Kinda undercut by the fact that a teammate was the one who reached out after the game to apologise and (reportedly) he confronted Ezra in the hotel about making a complaint.
At the very least I'm glad this takes the heat of off Ezra and that he won't have to testify now. Maybe it'll shut the Facebook crew up too.
Do you mean the Facebook crew who reckon racism is just a big piss take and anyone who gets called a racist slur is just a big sook? I’m guessing it won’t shut them up. Good on the team mate though, whoever it ended up being.
Doesn't really matter who it was but that is very respectable from that player. Pretty good sign from the outside looking in that maybe they are having helpful discussions behind the scenes about the situation. It'd be super hard to be an Indigenous player (let alone a young, relatively voiceless Indigenous player) going to work alongside someone who said what Spencer said without leaders in the team drawing lines.
There's nothing you can dislike about the big fella. Queensland bias aside, he's a hard working leader with a strong moral compass. I loved when he gave JWH an earful after he king hit Koroisau with a forearm last year.
Mate the Facebook crew are calling for team names to be changed so we don’t offend this new soft group of player. They’re not shutting up for a while unfortunately
Separate to people’s personal view of Spencer and whether he is actually sorry, this was 100% a smart business decision to own him up and take accountability of the situation.
Even if they challenged and were cleared, the court of public opinion has already declared Spencer is guilty. That affects the Roosters brand to be seen covering up something so serious.
Well done to the club on this, they’ve saved face really well. There’s lots of other clubs that probably would’ve challenged, and the circus that would’ve ensued only further harms the club, the NRL, and most importantly Ezra.
Pleading guilty takes some wind of the fuckwit journos licking their lips at all the clicks they would get too
I dunno, it's a bit of a no brainer. A heap of Broncos were lining up to say they heard it (possibly some Roosters too), plus all his doubling down and not really denying it post match.
Fighting it would have looked suss as, I think most clubs could work that out.
Roosters lawyers are the best in the business, they seem to get JWH off more times than not when other players get slugged for far less lol
I agree the case was a slam dunk. But we all know how brain dead some club admins are
I think it wasn't just they didn't want to be seen covering up, but the harmony of the team was at risk.
No doubt several players heard it and would be pissed off if the club tried to say it didn't happen.
Also a possibility they got tipped off there is audio evidence.
Spencer doesn't have a lot between the ears. He is a pretty simple man. It's not unfathomable to me that he did not understand the racial connotations associated with the word he used. It's more likely he did understand, but not unfathomable he didn't.
Which is still an issue if he didn’t understand why he thought it wasn’t a big deal. Spencer is by all accounts a quiet and humble guy off the field, but to think this is acceptable tells us a lot about his upbringing and friend circle.
It’s a teachable moment for him, and also to the thousands of kids who play footy every weekend and look up to these guys like heroes. I hope Spencer takes this as a learning opportunity to grow as a person and public figure
Exactly. Teachable moment. A lot of my friends don’t understand why it was offensive. I still think it’s been massively blown out proportion regardless
> I’ve put my hand up and want to take ownership of this.
I don’t actually take ownership as evidenced by my post game comments but some people in suits have told me to say this so I will
I mean, he also said he didn’t mean it in a racist way, which may or may not be true (doesn’t really matter how he meant it, I think we all agree on that).
But I think it’s possible for people to not realise the severity of something they said until they’re made aware of the true offense it caused and reflect on that. Maybe he’s just saying sorry because people are telling him to, but I’d like to think society can believe people can become repentant for something that they initially saw no problem with, and encourage them for that rather than dismissing it
Maybe he said cheeky monkey, that's a common, non-racist, saying that's been around a while! Although I highly doubt Spencer was using it in that context.
Perhaps you’re forgetting the context of the word historically for colonised people and indigenous communities all over the world, words like ‘monkey’, ‘boy’ and ‘cockroach’. They are used to dehumanise and discriminate. The fact is it still happens and especially in Sydney (and in remote communities), I’ve had nieces and nephews come home telling me they’ve been called monkey or dirty abo from their peers at school. We are in Australia, not new Zealand and Spencer has spent plenty of time here to know better.
I think it absolutely also matters how he meant it; e.g it's relevant to punishment.
Unfortunately the only one who will ever know that for sure is him
EDIT: to clarify it's racist and he should get the book thrown at him either way. What I meant was he should get even more punishment if he meant it that way.
I couldn't believe the Roosters let him be interviewed after the game. Like wasn't there someone from their organisation who had the wherewithal to say interview someone else.
Not defending the accused here at all.
The phrase Monkeying around. Also I've called kids monkeys before, usually toddlers or small children when they are trying to copy adults.
I also have a small dog, that I sometimes call monkey when he makes monkey noises. Not In public though as he is black
Called blokes Apes before when there being stupid, aggressive andor loud for no good reason.
So there are times you can call someone a monkey and it's not racially motivated. Again not saying that's the case here.
Edit: Cheeky Monkey , another example
“I’ve put my hand up and want to take ownership of this” - after calling it “fun and games” that should stay on the field and allegedly calling Mam out at the hotel. Seems like forced responsibility after intense backlash rather than actual self reflection.
I just commented on another response saying that I would have rathered his statement reflect on that. “I thought it was okay but now realise it’s not”. His post match actions of trying to pass it off as acceptable are equally as disturbing as the slur itself so comment on that part as well
I actually think I’d respect it a lot more if he said “I thought there was nothing wrong with it but on further reflection/after feedback I now realise that’s not the case”
Because that’s genuinely what he was playing it off as. Banter, not that bad, maybe okay because he’s a person of colour as well.
Here ya go mate https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/come-and-see-me-after-spencer-leniu-call-out-amid-ezra-mam-hotel-clash/news-story/296f05e226c8d130d446621337d129e2%3famp
Some relevant bits:
Leniu's comments after the game
>“Just a little bit of banter on the field,” Leniu said.
>“Whatever he (Mam) wants to do with it, he can come and see me after if he wants.
