- Mam was left in tears after alleged abuse in Las Vegas
- Leniu later said he wasn’t concerned about punishment
- Has now been charged by the NRL after accusation
Roosters forward Spencer Leniu has been charged by the NRL after being accused of hitting Broncos star Ezra Mam with a shocking racial slur during the teams’ match in Las Vegas on Sunday.
The NRL’s match review committee has charged the 23-year-old with contrary conduct after Mam alleged he called him a ‘monkey’.
In a worrying sign for Leniu, there is no grading on the charge, meaning he will have to attend a judicial hearing where the Broncos will be able to table evidence against him, according to the Daily Telegraph.
A Roosters star secretly apologised to Mam after the alleged incident and two more Broncos players have said they heard the slur, the publication reported.
Leniu (pictured right during an on-field confrontation with Brisbane’s Kotoni Staggs) has been referred straight to the judiciary by the NRL in a worrying sign for the Roosters forward
![Ezra Mam (pictured second from left) accused Leniu of a shocking racial slur during his side's loss to the Roosters on Sunday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/04/00/81992889-13152785-image-a-15_1709512531801.jpg)
Ezra Mam (pictured second from left) accused Leniu of a shocking racial slur during his side’s loss to the Roosters on Sunday
The news comes after Leniu was involved in a confrontation with Broncos players including Kotoni Staggs in the Vegas hotel the two teams were staying in.
Players exchanged words as they passed each other at the Hilton at Resorts World in Las Vegas after arriving back from the game.
Witnesses said there was no threat of a physical altercation, and Leniu was ushered down the corridor by club staff as words were exchanged.
Leniu first clashed with Broncos centre Kotoni Staggs before Patrick Carrigan and Mam came out of a team room to see what was happening, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Following the match, Leniu offered a bizarre response when asked about the racial slur on the field.
![Mam (pictured) was left in tears after the alleged slur - and has received messages of support from footy stars including Latrell Mitchell and his teammate Reece Walsh](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/04/00/81990951-13152785-image-a-16_1709512581736.jpg)
Mam (pictured) was left in tears after the alleged slur – and has received messages of support from footy stars including Latrell Mitchell and his teammate Reece Walsh
‘I think it’s all fun and games when we’re on the field. That’s it,’ he said.
When pressed further on whether he was worried about the potential fallout, Leniu replied: ‘Not worried at all’.
Indigenous South Sydney half Cody Walker called out Leniu on social media, sharing the image of that interview with the caption: ‘Fun and games they reckon gammin’.
Gammin or gammon is an Aboriginal word that means fake, cheap or broken.
Indigenous South Sydney star Latrell Mitchell also supported the Broncos half following the incident, posting: ‘I stand with you bala @ezra,mam. @NRL better deal with this s**t’.
Mam’s superstar teammate Reece Walsh also supported the half following the incident, posting: ‘Got you always my brother’.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk