Spencer Leniu and Johnathan Thurston’s shocking X-rated clash explained
Friday nights NRL game between the Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters concluded with off-field with drama after Spencer Leniu allegedly verbally attacked Channel Nine commentator Johnathan Thurston.
The Roosters upset the Broncos 26-16 at their Suncorp Stadium home in yet another controversial game of sinbinning’s.
But there was more controversy at play, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, involving Roosters player Spencer Leniu and Cowboys legend Johnathan Thurston.
The incident, which is said to have been caught by Channel Nine cameras, saw Spencer come off the field at the 60-minute mark and allegedly call Thurston “a f***wit.”
Post match, it’s alleged that Leniu approached Thurston again to continue his verbal tirade calling him a f***ing c***.”
Sources say that Spencer’s teammate Siua Wong had to step in to try and level the situation.
Directly following the incident on Friday night, Channel Nine replaced Thurston with Cameron Smith to conduct the post-match interviews inside the Roosters changing room.
In the post-match press conference Roosters coach Trent Robinson was asked about his understanding of the incident.
“There’s a discussion there, but from what I saw there wasn’t any crossing the line there,” Robinson said.
The Roosters coach was adamant that Spencer didn’t go out of his way to approach anybody directly and warned the media not to blow it out proportion.
“I don’t think it’s on anyone, I think it is a discussion between two men,” said Robinson.
“So cool your jets when it comes to accusations around somebody, the way you guys are questioning there you’ve already formed an opinion.”
“Two guys having a conversation, it might get heated. But nothing wrong was said, as far as I know, and it was about an incident and that’s OK for guys to have that conversation,” he said.
It’s believed that Liniu took exception to comments made by Thurston over the Rooster’s player’s eight-week ban after calling Indigenous Broncos five-eight Ezra Mam a monkey in Las Vegas in 2024.
Last year, when commenting on the Vegas racism row, Thurston told Channel Nine’s Today Show: “The NRL had a great opportunity to make a stand, not only for the game but for society as well.”
“I think the game has failed in this instance.”
Thurston, an Indigenous All Star representative, stated that an eight-week suspension was not sufficient “for what had been said and the mental scars that have been brought up with what our culture has endured since colonisation.”
“It was a great opportunity to go 12 weeks as a blanket ban for all racial vilification if you are found guilty,” Thurston said.