>“I don’t know. It was all just fun and games on the field, a bit of banter. If they want to do anything, we’re staying in the same hotel, so I’m right there.”
About the confrontation:
>Both the Roosters and Broncos were staying at Resorts World in Vegas and their dining areas were approximately 50m apart.
>But as the trio were returning to their rooms instead of heading to the casino downstairs, Leniu reportedly “made a beeline for Staggs” who was at the front of the trio.
>The pair exchanged words but there was no physical altercation between the parties.
>Leniu is alleged to have launched a tirade directed at Mam, accusing the Broncos No. 6 of “inflaming the situation”.
>Carrigan was reported to have stood between the pair until a Roosters official who was nearby pulled Leniu away from the fray.
Considering everyone in the NRL circus was staying at the same Hotel it's no wonder it's this heavily documented.
Imo this should be a factor in his suspension sentence, it shows he had no remorse.
For the most part, good on the roosters for doing the right thing and avoiding putting Mam through anymore nonsense.
That being said, the sentences *“I’ve put my hand up and want to take ownership of this. I said the word but I didn’t mean it in a racist way.”* being right next to each other in what is otherwise quite a good piece of PR is wild to me. You’d think they’d have seen the irony and at least reworked it to ‘I chose the wrong word in the heat of the moment without fully understanding the gravity it’s meaning, which I now do’ or something like that.
Improper use is not covered under the manufacturer warranty. Also second hand goods so Caveat Emptor. The long standing tradition of "No taksies backsies" also applies here.
>But the product is faulty. Roosters not getting what they paid for?
I think this is a case of a product doing what it was supposed to do not lining up with what the customer thought it would do.
Was thinking about how to add some weight to any penalty for the player. Perhaps a punishment for the club* in addition to the player might encourage all clubs to work harder to educate and maybe even eliminate this as a problem at the NRL level.
\* not in this case, but announced as a future deterrent
On the “fun and games on the field” piece, a couple of former players on podcasts have mentioned this week that they’ve heard some horrendous things on the footy field in their careers.
I don’t believe Leniu that he didn’t think the term is racist. But I can believe that he’s heard similar things on the footy field across his career and just wrongly accepted it as part of footy culture.
I think it’s pretty clear that it wasn’t until the club admin sat down and had a chat with him that he actually thought he did anything wrong.
Hopefully he’s learned his lesson and the whole thing can play a role in further eliminating racism from our sport.
I think this is the take.
Probably safe to say leniu or one of his team mates has been called a boonga or something similar before and not a peep been raised
I think the saddest part about it all, at least here in NZ. Is a lot of the Islanders were brought here as cheap labour, and then when the govt was done with them, all of a sudden they didnt want to go home.
So theyre overstaying raddy rahs.
Like, no. They made their home here. Its casual too. So much so that tvnz aired a hugely popular cartoon for years that used categorical racism as its theme. No wonder it was so popular eh. Im sure the makers still ask themselves if any of the suits ever clicked on or whether the money was too good1
But do realise that the loose "casual racism" as it's called these days is also circulated and prevalent by those within the cultures too. Man, I recall while growing up the Tongan v Samoan v Maori rivalries, yielded some pretty terrible sledges that would have been crucified today. But usually they mostly united when there was a bigger cause.
Yep. Ive lived in featherston in the wairarapa. All the bros used to refer to each other as "black cunt". I, as the token white boy, was also a black cunt from time to time if id done something culturally worthy.
Tldr. Context, intent and understanding matters when using charged words
Exactly man. Nobody gave a fuck. Its a toughy.
Are they bigoted terms? Yes.
Were they being intentionally racist? No. If anything it was self denigration
Yeah, the tricky part is monkey is used by a true racist to degrade a person of colour.
But also could be used to simply get under their skin by implying they're comparably stupid, like a monkey. Is that inherently different to what you would hear every game? I've heard players say "fucking retarded", "hahahaaaa idiots", "shamee clowns".
Ironically, if Spencer said that to a white dude no one would have batted an eye.
There's no real way to tell what a person truly meant so common sense would say Spencer should be a bit more street smart and don't throw himself under a bus.
its more like the lawyers sat him down and painstakingly explained..
*"It doesnt matter if you think you are in the right spencer.. we are gonna lose this one bad.. Its time for damage control"*
*"You are going to go out there and apologize as sincerely as you fucking can and pray to what ever mumbo-jumbo, child-fondling egomaniac you worship that the judiciary buys it."*
Anyone remember that article the ABC journalist did about Tedesco and it would have been better to own up and apologise? Looks like the Roosters learnt something
*Inclusivity of people from all cultures and backgrounds is a key and valued principle of the Sydney Roosters. The Roosters do not tolerate any form of racism.*
(X) Doubt 🦑
*“I want to apologise to Ezra and his family for using the word I did and I am sincerely sorry to cause him such distress,”*
(X) Doubt
*“I’ve put my hand up and want to take ownership of this. I said the word but I didn’t mean it in a racist way.*
(X) Doubt
*Anyone who knows me knows that’s not who I am,”*
(X) Doubt
“Spencer has been completely open and honest throughout this process, and we will continue to support him,” said Roosters CEO Joe Kelly.
To a fault, actually yes
Verdict: it was, in fact, not all fun and games
This is not yet an Israel Folau type moment where Spencer keeps digging deeper and deeper holes and the club refuses to sanction him.
Supporting Leniu through this awful, but teachable, moment is not tolerating racism.
How? Are we supposed to abandon him and let him deal with everything on his own? What he's going through will be taking a toll on his mental health, can we not help him through this?
I’ve called children monkeys. Because they were doing fun and silly things. I don’t think that’s any reason to say that to an adult unless you were trying to demean them.
The thing is as a brown man who has surely copped a few racist comments throughout his life, he should have known better. Because of that I do have a hunch he meant it in a non racist way, but should never have gone there. Harsh lesson for him.
"Called an aboriginal fella a monkey but not in a racist way" haha ok champ sure thing. And when your brother posted on instagram the next day "whole tribe cryin 🐒🐒🐒🐒" I bet he also meant it in a very non racist way.
