The Roosters stay adamant that Spencer Leniu shouldn’t be a racist, however it didn’t cease the NRL from sending a transparent message with the prop suspended for eight matches for calling Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mam a “monkey” through the sport in Las Vegas.
Leniu repeatedly mentioned that he didn’t assume the remark was racial in nature, however it didn’t cease the NRL from handing him a hefty ban within the greatest listening to since Billy Slater’s case in grand remaining week six years in the past.
“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 government Joe Kelly mentioned 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.”
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Mam rejects Leniu olive department | 01:36
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It’s been the most important speaking level in rugby league for the previous week with present gamers supporting Mam and calling for a monster suspension for an incident that left him distraught and unable to deal with the ultimate 11 minutes of the sport.
The Broncos star made an official criticism on the sector to referee Adam Gee after he was abused for telling his teammates to run at Leniu who he thought can be gassed after making the earlier sort out.
Mam didn’t attend the listening to however despatched a 12-paragraph assertion, with the ultimate eight paragraphs remaining confidential.
“I saw him at marker and recall saying words to the effect of ‘run it back at Spencer’,” the assertion learn.
“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 final week that he made the remark however was adamant that it was not racist in nature and that he’d been known as “monkey” and “coconut” previously however hadn’t taken any offence.
“I heard Ezra Mam say something to me. That’s when I said to him ‘f— up, monkey’,” Leniu informed the panel, with the star recruit to return the week after his facet performs Brisbane for the second time.
How lengthy ought to Leniu be suspended for? | 03:15
“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 got here underneath fireplace for feedback made to Triple M the place he mentioned it was all “fun and games”, which led to Broncos gamers confronting him on the resort that night time.
“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 defined, telling the panel he mentioned “check me” to Broncos lock Patrick Carrigan that night time.
“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 informed protection counsel James McLeod that he took “100 per cent responsibility” and that he would “never” use the slur once more, adamant that he didn’t know Mam’s background when he made the remark.
The Roosters prop discovered simply how offensive the slur was the next day at round 6am when an aged Aboriginal lady despatched him the definition of “monkey” and the way culturally insensitive the time period was.
“That’s when I realised,” Leniu mentioned.
It’s why Leniu wished to fly to Brisbane to have a face-to-face chat and apologise to the Broncos five-eighth who turned down the supply as a result of he wasn’t able to confront the Samoan ahead.
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“If I had it my way in a perfect world, I would have preferred to say sorry to him in person,” he mentioned.
“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 known as Leniu ‘Luai’ within the opening remarks and steered he was Tongan – referenced the abuse AFL legend Adam Goodes copped in 2013 and accused Leniu of mendacity that he wasn’t conscious of how offensive the time period was.
Gyles mentioned it was racial abuse of a “highly offensive nature” and known as for eight matches given the numerous influence it had on Mam and his household, whereas McLeod pushed for 4 matches given his consumer was remorseful and adamant that it wasn’t meant to be racist.
He additionally pointed to Marcelo Montoya’s four-match ban from 2022 for a homophobic slur and urged the panel to think about an identical suspension.
But after a 90-minute listening to and 40 minutes of deliberation, the panel of Bob Lindner, Sean Hampstead and judiciary chair Geoffrey Bellew landed on eight matches, which suggests he’ll return in Round 10 for the Warriors sport.
“That puts it in the medium category of contrary conduct,” he mentioned.
“He was genuine, he was honest in his very poor use of a word but not one that was made on racial intent.
“He made a really bad mistake, one that has caused pain and hurt, but it wasn’t motivated by race.”
He additionally later introduced up the instance of Warriors winger Marcelo Montoya receiving a four-week suspension for a homophobic slur in 2022, to which Gyles argued in return that there was no suggestion the participant on the receiving finish of these remarks had been “offended by the comment”.
“The submission that a racial remark came from someone with dark skin makes it less significant, is wrong,” Gyles added, later declaring this an “opportunity to draw a line in the sand”.
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Source: www.foxsports.com.au