1 day Ago By Michael Doyle
Rugby league champion Johnathan Thurston says he is happy to discuss any issues Spencer Leniu, or the Sydney Roosters, have with him privately, following an "unwarranted" altercation at Lang Park on Friday. Thurston and Leniu were involved in a heated exchange following the Roosters' 26-16 win over the Brisbane Broncos. The issue stemmed from comments Thurston made in the wake of Leniu's racial comment to Ezra Mam during last year's Las Vegas opener.
Leniu was suspended for eight matches after calling Mam, a man of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, a "monkey". Thurston, a proud Indigenous man, called for a "blanket ban" of 12 matches for any player found guilty of racial vilification in the wake of Leniu's suspension. In a statement to the Sydney Morning Herald, owned by Nine who Thurston works for, the Queensland State of Origin legend called Leniu's actions on Friday "aggressive in tone and unwarranted".
"On a podcast 12 months ago, I made a comment on the penalty issued to Spencer Leniu by the NRL in regards to racial comments he had made. "As a proud Indigenous man, I clearly do not endorse Spencer's remark in Las Vegas last year. However, the comments I made were an opinion on the penalty he was given and it is an opinion I stand by.
"As Spencer left the field during last night's match he made an abusive comment to me, which took me and those around me by surprise. "The comment was not of a racial nature but was overly aggressive in tone and unwarranted. "After the match, I approached Spencer on the field to seek clarity on what he said and why he had said it.
Spencer was again overly aggressive, and it became clear that he had interpreted the comments I made 12 months ago as a personal attack on him, which was not the case. "A further conversation took place later with Roosters officials and Spencer outside the sheds. I remain available if Spencer or the Roosters would like to discuss this matter privately.
" Spencer Leniu of the Roosters (left) clashes with Johnathan Thurston at Lang Park. The statement followed Leniu's own comments on social media, where he called Thurston "fake". "I said 'Lad idc [I don't care] if that you hate me for what I did.
But don't come up to me asking me questions like we're Algood [sic]'. "Don't be two face. Hate me lad I'm [sweet] with that.
But don't be fake. I hate fake people." The ABC of SPORT.
