'I want to see Ezra in Brisbane': Leniu seeking chance to apologise
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Sydney Roosters prop Spencer Leniu still hopes to meet Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mam face to face to apologise for the racial slur during their opening round clash in Las Vegas which cost him an eight-match suspension.
Leniu told one of the biggest attended judiciary hearings in recent years on Monday night that he had wanted to fly to Brisbane last week to meet with Mam "face to face, man to man", but the playmaker rejected his approach.
Mam, a Torres Strait Islander, did not attend the two-hour hearing in Sydney, but he tendered a statement detailing his hurt and anger after Leniu had called him a “monkey”.
“In about the 68th minute of the game Spencer Leniu tackled Payne Haas. I saw Spencer Leniu at marker, and I recall saying words to the effect of ‘run it back at Spencer’ as Payne was playing the ball,” Mam said.
“I then recall Spencer Leniu saying the words, ‘f--- up, you monkey’. I felt so angry and disappointed about the incident that my mind wasn’t able to focus on rest of the game.”
While Mam asked that the rest of his statement remain confidential, NRL judiciary chair Geoff Bellew, SC, said the incident has had a significant personal effect on him and members of his family, and raised deep seated cultural issues for all of them.
Leniu insisted during the hearing that he did not know the significance of his slur to the Indigenous community and despite the judiciary panel rejecting his claim, Roosters CEO Joe Kelly maintained that was the case.
He said, ‘I want to go and see Ezra in Brisbane’. It's very genuine and hopefully in the future, he'll still get a chance to do that.
Roosters CEO Joe Kelly
He said Leniu had become extremely remorseful after receiving a message from an elderly Indigenous woman the morning after the match explaining why his comment was so hurtful.
“We accept the suspension of eight weeks but in relation to the hearing, the club stands behind Spencer and is firmly of the belief he is not racist,” Kelly said.
“The club remains strong in its position that Spencer did not use the word that is 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. In no way did he mean to direct this term to Ezra in a racial way.
“Spencer is incredibly remorseful. He's learned a great deal from the past week and we will ensure we will continue to support him in any way we can and increase his education about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island cultures.”
Asked if Leniu would still attempt to meet with Mam, Kelly said: “Absolutely. It's been reported that he was going to do that last week.
“We understand Ezra's position on that at this point in time, but definitely Spencer does want to do that and he does want to do that in person. He wanted that to be private.
“From the very beginning, he was totally honest. He put his hand up and he wanted to own this immediately.
“In the very first meeting we had with Spencer, we said, ‘how do you want to deal with it.
“He said, ‘I want to go and see Ezra in Brisbane’. He initiated it. It was his call. It's very genuine and hopefully in the future, he'll still get a chance to do that."
Kelly said that inclusivity and diversity were key and fundamental values of the Roosters and the club would not tolerate any form of racism.
As a result of the incident, he said Leniu and all members of the club would undergo further education about Indigenous and Torres Strait Island cultures, as well as Pacifika culture.
"We spent the week with Spencer and from the word go, he was forthright and honest, and put his hand up immediately," Kelly said.
"It's a tough one for him, but he'll work his way through it and he'll use this time on the sidelines, as well, to further his education, which will start immediately.
“On behalf of Spencer and the Sydney Roosters, we apologise unreservedly to Ezra and his family for the hurt that has been caused and we extend this apology to the wider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island.
“Our best wishes are with Ezra and we know that he has great support around him, including at the Brisbane Broncos.
“I'd like to acknowledge the way that the Broncos have handled this matter from their perspective and thank their board, Dave [Donaghy], Kevin [Walters] and staff and playing group.