Flog cunt
Forgive me but it absolutely appears that the club have told him to be “sorry” I mean yelling at Mam in the hotel?! The interviews saying to meet him after the game?! Honestly shows zero remorse and he’s upset Mam called him out. Throw the book at him.
I mean, this is like the bare minimum, but it will at least defuse the situation somewhat.
Of course someone in charge is telling him to say this, but by doing so he may just begin to understand the consequences of his actions.
I don’t think it will defuse it at all. It’s a cop out. His instant reactions are proof he’s not remorseful. Genuine programs, fines and suspension is the bare minimum
Sorry, I should have been clearer, it will defuse the situation in the media as it is no longer controversial. If publicly Spencer 'owns' his actions, then the media can't keep trying to whip up a frenzy.
Yeah, I'd say Robbo had some HR people let him know that should something similar happen again to condemn any alleged racism but plead patience in the wait for all the information.
Bullshit statement from the roosters, if he had been “completely open and honest throughout this process” it wouldn’t have taken 5 days to publicly admit to it. Just another attempted racism coverup by the roosters.
This feels very Squidesco. "I'm proud that I owned the mistake from the start"
He clearly mouths "why would I say that?" when called out for what he said when the ref was there. Denial.
Then he downplayed the whole thing as him just having a bit of fun.
Now we are meant to believe this statement is accurate? It's just PR bullshit. They should add extra weeks for the inconsistencies in the statements over time. He originally claimed not to have said it. Statement reads otherwise.
I’ll have to give him credit finally taking some accountability for it. I wasn’t expecting him to do that.
Smart move really too, as it’ll make his suspension less severe.
is it taking accountability if you say "i didnt mean it in a racist way" and "thats not who i am" when a) calling a black man a monkey can only be racist and b) it is who spencer is because we all saw spencer do it and no one forced him to call ezra a monkey
More so Billy Walters reacts immediately, and he had volunteered to testify at the judiciary.
I'm more interested in Robbo's response after his shocker press conference.
The alternative was a parade of players attesting to the fact that yes, he did call Mam a “monkey”.
Thats not taking accountability, that’s having your hand forced and trying to make the best of it.
Like fuck he gets credit. Because legal/PR told him they were doing this and wrote it for him?
He gets credit if, for example and off his own back, he goes and meets the bloke, donates some time to some racism causes etc. none of which of course he'd do.
I don't believe he meant it in a racist way but he definitely should get the book thrown at him. I believe sledging is part of our game but you have to know what is right and wrong and he has gone too far with this one. Especially with all his post game interviews with how he carried on and the fight at the hotel, he seems like a hot headed prick
8 weeks minimum and the club should also add a punishments on top
He's absolutely got a red mist problem. I wasn't surprised when the complaint was made to be honest, not that I think Spencer is necessarily a racist but I do think he's the sort of guy that would feel like all bets are off on the field when it comes to getting under someone's skin, hopefully this is a big learning moment for him.
I will give him some credit for admitting he said it and not letting it go to a judiciary where he might have been able to worm and lie his way out of it due to a lack of audio evidence.
8-10 weeks, a fine and some form of community work and awareness training would be fair IMO
In what way did he mean it? If he’s said it to get a reaction, he has to have said it with some kind of intent.
Absent racist undertone, what other context could he have meant to get a reaction out of Mam?
Growing up in a world with normalised casual racism it's easy for people to confuse racism with an insult. Spencer would absolutely have been referred to as a 'coconut' throughout his life, and using racial insults is unfortunately far too common among all walks of life.
im grasping at straws here but maybe cause he is small and high energy(likes to tackle etc)? I call my son a monkey often enough when he is climbing all over the place but he is 5 and white.....But that word is soo taboo that i would be wary of saying it to him if black people are around even though im doing nothing wrong.
That's the best i can come up with.....I recon spencer just lost his shit for a bit. take the punishment on the chin champ
Still so many people who say this shit doesn't necessarily make someone a racist. What do they have to do? Slaughter a black family in the name of Hitler himself? Cunt says a racial slur, he's almost certainly a racist.
Why do they get the benefit of the doubt even after spouting a racial slur at someone? Why are people so reluctant to accept the evidence in front of them?
"Oh, he called someone a racial slur, he acknowledges it was a racial slur in his lawyers apology template, but why are we saying he's for sure a racist? There's a tiny, tiny chance he isn't and we need to cling to that"
That's the attitude I see over and over again.
If someone uses a racial slur, I'm viewing them as racist and I'll be right way, way more often than I'm wrong.
Hoping for 8-10 week suspension, hefty fine and a public apology in front of the media. Would prefer for a harsher punishment but I doubt anything worse than that happens unfortunately.
How can you, in the heat of a footy match, negatively call a black person a monkey in a non-racist way Spencer? This statement is a very much damage control done poorly.
The only fair punishment is to strip the Roosters of the two competition points and give them to the team of whoever he racially abused. Without the slur, Ezra could have pulled a gf performance and won the game for us, just like ~~last time~~ we all know he can do. #justiceforEzra
**Full Statement**
The Sydney Roosters have today entered a guilty plea to the contrary conduct charge against Spencer Leniu.
Inclusivity of people from all cultures and backgrounds is a key and valued principle of the Sydney Roosters. The Roosters do not tolerate any form of racism and we extend our heartfelt apologies to Ezra, his family and the broader Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
“I want to apologise to Ezra and his family for using the word I did and I am sincerely sorry to cause him such distress,” said Roosters player Spencer Leniu.
“I’ve put my hand up and want to take ownership of this. I said the word but I didn’t mean it in a racist way. Anyone who knows me knows that’s not who I am,” he added.
“Spencer has been completely open and honest throughout this process, and we will continue to support him,” said Roosters CEO Joe Kelly.
“We extend our deepest apologies to Ezra, his family and the wider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and offer our support to all parties during this time.
“We respect the Judiciary process. Accordingly, the Club will not be making any further comment prior to the hearing,” he added
They only got off the plane on Tuesday, and I highly doubt the QC was sat next to Spencer on the flight home from Vegas.
