- Incidents occured before and after Broncos and Roosters clash
- Thurston was working as a commentator for Channel Nine
- Leniu confronted the premiership winner twice in heated scenes
A fiery confrontation between Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu and Johnathan Thurston was believed to have been sparked by comments the NRL legend made after Vegas last year.
The incident occurred during and after the Roosters’ 26-16 win over the Brisbane Broncos. Leniu, known for his aggressive playing style, allegedly unleashed a verbal tirade at Thurston while leaving the field with 20 minutes left in the match.
Witnesses say the Roosters prop called Thurston a ‘f***wit’ as he passed the sideline commentary team.
The Channel Nine commentator was reportedly stunned and sought to understand the reason behind the abuse.
According to sources, Thurston confronted Leniu after full-time in the tunnel, asking him: ‘What’s your problem?’ Leniu allegedly replied with another slur, calling the former Cowboys captain a ‘f***ing c***’.
It’s believed the exchange stemmed from lingering tension over last year’s racism scandal involving Broncos star Ezra Mam. Leniu was suspended for eight weeks after referring to Mam as a ‘monkey’ during the NRL’s Las Vegas season opener.
Sydney Roosters firebrand Spencer Leniu confronts NRL legend Johnathan Thurston after the match against the Brisbane Broncos on Friday night
Leniu allegedly confronted Thurston twice, swearing at the former Cowboys star in incidents believed to have stemmed from comments made after Vegas last year
It was the first time that Leniu had faced the Broncos since that incident.
Thurston, a proud Indigenous leader in the game, was outspoken in his criticism of the punishment handed to Leniu.
Speaking last year, Thurston said: ‘The NRL had a great opportunity to make a stand, not only for the game but for society as well.’
He added: ‘I don’t think the eight weeks is sufficient for what has been said and for the mental scars that have been brought up.’
On Friday, tensions appeared to boil over as Leniu reportedly expressed his frustration about those past comments directly to Thurston.
Broncos veteran Ben Hunt was seen attempting to de-escalate the situation. Roosters teammate Siua Wong also reportedly intervened to calm Leniu.
Channel Nine had initially promoted that Thurston would be conducting post-match interviews in the Roosters’ sheds. However, he was replaced by fellow commentator Cameron Smith following the incident.
Thurston declined to enter the sheds and waited almost an hour at the stadium to speak with Roosters coach Trent Robinson. He is understood to have raised concerns about Leniu’s conduct during the heated exchanges.
It was the first time Leniu had faced the Brisbane Broncos since their fiery clash in Vegas
When the two sides met in the United States last year Broncos star Ezra Mam made a complaint to the referee that Leniu had racially villified him
Robinson later confirmed the conversation but staunchly defended his player.
‘There’s a discussion there, but from what I saw there wasn’t any crossing the line there,’ he said.
‘I don’t know why – Spencer, he didn’t go and approach anybody. I don’t know why you’re trying to put it on Spence here.’
Robinson said he didn’t believe the Las Vegas incident was weighing on Leniu’s mind ahead of the Broncos clash.
‘No, not that I know of. It wasn’t mentioned at all,’ he said.
He praised Leniu’s performance on the night, saying he played ‘with intensity and control’.
Thurston has not commented publicly since the clash, but colleagues say he was clearly rattled by the events.
The NRL is yet to release an official statement regarding the incident. Footage of the altercation is believed to have been captured by Channel Nine cameras.
