Reportedly, the NRL was compelled to separate key players from the Sydney Roosters and the Brisbane Broncos after they were scheduled on the same flight departing Las Vegas.
Tensions escalated following allegations that Roosters prop Spencer Leniu racially abused Broncos star Ezra Mam during the Roosters’ victory at Allegiant Stadium. Leniu stands accused of using derogatory language towards Mam, reportedly calling him ‘a monkey’ during the match’s second half.
According to reports, the situation intensified at the team hotel after the game, where both clubs were accommodated on the same floor at the Hilton Hotel. Leniu confronted Mam, along with his teammates Pat Carrigan and Kotoni Staggs, regarding the accusation. Carrigan intervened, separating Leniu from Mam, with a Roosters official subsequently removing Leniu from the confrontation.
Both teams have confirmed there was a verbal altercation, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald. Compounding the situation, both teams were originally booked on United Airlines flight 2142 to San Francisco before taking separate flights to Sydney and Brisbane.
The NRL ensured that seating arrangements on the flight kept the two teams well separated during the approximately 1 hour and 45-minute flight. The clubs departed their hotel in Resorts World on different buses and at different times, with the Broncos leaving an hour before the Roosters.
In a peculiar response following the match, Leniu minimized the seriousness of the alleged racial slur, stating, “I think it’s all fun and games when we’re on the field. That’s it,” and when questioned about potential repercussions, he expressed no concern.
Indigenous South Sydney half Cody Walker criticized Leniu on social media, sharing an image of the interview with the caption: ‘Fun and games they reckon gammin’. “Gammin” or “gammon” is an Aboriginal term connoting something fake, cheap, or broken.