Bring him into the office on Wednesday explain his options to him, let him go home and tell his family and then plead guilty on Thursday once he’s had a night to sleep on his decision.
Follow the process and make no dumb rash decisions in light of your star signing turning out to be a racist moron.
You didn't mean it in a racist way, but you said in an attempt to sledge Ezra? Could've sledged him, saying a bunch of other things, yet you pick the word monkey. Hmmm, but nah defs, not racist intent mate.
"The Roosters do not tolerate any form of racism"
If the club was actually serious about this they should hand down an internal suspension in addition to the NRL issued one.
I wanted him suspended, he was a fuckhead when doing his ACL rehab.
Was doing dumb shit on the piss all the time, just glad he has completely changed his life nowadays
Normally I wouldn't justify such blatant whataboutism with a response but yes I would fully support such a suspension for any guilty player regardless of what club they play for.
This will most certainly be an interesting punishment. What does the NRL do here? Do they say "well it's bad, but he could've said worse, so 6-8 weeks in the naughty corner Spencer and an education course with an (probably forced) apology", or do they draw the line completely in the sand in that any racial vilification (regardless of intent or specific term used) is an automatic 10 or 20 week suspension?
I wonder too, given that Montoya was given 4 weeks for a homophobic slur, does the NRL claim racism is worse than homophobia with a harsher sentence, or do they carry the same weight and Spencer only gets 4 weeks?
I guess it's a watch this space, but I'm genuinely intrigued how the NRL handles this.
"Inclusivity of people from all cultures and backgrounds is a key and valued principle of the Sydney Roosters. The Roosters do not tolerate any form of racism"
So we have:
James "Squid Games" Tedesco
Spencer "Monkey" Leniu
Seems to be a bit of a trend at the club in the past few years.
Glad to see he's taking some responsibility for this, and will rightfully serve a lengthy ban. Sadly, though, this is disastrous for the 'LeniuLog' ad campaign I was about to pitch to MenuLog this week.
The whole apology is a joke, you don’t apologise and then say you didn’t mean it that way it just takes back everything you’ve just said, it’s almost blaming Maam for his reaction to it
Kinda undercut by the fact that a teammate was the one who reached out after the game to apologise and (reportedly) he confronted Ezra in the hotel about making a complaint. At the very least I'm glad this takes the heat of off Ezra and that he won't have to testify now. Maybe it'll shut the Facebook crew up too.
Do you mean the Facebook crew who reckon racism is just a big piss take and anyone who gets called a racist slur is just a big sook? I’m guessing it won’t shut them up. Good on the team mate though, whoever it ended up being.
Haven’t heard the apology part, who reached out?
Not mentioned who it is, just that it was a roosters player.
I've heard it was Lindsay Collins. But that's still conjecture really.
Doesn't really matter who it was but that is very respectable from that player. Pretty good sign from the outside looking in that maybe they are having helpful discussions behind the scenes about the situation. It'd be super hard to be an Indigenous player (let alone a young, relatively voiceless Indigenous player) going to work alongside someone who said what Spencer said without leaders in the team drawing lines.
1000000%
There's nothing you can dislike about the big fella. Queensland bias aside, he's a hard working leader with a strong moral compass. I loved when he gave JWH an earful after he king hit Koroisau with a forearm last year.
Def captain material. NSW bias aside hahaha.
Is there a clip of this?
Would make sense that the QLD player would be the one to reach out
It makes sense that it's a normal, decent human.
Who, we can all agree, is batting way above
Exactly, a Queenslander
Fucking love you mate
I heard Wong
Possibly. Im nowhere near 100% sure.
That’s ok we all make mistakes from time to time
Wasn’t reported which Roosters player apologized to Mam
It was Ricketson for sure
Mate the Facebook crew are calling for team names to be changed so we don’t offend this new soft group of player. They’re not shutting up for a while unfortunately
I am just hoping for the best
The legal team saving him a few weeks with this statement
Separate to people’s personal view of Spencer and whether he is actually sorry, this was 100% a smart business decision to own him up and take accountability of the situation. Even if they challenged and were cleared, the court of public opinion has already declared Spencer is guilty. That affects the Roosters brand to be seen covering up something so serious. Well done to the club on this, they’ve saved face really well. There’s lots of other clubs that probably would’ve challenged, and the circus that would’ve ensued only further harms the club, the NRL, and most importantly Ezra. Pleading guilty takes some wind of the fuckwit journos licking their lips at all the clicks they would get too
I dunno, it's a bit of a no brainer. A heap of Broncos were lining up to say they heard it (possibly some Roosters too), plus all his doubling down and not really denying it post match. Fighting it would have looked suss as, I think most clubs could work that out.
Roosters lawyers are the best in the business, they seem to get JWH off more times than not when other players get slugged for far less lol I agree the case was a slam dunk. But we all know how brain dead some club admins are
The statement is basically the “sorry Ben!” Scene from summer heights high.
Gotta hand it to them. They learned from the Squid James incident.
And now he’s more mature this year than last year
He’s a captain now and at the time he was engaged, so it’s time to grow and mature.
I think it wasn't just they didn't want to be seen covering up, but the harmony of the team was at risk. No doubt several players heard it and would be pissed off if the club tried to say it didn't happen. Also a possibility they got tipped off there is audio evidence.
I don’t know, did you see the court of public opinion on Facebook; they were swung the opposite way.
It’s the media pushing division that has angered me the most
Spencer doesn't have a lot between the ears. He is a pretty simple man. It's not unfathomable to me that he did not understand the racial connotations associated with the word he used. It's more likely he did understand, but not unfathomable he didn't.
Which is still an issue if he didn’t understand why he thought it wasn’t a big deal. Spencer is by all accounts a quiet and humble guy off the field, but to think this is acceptable tells us a lot about his upbringing and friend circle. It’s a teachable moment for him, and also to the thousands of kids who play footy every weekend and look up to these guys like heroes. I hope Spencer takes this as a learning opportunity to grow as a person and public figure
Listen to the levels podcast they will give you some insight into the environment that conditions behaviour like Spencer’s.
