New information has surfaced regarding the heated on-field clash between Roosters prop Spencer Leniu and rugby league icon Johnathan Thurston, with reports claiming Leniu called Broncos hooker Billy Walters a “snitch” during the fiery exchange.
The confrontation unfolded during Friday night’s NRL match between the Roosters and Broncos at Suncorp Stadium, stemming from tensions related to Leniu’s past racial slur towards Brisbane five-eighth Ezra Mam. Leniu was suspended for eight weeks last year after calling Mam a “monkey” in a match held in Las Vegas—a comment Thurston publicly condemned at the time.
According to a News Corp report, after being taken off in the 56th minute of the Roosters’ 26-16 win, Leniu allegedly shouted a vulgar insult at Thurston. Post-match, Thurston confronted Leniu, leading to a heated altercation that spilled from the field into the stadium tunnels, involving Broncos playmaker Ben Hunt and requiring security intervention.
Leniu is said to have accused Thurston of being a hypocrite, pointing out that Thurston didn’t criticise Mam with the same intensity after the young playmaker admitted to drug driving in an incident that resulted in a head-on crash with a vehicle carrying a child.
The News Corp report also claims Leniu refused a post-game handshake from Walters, allegedly branding him a “snitch” for his role in reporting the racial incident and suggesting Walters had betrayed him.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson addressed the situation during his post-match press conference, urging the media to avoid jumping to conclusions. “Spencer didn’t go and approach anybody, so I don’t know why you guys are trying to put it on Spencer here,” he said. “There’s no harm done. It was a discussion between two men—that’s not the end of the world.”
Leniu later addressed the incident in an Instagram post, denying he approached Thurston and taking another swipe at the Queensland legend. “I never wanted to talk to JT. He kept trying to come speak to me,” Leniu wrote. “Don’t be fake. Hate me, I’m sweet with that. But don’t be two-faced.”
Thurston released a statement of his own, expressing his shock at the incident. He clarified that his comments about Leniu last year were solely in regard to the NRL’s disciplinary action. He said, “As Spencer left the field, he made an abusive comment that caught me and others by surprise. It wasn’t racial but was unnecessarily aggressive.”
He added that he tried to speak with Leniu post-match to clarify things, but was met with further hostility. Thurston concluded by saying he is open to a private discussion with Leniu and the Roosters if they wish to resolve the matter further.
