Spencer Leniu has been referred to the NRL judiciary over his alleged on-field racial slur to Ezra Mam, after a night of high drama in Las Vegas that included Brisbane and Sydney Roosters players clashing in a hotel corridor.
Leniu was on Sunday charged over the incident, requiring him to front the panel over the allegation he called Brisbane’s Indigenous star Mam a “monkey”.
The Sydney Roosters recruit denied the claim on field, and could be heard saying to referee Adam Gee, “Why would I say that?”.
Tensions between the clubs remained high late into the night in Vegas, with players exchanging words as they passed each other at the Hilton at Resorts World.
Witnesses told AAP there was no threat of a physical altercation, and Leniu was ushered down the corridor by club staff as words were exchanged.
The teams are sharing the same floor at the hotel.
Mam was picked up telling referee Adam Gee “he called me a monkey” late in the second half of the Broncos’ 20-10 loss to the Roosters on Saturday night.
Leniu told Triple M after the match he was not “worried at all”, and that the incident was “just fun and games on the field, that’s it”.
An upset Mam has since told Broncos officials he is adamant the alleged slur was made.
Indigenous All Stars captain Latrell Mitchell has demanded the NRL take action, while posting “typical” alongside a headline detailing the alleged incident.
“I stand with you Bala,” Mitchell posted on an Instagram story.
“NRL better deal with this s**t.”
Leniu’s post-match comment has drawn the ire of some players, with Cody Walker and Broncos centre Kotoni Staggs among those expressing their frustration on social media.
Johnathan Thurston said he had been left upset by the allegation, and reported Mam was “in tears”.
“A little bit emotional … that in this day and age one of our players will be allegedly saying what he said,” Thurston said on Nine.
“After coming here, 40,000 people. Two massive cracking games, and now we’re dealing with this. We didn’t need it after round one.”
The NRL has largely avoided any on-field racial incidents in the past decade, with Mitchell Barnett the last accused of a slur – by Tyrone Peachey in 2020.
Barnett denied the allegation, and the investigation was closed when a review of footage and audio uncovered no evidence.
Paul Gallen was fined $10,000 for a racial slur against St George Illawarra’s Mickey Paea in 2009.
Gallen made a public apology over the incident, and stood down as Cronulla captain.
Warriors winger Marcelo Montoya was suspended for four games in 2022 for a homophobic slur in a match against North Queensland.