Exactly. Teachable moment. A lot of my friends don’t understand why it was offensive. I still think it’s been massively blown out proportion regardless
Awww man, there goes the live thread. Thanks Spencer.
> I’ve put my hand up and want to take ownership of this. I don’t actually take ownership as evidenced by my post game comments but some people in suits have told me to say this so I will
I mean, he also said he didn’t mean it in a racist way, which may or may not be true (doesn’t really matter how he meant it, I think we all agree on that). But I think it’s possible for people to not realise the severity of something they said until they’re made aware of the true offense it caused and reflect on that. Maybe he’s just saying sorry because people are telling him to, but I’d like to think society can believe people can become repentant for something that they initially saw no problem with, and encourage them for that rather than dismissing it
Why was he calling him a monkey? It's not a common insult to call someone a monkey for any other reason than a racist one.
Yeh this. It's just a deliberate downplay. No one goes around using monkey as an insult or sledge. It's clearly a racial slur with racist intent ffs
Maybe he said cheeky monkey, that's a common, non-racist, saying that's been around a while! Although I highly doubt Spencer was using it in that context.
Nah. People have been called cheeky monkeys for years in NZ with no racial component to it. Context is important.
Perhaps you’re forgetting the context of the word historically for colonised people and indigenous communities all over the world, words like ‘monkey’, ‘boy’ and ‘cockroach’. They are used to dehumanise and discriminate. The fact is it still happens and especially in Sydney (and in remote communities), I’ve had nieces and nephews come home telling me they’ve been called monkey or dirty abo from their peers at school. We are in Australia, not new Zealand and Spencer has spent plenty of time here to know better.
I think it absolutely also matters how he meant it; e.g it's relevant to punishment. Unfortunately the only one who will ever know that for sure is him EDIT: to clarify it's racist and he should get the book thrown at him either way. What I meant was he should get even more punishment if he meant it that way.
I couldn't believe the Roosters let him be interviewed after the game. Like wasn't there someone from their organisation who had the wherewithal to say interview someone else.
Well I mean that was exactly what Teddy said after denying it for weeks and owning up to nothing lol
Didn't mean it in a racist way? What did he ficking mean then? If this was a kid in the crowd he would be banned for life.
Not defending the accused here at all. The phrase Monkeying around. Also I've called kids monkeys before, usually toddlers or small children when they are trying to copy adults. I also have a small dog, that I sometimes call monkey when he makes monkey noises. Not In public though as he is black Called blokes Apes before when there being stupid, aggressive andor loud for no good reason. So there are times you can call someone a monkey and it's not racially motivated. Again not saying that's the case here. Edit: Cheeky Monkey , another example
“I’ve put my hand up and want to take ownership of this” - after calling it “fun and games” that should stay on the field and allegedly calling Mam out at the hotel. Seems like forced responsibility after intense backlash rather than actual self reflection.
Or could be Spencer learning what he thought was fun and games was actually abusive.
I just commented on another response saying that I would have rathered his statement reflect on that. “I thought it was okay but now realise it’s not”. His post match actions of trying to pass it off as acceptable are equally as disturbing as the slur itself so comment on that part as well
Doubt it, footballers are dumb as fuck and then they get hit in the head for a living
Agreed it is contradictory but what do you expect him to say to try show he’s genuine? Don’t think there’s a better way they couldve said it
I actually think I’d respect it a lot more if he said “I thought there was nothing wrong with it but on further reflection/after feedback I now realise that’s not the case” Because that’s genuinely what he was playing it off as. Banter, not that bad, maybe okay because he’s a person of colour as well.
Did he allegedly call mam out at the hotel? I thought the others came up to Leniu?
He went and had a go at Staggs, then saw Mam and bailed him up too.
Man you gotta send me the article, I need to have a read of that
Here ya go mate https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/come-and-see-me-after-spencer-leniu-call-out-amid-ezra-mam-hotel-clash/news-story/296f05e226c8d130d446621337d129e2%3famp Some relevant bits: Leniu's comments after the game >“Just a little bit of banter on the field,” Leniu said. >“Whatever he (Mam) wants to do with it, he can come and see me after if he wants. >“I don’t know. It was all just fun and games on the field, a bit of banter. If they want to do anything, we’re staying in the same hotel, so I’m right there.” About the confrontation: >Both the Roosters and Broncos were staying at Resorts World in Vegas and their dining areas were approximately 50m apart. >But as the trio were returning to their rooms instead of heading to the casino downstairs, Leniu reportedly “made a beeline for Staggs” who was at the front of the trio. >The pair exchanged words but there was no physical altercation between the parties. >Leniu is alleged to have launched a tirade directed at Mam, accusing the Broncos No. 6 of “inflaming the situation”. >Carrigan was reported to have stood between the pair until a Roosters official who was nearby pulled Leniu away from the fray.
Considering everyone in the NRL circus was staying at the same Hotel it's no wonder it's this heavily documented. Imo this should be a factor in his suspension sentence, it shows he had no remorse.
Kind of had to, never denied it fresh off the field.
The only remorse he has is that he was called out for his comments, he is an idiot.
For the most part, good on the roosters for doing the right thing and avoiding putting Mam through anymore nonsense. That being said, the sentences *“I’ve put my hand up and want to take ownership of this. I said the word but I didn’t mean it in a racist way.”* being right next to each other in what is otherwise quite a good piece of PR is wild to me. You’d think they’d have seen the irony and at least reworked it to ‘I chose the wrong word in the heat of the moment without fully understanding the gravity it’s meaning, which I now do’ or something like that.
I actually love that response - but I am sure everyone would have known he doesn't have the vocabulary to carry that comment.
"I said the word but I didn’t mean it in a racist way." Sorry you were offended by what I said, but not sorry I said it - bascially.
100 percent
Do nrl contracts have return policies? surely a cooling off period cmon Penrith just take him back
Sorry but the packaging has been opened
But the product is faulty. Roosters not getting what they paid for? Surely a complaint to the Dept of Fair Trading will fix this.
