The Roosters have lodged an official complaint with the NRL that their own court lawyer failed to identify Spencer Leniu by his correct name and nationality.
In almost comical scenes, Lachlan Gyles SC’s opening speech referred to the Tricolors enforcer as ‘Spencer Luai’ and claimed he played international rugby league for Tonga rather than Samoa.
Gyles’ glaring errors were quickly corrected at the hearing by NRL judiciary chair Geoff Bellew SC.
But according to him Sydney Morning HeraldThe Roosters have since raised concerns with the NRL about Gyles’ mistakes.
Gyles also privately apologized for his mistakes.
NRL lawyer Lachlan Gyles SC referred to Samoan player Spencer Leniu as Tongan at the hearing and also called him “Spencer Luai”.
Spencer Leniu claimed at the hearing that he didn’t know his ‘monkey’ insult directed at Ezra Mam was racist.
Leniu has represented Samoa in seven Tests and was a teammate of Jarome Luai at the Panthers when they won three NRL premierships between 2021 and 2023.
The errors occurred when The rooster accessory was receives heavy suspension for racially vilifying Broncos center Ezra Mam.
Leniu was suspended for eight matches by the NRL judiciary after they rejected claims he did not know he was racially vilifying Ezra Mam when he called him a “monkey”.
Leniu admitted at the March 11 hearing in Sydney that he told mum to “fuck you, monkey” during an on-field verbal melee in Las Vegas’ season-opening doubleheader against Brisbane.
During the 90-minute hearing, Leniu said he thought it was “a brown man saying something to another brown man” and did not realize the racial connotations of the comment.
He argued that black players in NRL teams regularly called each other names such as ‘black’, ‘monkey’ and ‘black c***’.
“At the time I thought it was a brown man saying something to another brown man,” Leniu told the panel of Sean Hampstead, Bob Lindner and Geoff Bellew.
Mom refused to accept an apology from Leniu in person and ‘looked red’ after incident in Las Vegas
‘The use of words is very common.
‘This game happened so fast and in that split second I said a word, I didn’t know its meaning.
‘I didn’t know how much that meant to the indigenous community and his family.
‘It was just one of those things. I tackled someone, they said something to me and I told them something.’
In a statement provided to the panel, Mam said he turned red after the incident and was “angry” and “disappointed” in Leniu.
The Indigenous star detailed the pain he and his family were feeling, something the panel said they took into consideration when issuing the strong ban.
The Roosters star admitted hitting mum with the insult during the teams’ game in the US.
Mom (pictured, playing against the Roosters in Las Vegas) submitted a 12-paragraph statement to the court hearing, but eight of those paragraphs were kept secret.
The panel took into account that Leniu apologized to Mam and hoped to fly to Brisbane and address him in person once the Broncos’ five-eighth was open for a meeting.
“There is no place for racism in this game,” Leniu said.
‘I’m glad you brought this matter up. She had no racial intentions towards Ezra and the indigenous community.
‘I love them and their culture. “I don’t think there would be a game without those people.”
Gyles asked Leniu if he was aware of incidents such as those involving Adam Goodes at the Sydney Swans or other racial slurs involving references to monkeys or apes.
When Leniu said no, Gyles suggested that “most people who have been in Australia for 15 years would know that it would normally be racism to call someone a monkey.”
The prop man said his post-match comments calling the incident a “joke” came about due to a lack of knowledge, and that he only learned of the story around the word “monkey” when an indigenous woman contacted him. the next morning. Instagram.
But Bellew said the panel “did not accept the player’s alleged ignorance” and rejected calls from Leniu’s lawyer, James McLeod, for a four-game suspension.
Several NRL stars, including Latrell Mitchell, expressed their support for Leniu when the insult became public.
Roosters chief executive Joe Kelly said after the hearing that all players and staff would go through an educational programme, while his NRL counterpart praised Mam’s response.
“I have spoken to Ezra to congratulate him for speaking out and taking a stand,” NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said.
“It’s been comforting to see the game around him during this time.
‘I also acknowledge Spencer Leniu’s genuine remorse and apology and ask everyone to consider his well-being after a trying time in his young career.
‘We are human beings and we make mistakes. “This is how we all learn and grow.”
Leniu’s suspension means he will miss the second leg against Brisbane in round nine and return the following week against the Warriors on May 12.