Leniu Explodes at Thurston After Roosters' Fiery Clash with Broncos
Well, the NRL world isn’t short of drama this week. The Roosters may have put on a solid performance against the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium, but it was Spencer Leniu who stole the headlines for all the wrong reasons. And not for his performance on the field—no, it was what happened after the siren that has everyone talking.
So here’s how it all went down.
Straight after the match, tensions flared when Roosters prop Spencer Leniu had a fiery exchange with Queensland legend and Channel Nine commentator Johnathan Thurston. The two have a bit of a history, stemming from Leniu’s eight-week suspension last season for racially vilifying Broncos playmaker Ezra Mam during that infamous match in Las Vegas. Thurston was openly critical of the punishment back then, saying the NRL had missed a chance to make a stronger stand against racism. So yeah—things were already frosty between them.
But Friday night took it to a new level.
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Thurston was expected to head into the Roosters’ sheds for post-match interviews, but he was swapped out last-minute—Cameron Smith stepped in instead. Now we know why. Leniu allegedly let rip on Thurston, calling him some pretty vile names—words I’m not even going to repeat here. It wasn’t just a heat-of-the-moment outburst either. Leniu took to Instagram the next morning and doubled down. He said he never wanted to talk to JT, accused him of being two-faced, and made it crystal clear that if Thurston hates him, he’s cool with it—just don’t pretend otherwise.
He posted, “Don’t be fake. I hate fake people.” Yeah, those words hit hard.
Interestingly, the NRL isn’t planning to investigate. No official complaint has been filed—neither Thurston nor Channel Nine seem interested in escalating it. According to NRL boss Andrew Abdo, unless someone comes forward formally, nothing will be done. For now, it remains a heated exchange between two men with unfinished business.
Coach Trent Robinson downplayed the situation in the press conference, saying it looked like just a conversation—maybe a heated one, but still just a talk. He defended Leniu from the media’s line of questioning and warned journalists to be cautious about throwing around assumptions without knowing the full context.
But here’s the thing—while Robinson may want to sweep it under the rug, this is now the second major controversy involving Leniu in under a year. First the Vegas racial slur, now this public spat. He might feel justified in his frustration, especially if he believes there’s a double standard in how Mam’s off-field incident was treated versus his own. But calling a high-profile commentator those names, then posting it for the world to see, isn’t helping his cause.
The Roosters are known for having a tight, no-nonsense culture. This kind of behavior definitely doesn’t fit that mold. There are already whispers suggesting the club needs to rein him in before it becomes a bigger issue.
At the end of the day, whether you side with Leniu or Thurston—or think both could’ve handled it better—this clash shows how deep some wounds still run in the NRL. It’s not just about the game anymore; it’s about the conversations that happen after, the accountability players face, and the spotlight that never really turns off.
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