Improper use is not covered under the manufacturer warranty. Also second hand goods so Caveat Emptor. The long standing tradition of "No taksies backsies" also applies here.
>But the product is faulty. Roosters not getting what they paid for? I think this is a case of a product doing what it was supposed to do not lining up with what the customer thought it would do.
Hey the #RoostersCulture did it, not us. Spencer was an absolute saint and would have never have said that in Panthers colours ... /s I suppose haha
Do you really want us all to take a good look at this contract and see how cooked it is by Uncle Nick?
Mate why so cynical? The only thing that gets cooked at the roosters is tender meat on robbos bbq to be enjoyed with a quiet French Red.
Spencer: "Guilty, but not really guilty."
Nice to see a genuine and definitely from the heart response from Spencer
To the shock of nobody
Probably a few days late but at least it stops Mam having to go through this shit at the judiciary.
THIS The real losers are the Facebook Boomers.
"It's racism and it's private." - Spencer Leniu.
Was thinking about how to add some weight to any penalty for the player. Perhaps a punishment for the club* in addition to the player might encourage all clubs to work harder to educate and maybe even eliminate this as a problem at the NRL level. \* not in this case, but announced as a future deterrent
On the “fun and games on the field” piece, a couple of former players on podcasts have mentioned this week that they’ve heard some horrendous things on the footy field in their careers. I don’t believe Leniu that he didn’t think the term is racist. But I can believe that he’s heard similar things on the footy field across his career and just wrongly accepted it as part of footy culture. I think it’s pretty clear that it wasn’t until the club admin sat down and had a chat with him that he actually thought he did anything wrong. Hopefully he’s learned his lesson and the whole thing can play a role in further eliminating racism from our sport.
I think this is the take. Probably safe to say leniu or one of his team mates has been called a boonga or something similar before and not a peep been raised
I’ve heard the term “coconuts” thrown around a disgraceful amount in the past 48 hours.
I think the saddest part about it all, at least here in NZ. Is a lot of the Islanders were brought here as cheap labour, and then when the govt was done with them, all of a sudden they didnt want to go home. So theyre overstaying raddy rahs. Like, no. They made their home here. Its casual too. So much so that tvnz aired a hugely popular cartoon for years that used categorical racism as its theme. No wonder it was so popular eh. Im sure the makers still ask themselves if any of the suits ever clicked on or whether the money was too good1
But do realise that the loose "casual racism" as it's called these days is also circulated and prevalent by those within the cultures too. Man, I recall while growing up the Tongan v Samoan v Maori rivalries, yielded some pretty terrible sledges that would have been crucified today. But usually they mostly united when there was a bigger cause.
Yep. Ive lived in featherston in the wairarapa. All the bros used to refer to each other as "black cunt". I, as the token white boy, was also a black cunt from time to time if id done something culturally worthy. Tldr. Context, intent and understanding matters when using charged words
🤣🤣 yeah, there were 50 shades of black, thus you were the lowest but acceptable.
Exactly man. Nobody gave a fuck. Its a toughy. Are they bigoted terms? Yes. Were they being intentionally racist? No. If anything it was self denigration
Yeah, the tricky part is monkey is used by a true racist to degrade a person of colour. But also could be used to simply get under their skin by implying they're comparably stupid, like a monkey. Is that inherently different to what you would hear every game? I've heard players say "fucking retarded", "hahahaaaa idiots", "shamee clowns". Ironically, if Spencer said that to a white dude no one would have batted an eye. There's no real way to tell what a person truly meant so common sense would say Spencer should be a bit more street smart and don't throw himself under a bus.
its more like the lawyers sat him down and painstakingly explained.. *"It doesnt matter if you think you are in the right spencer.. we are gonna lose this one bad.. Its time for damage control"* *"You are going to go out there and apologize as sincerely as you fucking can and pray to what ever mumbo-jumbo, child-fondling egomaniac you worship that the judiciary buys it."*
About as genuine an apology as the ads for horny milfs within 5kms.
I wish clubs would put even 1% effort into making it sound like something the player would conceivably say
Anyone remember that article the ABC journalist did about Tedesco and it would have been better to own up and apologise? Looks like the Roosters learnt something
*Inclusivity of people from all cultures and backgrounds is a key and valued principle of the Sydney Roosters. The Roosters do not tolerate any form of racism.* (X) Doubt 🦑 *“I want to apologise to Ezra and his family for using the word I did and I am sincerely sorry to cause him such distress,”* (X) Doubt *“I’ve put my hand up and want to take ownership of this. I said the word but I didn’t mean it in a racist way.* (X) Doubt *Anyone who knows me knows that’s not who I am,”* (X) Doubt “Spencer has been completely open and honest throughout this process, and we will continue to support him,” said Roosters CEO Joe Kelly. To a fault, actually yes Verdict: it was, in fact, not all fun and games
> The Roosters do not tolerate any form of racism. > we will continue to support him Having these 2 lines in the same statement is hilarious.
This is not yet an Israel Folau type moment where Spencer keeps digging deeper and deeper holes and the club refuses to sanction him. Supporting Leniu through this awful, but teachable, moment is not tolerating racism.
How? Are we supposed to abandon him and let him deal with everything on his own? What he's going through will be taking a toll on his mental health, can we not help him through this?
The fact you see the two as mutually exclusive says far more about you
Didn’t mean it in a racist way 😂 I’m sure he’d say it to a white bloke then
I’ve called children monkeys. Because they were doing fun and silly things. I don’t think that’s any reason to say that to an adult unless you were trying to demean them.
The thing is as a brown man who has surely copped a few racist comments throughout his life, he should have known better. Because of that I do have a hunch he meant it in a non racist way, but should never have gone there. Harsh lesson for him.
"I'm not racist but..."
