that he took “100 per cent responsibility” and that he would “never” use the slur again, adamant that he didn’t know Mam’s background when he made the comment.
The Roosters prop found out just how offensive the slur was the following day at around 6am when an elderly Aboriginal woman sent him the definition of “monkey” and how culturally insensitive the term was.
It’s why Leniu wanted to fly to Brisbane to have a face-to-face chat and apologise to the Broncos five-eighth who turned down the offer because he wasn’t ready to confront the Samoan forward.
“If I had it my way in a perfect world, I would have preferred to say sorry to him in person,” he said.
“I would’ve flown to Brisbane and said it to his face without others knowing.
“I don’t have any worries about him saying no to me because I understand what he’s going through. Hopefully down the line without anyone knowing I can see him in person and say I’m sorry.”
NRL counsel Lachlan Gyles – who repeatedly called Leniu ‘Luai’ in the opening remarks and suggested he was Tongan – referenced the abuse AFL legend Adam Goodes copped in 2013 and accused Leniu of lying that he wasn’t aware of how offensive the term was.
Gyles said it was racial abuse of a “highly offensive nature” and called for eight matches given the significant impact it had on Mam and his family, while McLeod pushed for four matches given his client was remorseful and adamant that it wasn’t meant to be racist.
He also pointed to Marcelo Montoya’s four-match ban from 2022 for a homophobic slur and urged the panel to consider a similar suspension.
But after a 90-minute hearing and 40 minutes of deliberation, the panel of Bob Lindner, Sean Hampstead and judiciary chair Geoffrey Bellew landed on eight matches, which means he’ll return in Round 10 for the Warriors game.
“We must always call out bad behaviour when we see it, it’s important everyone involved in rugby league respects the independent judicial processes that are set up precisely for dealing with matters of this nature,” NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said.
“I have spoken to Ezra to commend him for speaking up and taking a stand. It has been warming to see the game rally around him during this time.
“I also acknowledge Spencer Leniu’s genuine remorse and apology and ask everyone to consider his wellbeing after a testing time in his young career.
“We are human beings and we make mistakes. That is how we all learn and grow. The penalty applied tonight underscores the zero tolerance rugby league has for racism.”
Re-live the full hearing below
7.57PM: BRONCOS V ROOSTERS CONUNDRUM
The judiciary faces a difficult decision on the length of the ban, with the Broncos and Roosters scheduled to play again in round 9 at Suncorp Stadium on May 3.
A six-week ban will see him return to the field in round 8, in time for the club’s Anzac Day clash against the Dragons.
7.35PM: JUDICIARY DELIBERATES ON BAN LENGTH
NRL judiciary chair Geoff Bellew tells panel members Bob Linder and Sean Hamstead to ingore previous media reporting on the incident and to determine if Leniu had said the words as a racial remark.
7.30PM: NRL COUNTERS MONTOYA ARGUMENT
NRL points out the difference between the Montoya sentence and this one. The homophobic slur was picked up on a referees microphone and no complaint was made by the player, Kyle Feldt. Nor did he say he was offended.
“The submission that a racial remark came from someone with dark skin makes it less significant, is wrong,” says NRL lawyer Gyles.
7.23PM: ROOSTERS CALL FOR FOUR-WEEK BAN
Roosters asking the panel to consider a language issue within the NRL that needs to be stamped out, that dark-skinned players use slang words with each other casually, and that in this instance it’s caused offence.
Says it would be out of step for the panel to impose a penalty greater than the four weeks Marcelo Montoya copped for using a homophobic slur two years ago.
7.10PM: ‘NOT RACIALLY MOTIVATED’
Roosters solicitor asks for leniency due to Leniu’s remorse, early plea and argues that because there was no intent to cause harm he has not intentionally racially abused Mam. Says it would be so much worse if it was racially motivated.
Roosters say this at the medium end of the scale, not the highest. Agrees it’s a serious and regrettable matter.
Roosters asking for 25 per cent discount on any suspension the tribunal would otherwise impose.
7.06PM: NRL CALLS FOR EIGHT-WEEK BAN
NRL counsel asks for a suspension of 8 matches, saying anything less would not send a clear enough message that racism has no part in the game.
6.53PM: NRL BEGINS CROSS-EXAMINATION
The NRL has put to Leniu that he would have known that “monkey” is highly offensive and racist. Leniu denies this.
NRL counsel presses that Leniu would be aware of Adam Goodes and the racial vilification he endured while playing for the Sydney Swans having lived in Sydney for most of his life. Leniu denies knowing who Adam Goodes is, or any other example of the slur being used in high profile sports cases.
NRL counsel says they are not calling Leniu a racist. They acknowledge he has shown remorse and pleaded guilty, saying it’s an important matter tonight to ensure players feel safe in their environment.
6.47PM: LENIU APOLOGY, HOTEL CONFRONTATION
STATEMENT: “I’m so sorry I said that to Ezra and made him feel little. This game is so fast and at the time I didn’t know the meaning of that word and how much it means to the indigenous community. He said something to me and I said something to him and I thought it was banter. At the time I thought it was one brown man saying something to another brown man. How we speak to each other is so common. At the time I had no idea what that word meant. There’s no room for racism in the game and I’m glad he’s brought it up. I love the Indigenous community and their culture, we wouldn’t have the game without them. Looking back at it now I can’t believe I used that word but I didn’t mean in a racial way. I’m so sorry.”
Leniu says he didn’t know Mam was Indigenous before the incident, again offering to fly to Brisbane to personally apologise to the Broncos five-eight.
“I am truly sorry and understand what Ezra is going through and why he said no, but hope in the future to speak to him in person.”
Leniu denied saying “check me” to Ezra in a confrontation back at the Las Vegas hotel. But admits he said it to Pat Carrigan. Leniu said he didn’t know the context, and regrets it and in hindsight would approach that situation in a different way.
Leniu says he has been called racial names by other dark-skinned people and has not been offended.
“I was copping a lot of backlash after the game. 6.30am the next morning an older Aboriginal women sent me the definition of what monkey means to their people,” says Leniu.
6.31PM: ROOM HEARS MAM STATEMENT
Ezra Mam has submitted a statement to the NRL to present to the hearing, some of which he has requested to remain confidential. The first four paragraphs not considered confidential have been be read out and heard by the panel.
MAM STATEMENT: “Payne Haas was tackled by Spencer Leniu. I said words to the effect of ‘run it back’ and then I recall the Spencer saying ‘F*** up you monkey’. At this point I felt so angry and disappointed after that and my mind was no longer focused on the game.”
6.28PM: LUAI-LENIU GAFFE
The NRL’s case against Sydney Roosters player Spencer Leniu is off to a poor start with his name and representative country both incorrectly stated by the governing body’s legal representative.
NRL solicitor Lachlan Gyles, presenting the case to prosecute Leniu for a racial slur against Broncos star Ezra Mam, has misstated his name as ‘Luai’ and said he plays for Tonga, not Samoa.
6.20PM: INSIDE THE JUDICIARY HEARING
The Leniu hearing is underway at NRL headquarters.
6.10PM: LENIU ARRIVES AT NRL HQ
The Roosters prop has entered the building flanked by club coach Trent Robinson, CEO Joe Kelly and lead counsel James McLeod. The hearing will be underway shortly.
Spencer Leniu has arrived at NRL HQ pic.twitter.com/BFAyLzDX3d
— Martin Gabor (@MartinJGabor) March 11, 2024
6PM: HIGH-PROFILE PANELISTS
Former leading referee Sean Hampstead and ex-international Bob Linder are the panel members on the judiciary while Geoffrey Bellew SC is the chair.
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