By JOEL GOULD AND GEORGE CLARKE
Rugby League stars have rallied around Brisbane’s Ezra Mam after an alleged racial slur by Sydney Roosters prop Spencer Leniu during the NRL’s season opener in Las Vegas on the weekend.
Cronulla halfback Nicho Hynes threw his support behind the Broncos five-eighth, urging the NRL to take a hardline stance on racial abuse in the game.
Mam touched down in Brisbane today after Sydney Roosters prop Spencer Leniu was charged with an alleged racist slur during the game.
Brisbane coach Kevin Walters spoke of his pride at his team’s support for Mam after Leniu was referred straight to the judiciary amid a claim he called Brisbane’s No.6 a “monkey” in the Roosters’ 20-10 win.
“I’m not just trying to put it all on Spencer, (but) I feel like there needs to be a line in the sand,” Hynes said.
“This will be the moment that it happens. Look, it has to happen.
“Any person in the game, if they get racially vilified by a spectator, they’d want to go hard at them, so I feel like that has to happen with a player.”
He said such allegations were particularly triggering for the country’s Indigenous community.
Ezra has alleged he was a called a monkey during the NRL game in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Photo: AAP
“Back in the day our elders did experience a hell of a lot of it, and that’s the hardest thing now, is that old trauma gets brought up and that’s what’s really upsetting,” Hynes said.
South Sydney’s Latrell Mitchell has also thrown his support behind Mam.
Mitchell has demanded the NRL take action, posting to Instagram: ‘I stand with you Bala. (The NRL) better deal with this s***’.
Coach Walters Walters said the players had shown great support for Torres Strait Islander Mam, who he praised for standing up for himself.
“That is part of being a Bronco,” Walters said.
“All clubs support their peers and their mates when they are under pressure and have an incident happen that is just not tolerable.
“We are a tight group at the Broncos and we support each other in every way.
Coach Kevin Walters Walters said the players had shown great support for Mam. Photo: AAP
“(Racial slurs) are not tolerated anymore in life or in the community. Rugby league is part of the community.
“Ezra has every right to be upset and stand up for himself as an Indigenous player.
“The NRL now are dealing with it, and we are dealing with it in-house with our player Ezra.
“We are getting around him. He is OK, but it was a tough night for him post-game. There is a lot of support around him.
“It is the NRL’s policy now to deal with what has happened.”
Walters added Mam would “definitely” play in round two against South Sydney on March 14.
“That is still a week and a half away, but the club will support him and get around him every way that we need to in order that he can play Thursday week,” he said.
