Any racial insult from former Panthers star Spencer Leniu would have been “out of character” from a man Ivan Cleary trained from the time he began his NRL career in 2019, according to the shocked Penrith coach.
Leniu, who is currently with the Roosters, has reportedly been taken straight to court after referring to Brisbane Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mam as a “monkey” during Sunday’s game in Las Vegas.
Following a heated fallout with players arguing in their hotel in the United States, Leniu—who won a championship at Penrith—moved to the Roosters during the off-season. However, the match review committee has charged him with contrary conduct.
“That he was accused of something like that surprises me.” I think it’s out of character,” Cleary stated on Monday afternoon.
It is, in my opinion, out of character. Now that it’s going through the NRL processes, everything is being looked into. I would say that it is out of character, but we’ll see where it goes.
It follows after Roosters coach Trent Robinson was accused by former premiership-winning winger Lote Tuqiri of gaslighting Mam in remarks made during the game.
After the victory, Robinson remarked, “He obviously made the complaint, but that doesn’t mean it’s right.”
“As it should, it will proceed through the formal process.”
Tuqiri, though, was having none of it.
“If a player claims to have experienced racial vilification on a football field, it has happened!” Tuqiri used to post on X, which was Twitter.
“You can conceal it and claim that it’s during a fierce struggle, etc. However, I find it incomprehensible that Trent Robinson sits in a press conference after a game and tells Ezra that he is incorrect.
“Doesn’t mean it’s right” is a deceptive statement that I didn’t anticipate Trent Robinson would say. especially considering how well he responded to Latrell’s bullying from his own supporters the previous year. I wholeheartedly support Ezra in calling this nonsense out.
In the meantime, the Storm and star five-eighth Jarome Luai are anticipated to square off in a thrilling match on Friday in Melbourne.
Despite missing the World Club Challenge match against Wigan because of a shoulder injury he sustained last year, Luai is expected to be picked after putting in good training.
“At this point, we expect him to play,” stated Cleary, with new signing Paul Alamoti set to make his club debut and Sunia Turuva (knee) out of the picture.
“He’s a big part of our team, so with another year of growth and combinations, and with that little extra of it being his last year, I’m really excited about what he and ‘Nat’ (Nathan Cleary) and the rest of the team can do together this year.”
Luai will play one more season before signing a big five-year contract with the Wests Tigers in 2025, and the Panthers want to send him out on a high note, much as they did with Matt Burton, Viliame Kikau, Api Koroisau, and Stephen Crichton in recent years.
“I’ve definitely noticed that (he wants to go out on a high),” Cleary said.
A number of the boys who left have a history with us, and they all had a little something that motivated them a little bit more.
“In their most recent season, three or four of them had their best performances. I hope that pattern keeps up.
“Sending someone out a winner is difficult to explain precisely, but they’re all so close. It’s directing a lot of energy into making the most of every chance we get since everyone knows why they left and they just enjoy playing together.
