Complaint of racial abuse in Roosters v Broncos

[Ruby Roundhouse]

Disgraceful. Spencer should expect a long rest.

Storm should be kicked out of the comp

 

[Maximus]

This isn't how it happened. The complaint was asked for first (at the start of the melee) then once it all simmered down, Gee called captains and Mam over, confirmed that he wanted to make the complaint, put Leniu on report and said it would be reviewed, dealt with later, time to get on with the game.

Think he dealt with it pretty well. He's not there to be an investigator mid-game.

It's exactly how it happened. Mam said "he called me a monkey" twice, Gee responded "we'll deal with it later". Another player (Riki?) said "he called him a monkey" and Gee responded "let's go, we'll deal with it later". Then Mam complained again and Gee asked if Mam wanted to make a formal complaint.

There's not a lot he could do, but his "we've got a spectacle here" to the captains and Leniu afterwards suggest he didn't want to deal with it.

 

[SLRBRONCOS]

Storm should be kicked out of the comp

that too!

 

[SLRBRONCOS]

It's exactly how it happened. Mam said "he called me a monkey" twice, Gee responded "we'll deal with it later". Another player (Riki?) said "he called him a monkey" and Gee responded "let's go, we'll deal with it later". Then Mam complained again and Gee asked if Mam wanted to make a formal complaint.

There's not a lot he could do, but his "we've got a spectacle here" to the captains and Leniu afterwards suggest he didn't want to deal with it.

There was a third players that said "he actually called him a monkey" too. I think it was Kotoni.

 

[Canard]

It's exactly how it happened. Mam said "he called me a monkey" twice, Gee responded "we'll deal with it later". Another player (Riki?) said "he called him a monkey" and Gee responded "let's go, we'll deal with it later". Then Mam complained again and Gee asked if Mam wanted to make a formal complaint.

There's not a lot he could do, but his "we've got a spectacle here" to the captains and Leniu afterwards suggest he didn't want to deal with it.

I thought he handled it perfectly.

It would be completely unprecedented for the referee to take action on field for an incident that he didn't observe or witness, based solely on a players word.

I think the angst is in him using the word "spectacle".

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

It's exactly how it happened. Mam said "he called me a monkey" twice, Gee responded "we'll deal with it later". Another player (Riki?) said "he called him a monkey" and Gee responded "let's go, we'll deal with it later". Then Mam complained again and Gee asked if Mam wanted to make a formal complaint.

There's not a lot he could do, but his "we've got a spectacle here" to the captains and Leniu afterwards suggest he didn't want to deal with it.

If that's how it played out... then yea, agree Gee should've pulled them together immediately to ask if Mann wanted to lay a formal complaint.

That said, Gee was in a difficult position. There's no doubt refs were, if not instructed then certainly encouraged, to do their part in delivering a spectacle, given the circumstances.

He may have erred slightly initially but he got the right outcome in the end so all things considered, he did ok IMO.

 

[Canard]

How would people expect the referee to act in this scenario? (Genuine question?)

 

[Captain Apollo]

Not the best reaction from the ref either. ‘Let’s get on with it, we’ll deal with it later’ before asking if he wanted to make a formal complaint.

What was the referee supposed to do, convene a jury on the field? In all honesty its like someone making an accusation of biting, if none of the officials saw/hear it then they can only ask if the player wants to make a formal complaint.

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

How would people expect the referee to act in this scenario? (Genuine question?)

Me personally, and assuming it played out exactly as has been described...

Only thing I would expect different is he immediately pulls them together as soon as Mann makes his first accusation to ask if he wants to make a formal complaint.

That's all, everything else from that point was fine IMO.

 

[Vlad59]

I’m sure the squid didn’t hear anything either.

Watching him walk over to the ref was like watching the arsonist helping the fireys.

Unlike that idiot Spencer, he denied it for weeks didn’t he?

Spencer single handedly screwed the whole NRL mission with his nasty racial “fun and games” slur.

I thought the event would have been wrecked by drunken violence, drugs, assorted crime or something sleazy.

Three witnesses, their names on the line, big international event…. I would have sent him off.

Sent him off? This just gets more ridiculous

 

[no name]

What was the referee supposed to do, convene a jury on the field? In all honesty it’s like someone making an accusation of biting, if none of the officials saw/hear it then they can only ask if the player wants to make a formal complaint.

I didn’t want any further action on the field. Gee’s reaction to the initial (multiple) allegations was let’s move on. Only when Broncos players continued to remonstrate was the formal complaint offered.
I didn’t say that what Gee did was terribly wrong, just that it wasn’t a great reaction, which it wasn’t imo.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Leniu and Broncos involved in late-night hotel argument over ‘monkey’ slur as Rooster sent to judiciary

The players crossed paths inside the hotel in the early hours of the morning, with Leniu exchanging words with several Broncos before he was dragged away.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Bazal]

Spencer is very very stupid hey

 

[Maximus]

I thought he handled it perfectly.

It would be completely unprecedented for the referee to take action on field for an incident that he didn't observe or witness, based solely on a players word.

I think the angst is in him using the word "spectacle".

I'm not sure anyone expected any punishment then and there on the field even if he did witness it.

The biggest problem I had is he didn't even want to take the complaint until multiple other players supported Mam's accusations.

 

[Vlad59]

Spencer is very very stupid hey

I reckon he’s getting a long long break at the end of this process.

 

[Munky]

Spencer is very very stupid hey

Ivan's use of him over four years was pretty strange.

Would pull him off the field when Penrith lost any momentum. Maybe it was a maturity issue.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Spencer is lucky he didn't call anyone a monkey (allegedly) off the field in the US.

Wouldn't be all fun and games then.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Sent him off? This just gets more ridiculous

It’s ridiculous that our message to the world seems to be one of absolute tolerance for racism.

 

[Vlad59]

It’s ridiculous that our message to the world seems to be one of absolute tolerance for racism.

Give up

 

[skeepe]

I didn’t want any further action on the field. Gee’s reaction to the initial (multiple) allegations was let’s move on. Only when Broncos players continued to remonstrate was the formal complaint offered.
I didn’t say that what Gee did was terribly wrong, just that it wasn’t a great reaction, which it wasn’t imo.

Agreed. The way he handled the format report was exactly what we would want to see. Before and after was a shambles.

Trying to get them to just move on and deal with it later - incorrect. If a player makes a complaint like that, you deal with it immediately and don't tell them to worry about it later.

Then at the end, when Spencer asked what the allegation was, the referee responded with "Spencer, we've got a spectacle here, we've gotta keep the game going. It doesn't matter."

Just awful handling by Gee either side of the formal complaint. Apparently the spectacle of a game in Vegas takes precedence over correctly handling a complaint of racial abuse. Mam had every right to have his complaint taken seriously. Leniu had every right to ask what the allegation against him was. Gee tried to fob both of them off.