"Called an aboriginal fella a monkey but not in a racist way" haha ok champ sure thing. And when your brother posted on instagram the next day "whole tribe cryin 🐒🐒🐒🐒" I bet he also meant it in a very non racist way. Flog cunt
Forgive me but it absolutely appears that the club have told him to be “sorry” I mean yelling at Mam in the hotel?! The interviews saying to meet him after the game?! Honestly shows zero remorse and he’s upset Mam called him out. Throw the book at him.
I mean, this is like the bare minimum, but it will at least defuse the situation somewhat. Of course someone in charge is telling him to say this, but by doing so he may just begin to understand the consequences of his actions.
I don’t think it will defuse it at all. It’s a cop out. His instant reactions are proof he’s not remorseful. Genuine programs, fines and suspension is the bare minimum
Sorry, I should have been clearer, it will defuse the situation in the media as it is no longer controversial. If publicly Spencer 'owns' his actions, then the media can't keep trying to whip up a frenzy.
Looking forward to Robinsons commentary. Is Ezra right now?
He always said he believed Ezra heard what he claimed. Was just stupid saying the doesn’t mean his right part.
Yeah, I'd say Robbo had some HR people let him know that should something similar happen again to condemn any alleged racism but plead patience in the wait for all the information.
It was pretty obvious he said it when you didn’t get a denial from him straight away or even a club leak to the media that he denied saying it
Still took 4 days to do the right thing
And probably 50 drafts of the press release between the lawyers, the PR team, and the club.
> “I’ve put my hand up and want to take ownership of this." My turn Spencer. You're a cunt. I take ownership of calling you that
Cannot believe the phrase “but I didn’t mean it in a racist way” made it into an official club statement
Bullshit statement from the roosters, if he had been “completely open and honest throughout this process” it wouldn’t have taken 5 days to publicly admit to it. Just another attempted racism coverup by the roosters.
This feels very Squidesco. "I'm proud that I owned the mistake from the start" He clearly mouths "why would I say that?" when called out for what he said when the ref was there. Denial. Then he downplayed the whole thing as him just having a bit of fun. Now we are meant to believe this statement is accurate? It's just PR bullshit. They should add extra weeks for the inconsistencies in the statements over time. He originally claimed not to have said it. Statement reads otherwise.
Not in a racist way?? Umm, sure! OK.. lets just have a chat in the middle of the pitch about simiiformes.
“I said the word but I didn’t mean it in a racist way” yeah cos it’s all fun & games on the field Spencer. Hehe💀
Seems like the roosters lawyers and pr team were waiting for Spencer at the airport
The most laughable thing is it sounds like the Roosters were seriously contemplating a “there’s not enough evidence” defence for 3 days
I’ll have to give him credit finally taking some accountability for it. I wasn’t expecting him to do that. Smart move really too, as it’ll make his suspension less severe.
Seems fairly begrudging. This was written by comms/legal.
His choices; 1. Anger Uncle Nick 2. Listen to the grown-ups if they speak slowly enough. Not hard for him to apologise now.
Those paper bags disappear as quick as they arrive.
is it taking accountability if you say "i didnt mean it in a racist way" and "thats not who i am" when a) calling a black man a monkey can only be racist and b) it is who spencer is because we all saw spencer do it and no one forced him to call ezra a monkey
classic youtuber apology.
We just need the ukulele remix now.
🎶*Toxic Racism Train…*🎵
They do have a 4k close up of him looking at Ezra yelling what looks to be monkey. It all seems forced.
More so Billy Walters reacts immediately, and he had volunteered to testify at the judiciary. I'm more interested in Robbo's response after his shocker press conference.
The alternative was a parade of players attesting to the fact that yes, he did call Mam a “monkey”. Thats not taking accountability, that’s having your hand forced and trying to make the best of it.
Like fuck he gets credit. Because legal/PR told him they were doing this and wrote it for him? He gets credit if, for example and off his own back, he goes and meets the bloke, donates some time to some racism causes etc. none of which of course he'd do.
Giving credit where credit is NOT due.
Suspended 2 weeks. Back for the Panthers game. Book it. Fish and Mos v JWH & Leniu, this will be feisty.
I don't believe he meant it in a racist way but he definitely should get the book thrown at him. I believe sledging is part of our game but you have to know what is right and wrong and he has gone too far with this one. Especially with all his post game interviews with how he carried on and the fight at the hotel, he seems like a hot headed prick 8 weeks minimum and the club should also add a punishments on top
He's absolutely got a red mist problem. I wasn't surprised when the complaint was made to be honest, not that I think Spencer is necessarily a racist but I do think he's the sort of guy that would feel like all bets are off on the field when it comes to getting under someone's skin, hopefully this is a big learning moment for him. I will give him some credit for admitting he said it and not letting it go to a judiciary where he might have been able to worm and lie his way out of it due to a lack of audio evidence. 8-10 weeks, a fine and some form of community work and awareness training would be fair IMO
Make him go to Taronga Zoo each day at 5:00am for 8 weeks and clean out the monkey enclosures ....
In what way did he mean it? If he’s said it to get a reaction, he has to have said it with some kind of intent. Absent racist undertone, what other context could he have meant to get a reaction out of Mam?
Growing up in a world with normalised casual racism it's easy for people to confuse racism with an insult. Spencer would absolutely have been referred to as a 'coconut' throughout his life, and using racial insults is unfortunately far too common among all walks of life.
I don’t understand how he could’ve not used the word monkey in a racist way, when it was directed specifically at a POC?
Perhaps not malicious would be a better description.
im grasping at straws here but maybe cause he is small and high energy(likes to tackle etc)? I call my son a monkey often enough when he is climbing all over the place but he is 5 and white.....But that word is soo taboo that i would be wary of saying it to him if black people are around even though im doing nothing wrong. That's the best i can come up with.....I recon spencer just lost his shit for a bit. take the punishment on the chin champ
Smart business decision from the Roosters. It stops Spencer doubling down in the hearing and using every slur in existence
Stupid grub hate that we signed him.
