Brisbane coach Kevin Walters expressed his admiration for Ezra Mam and his team’s reaction to an alleged racial slur made by Sydney Roosters prop Spencer Leniu.
After their 20-10 defeat in Las Vegas, the Broncos returned to Brisbane on Tuesday. Leniu was charged with contrary conduct on Monday, with the NRL immediately referring the matter to the judiciary.
Mam informed referee Adam Gee about the alleged slur, stating “he called me a monkey,” and a Broncos player corroborated the claim. However, Leniu denied the allegation when confronted on the field by Gee, questioning, “why would I say that?”
Observers noted that there was no imminent risk of a physical confrontation, and Leniu was guided down the corridor by club personnel while verbal exchanges occurred.
The teams were staying on the same floor at the hotel.
Walters commended the players for their strong support of Mam, a proud Torres Strait Islander, who he lauded for standing up for himself.
“That’s part of being a Bronco,” Walters remarked.
“All clubs stand by their teammates when they face pressure or encounter intolerable incidents. We’re a close-knit group at the Broncos, and we support each other in every aspect.
“Racial slurs are unacceptable in society, including in the rugby league community. Ezra, as an Indigenous player, has the right to express his displeasure and stand up for himself.
“The NRL is currently addressing the matter, and internally, we’re supporting our player Ezra. He’s doing okay, but it was a challenging night for him after the game. He’s receiving a lot of support.”
Walters refrained from commenting on the potential penalty Leniu might face if found guilty.
“The NRL has the responsibility to address the situation,” he stated.
“We respect the NRL’s actions and trust that they will make an appropriate decision regarding the outcome.”
Walters confirmed that Mam would “definitely” be playing in round two against South Sydney on March 14.
“That’s still a week-and-a-half away, but the club will support him and rally around him in every possible way so that he can play Thursday week,” Walters affirmed.
Following the game, Leniu downplayed the incident while speaking to Triple M radio, describing it as “nothing” and stating that he was “not worried at all.”
“It’s all part of the game on the field,” he remarked.
Leniu also returned home on Tuesday, expressing his happiness to be back in Sydney when speaking to reporters.
Brisbane teammates Reece Walsh, Kotoni Staggs, and captain Adam Reynolds have all voiced their support for Mam, with South Sydney’s Indigenous All Stars Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker also showing their support on social media.
Responding to a social media post calling for Leniu to be banned for 12 weeks, Mitchell added on his Instagram stories: “And some.”
When informed that Mam was “adamant” about the incident, Roosters coach Trent Robinson stated in his post-match press conference: “Ezra’s adamant? That doesn’t mean it’s right.”
Fijian-born rugby and rugby league legend Lote Tuqiri condemned Robinson’s remarks, labeling them as “gaslighting rubbish” and expressing disappointment in the Roosters coach.
“If a player asserts that he’s been racially targeted on the field, it’s happened!!” Tuqiri tweeted.
“You can try to justify it by saying it’s part of the game or the heat of the moment, but I don’t understand how Trent Robinson can sit in a post-match press conference and cast doubt on Ezra’s experience.
“‘Doesn’t mean it’s right’ is a form of gaslighting nonsense that I never expected to hear from Trent Robinson’s mouth, especially after the commendable way he handled Latrell’s incident last year.
“I fully support Ezra in calling out this behavior.”