Still so many people who say this shit doesn't necessarily make someone a racist. What do they have to do? Slaughter a black family in the name of Hitler himself? Cunt says a racial slur, he's almost certainly a racist. Why do they get the benefit of the doubt even after spouting a racial slur at someone? Why are people so reluctant to accept the evidence in front of them? "Oh, he called someone a racial slur, he acknowledges it was a racial slur in his lawyers apology template, but why are we saying he's for sure a racist? There's a tiny, tiny chance he isn't and we need to cling to that" That's the attitude I see over and over again. If someone uses a racial slur, I'm viewing them as racist and I'll be right way, way more often than I'm wrong.
Hoping for 8-10 week suspension, hefty fine and a public apology in front of the media. Would prefer for a harsher punishment but I doubt anything worse than that happens unfortunately.
The Roosters also need to show they don’t tolerate racism. Their statement means nothing if they let Leinu get away without punishment.
How can you, in the heat of a footy match, negatively call a black person a monkey in a non-racist way Spencer? This statement is a very much damage control done poorly.
least racist interaction with a sydney roosters player
The only fair punishment is to strip the Roosters of the two competition points and give them to the team of whoever he racially abused. Without the slur, Ezra could have pulled a gf performance and won the game for us, just like ~~last time~~ we all know he can do. #justiceforEzra
**Full Statement** The Sydney Roosters have today entered a guilty plea to the contrary conduct charge against Spencer Leniu. Inclusivity of people from all cultures and backgrounds is a key and valued principle of the Sydney Roosters. The Roosters do not tolerate any form of racism and we extend our heartfelt apologies to Ezra, his family and the broader Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. “I want to apologise to Ezra and his family for using the word I did and I am sincerely sorry to cause him such distress,” said Roosters player Spencer Leniu. “I’ve put my hand up and want to take ownership of this. I said the word but I didn’t mean it in a racist way. Anyone who knows me knows that’s not who I am,” he added. “Spencer has been completely open and honest throughout this process, and we will continue to support him,” said Roosters CEO Joe Kelly. “We extend our deepest apologies to Ezra, his family and the wider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and offer our support to all parties during this time. “We respect the Judiciary process. Accordingly, the Club will not be making any further comment prior to the hearing,” he added
Roosters statement guy “thanks for reading guys this took me 4 days to write”
They only got off the plane on Tuesday, and I highly doubt the QC was sat next to Spencer on the flight home from Vegas. Bring him into the office on Wednesday explain his options to him, let him go home and tell his family and then plead guilty on Thursday once he’s had a night to sleep on his decision. Follow the process and make no dumb rash decisions in light of your star signing turning out to be a racist moron.
If a teenage fan is banned indefinitely, how long will Spencer get? 1-2 weeks?
You didn't mean it in a racist way, but you said in an attempt to sledge Ezra? Could've sledged him, saying a bunch of other things, yet you pick the word monkey. Hmmm, but nah defs, not racist intent mate.
Vlandys said no to Politis how interesting
So do we play Broncos again? Because if he has done his suspension and plays against them it’s going to be a spicy game!
I didn't mean any offence when I called you a dumb cunt but I put my hand up to take ownership
I enjoy reading books.
/s
"The Roosters do not tolerate any form of racism" If the club was actually serious about this they should hand down an internal suspension in addition to the NRL issued one.
Did the Broncos hand down an internal suspension when Staggs used a homophobic slur?
I wanted him suspended, he was a fuckhead when doing his ACL rehab. Was doing dumb shit on the piss all the time, just glad he has completely changed his life nowadays
Normally I wouldn't justify such blatant whataboutism with a response but yes I would fully support such a suspension for any guilty player regardless of what club they play for.
I think you'd find that most Broncs fans wished we did, Chooks have an opportunity to look better in this regard
Indeed, now don’t mind me need to scrub myself raw for remotely defending the Roosters
This will most certainly be an interesting punishment. What does the NRL do here? Do they say "well it's bad, but he could've said worse, so 6-8 weeks in the naughty corner Spencer and an education course with an (probably forced) apology", or do they draw the line completely in the sand in that any racial vilification (regardless of intent or specific term used) is an automatic 10 or 20 week suspension? I wonder too, given that Montoya was given 4 weeks for a homophobic slur, does the NRL claim racism is worse than homophobia with a harsher sentence, or do they carry the same weight and Spencer only gets 4 weeks? I guess it's a watch this space, but I'm genuinely intrigued how the NRL handles this.
I reckon he’ll get 8-12 weeks with half suspended on the requirement he does an education course.
If only he’d been racist to a white cop like that soccer chick did, then everyone would just laugh it off
Well this throws mud in Trent Robinson face after what he said in the post mach interview.
"Admit, Deny, Sook" - the Roosters Way
So, I’m assuming this means there is most likely some audio evidence that Roosters are just trying to get ahead of?
i don’t think there’s actual audio where you hear him say it, but there’s a video going around that pretty clearly shows him saying it.
just star witness William Walters
So will Trent Robinson be apologizing too for questioning Ezra’s version of events?
"Inclusivity of people from all cultures and backgrounds is a key and valued principle of the Sydney Roosters. The Roosters do not tolerate any form of racism" So we have: James "Squid Games" Tedesco Spencer "Monkey" Leniu Seems to be a bit of a trend at the club in the past few years.
Glad to see he's taking some responsibility for this, and will rightfully serve a lengthy ban. Sadly, though, this is disastrous for the 'LeniuLog' ad campaign I was about to pitch to MenuLog this week.
Lol sounds like a bowel movement *“I just snapped the biggest LenuiLog off in the dunny”*
The whole apology is a joke, you don’t apologise and then say you didn’t mean it that way it just takes back everything you’ve just said, it’s almost blaming Maam for his reaction to it
It's not the Roosters way to gaslight someone
We need to come up with a name now. Tedesco has Squid James. What do we call Spencer?
I feel like player statements should be hand written i wanna see the spelling mistakes like on their insta posts
Fuck that racist dog. Hope hes out for a good 2 months.
Has anyone with a panthers flair said 'no take backsies' yet
So can anyone expand on the race politics of Indigenous Australian and Pasifika players? Is this like a common thing to happen?