Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu has described retired great Johnathan Thurston as two-faced and “fake” following their altercation at Lang Park on Friday night.
As Roosters players congratulated each other at full-time of their 26-16 win over the Brisbane Broncos, interchange forward Leniu was photographed clashing with Thurston, who was working for the Nine Network at the game.
- Sydney Roosters 26 def. Brisbane Broncos 16
- St George Illawarra Dragons 38 def. Gold Coast Titans 16
The conversation at full-time followed an alleged altercation between the two during the second half, when Leniu came off the field and allegedly called Thurston a name.
According to AAP, Thurston told colleagues that Leniu was unhappy with comments the 2015 premiership winner had made following last year’s Las Vegas racism scandal.
On Saturday morning, Leniu took to social media, saying he never wanted to talk to Thurston, but it was the Cowboys champion who “kept trying to come speak to me”.
“I said ‘Lad idc (I don’t care) if that you hate me for what I did. But don’t come up to me asking me questions like we’re Algood (sic)’.
“Don’t be two face. Hate me lad I’m [sweet] with that. But don’t be fake. I hate fake people.”
Leniu was suspended for two months after calling Brisbane five-eighth Ezra Mam a “monkey” during the Brisbane-Sydney clash in Vegas.
In the aftermath of Leniu’s eight-week suspension, Thurston said on Nine Network’s Today Show he believed there needed to be a “blanket ban for all racial vilification if you are found guilty” of 12 weeks.
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Thurston was advertised by Channel Nine to conduct the post-match interviews in the Roosters’ room following Friday’s win, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald. But fellow Maroon great Cameron Smith was called in late to conduct the interviews.
Footage captured by Nine, seen by ABC Sport, shows Thurston talking the Roosters coach Trent Robinson outside the sheds after the match.
Robinson defended his forward and said he believed neither individual had crossed a line.
“They just had a discussion on the sideline, I don’t think the details are really clear yet,” Robinson said.
“But it’s just two passionate guys having a conversation about a difference of opinion I think.
“Someone speaking their opinion I think is good in this game.”
After being asked more questions about the incident, Robinson turned his attention to the media in the room.
“It’s a discussion between two men, I don’t think that’s the end of the world,” he said.
“So, just cool your jets when it comes to accusations around somebody.
“The way you guys are questioning there, you have already formed an opinion.
“Two guys having a conversation might get heated, but nothing wrong was said as far as I know.”
Look back at all the action in our live blog below, and check out all the stats in the full ScoreCentre.
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NRL Friday scores
That is all for the live blog
That is where ABC Sport’s live digital coverage of the NRL ends for tonight.
Great wins for the Dragons and Roosters, while the Titans and Broncos will stew on their defeats over the weekend.
ABC Sport will be back tomorrow for more live digital coverage of the NRL.
Brisbane forward praises Roosters
Brisbane prop forward Pat Carrigan has praised the Roosters who were excellent tonight at Lang Park, and thoroughly deserved their win.
“They’re playing a good brand of footy … well-drilled, well-coached, really disciplined,” Carrigan tells ABC Sport.
“Lot of great players in that team and they showed what turning up and putting in a team performance does in this competition. Credit to them.”
James Tedesco joins ABC Sport
Roosters captain James Tedesco has joined ABC Sport after their win over the Brisbane Broncos.
“It was a tough task for us tonight but I’m so proud … we’ve been really close the last month or so, just haven’t got the results,” he says.
“To get a win against a quality Brisbane side up here, we’ll take a lot of confidence out of that.”
FULL-TIME: Sydney Roosters 26 def. Brisbane Broncos 16
— reporting by AAP
Sydney Roosters secured a deserved second win of the season with centre Billy Smith scoring a brilliant two tries in a 26-16 takedown of Brisbane.
It was 25-year-old Smith’s second game back after an 18-month injury layoff and he turned it on at Lang Park in front of 40,814 fans on Friday night.
Skipper and fullback James Tedesco, hooker Connor Watson and prop Nat Butcher were all superb.
It was the Roosters’ fifth consecutive win over the Broncos at Lang Park and a complete reversal of their 50-14 loss to Brisbane in round one.
The Roosters played with more energy, and their forward pack dominated throughout the match.
The first half had several bizarre twists with momentum swinging, plenty of stop-start play, penalties galore and fiery confrontations.
There were several contentious moments.
Smith was sin-binned in the 19th minute for a high tackle with moderate force on fullback Reece Walsh, just when the visitors were on top at 8-0.
The Bunker intervened to retrospectively sin-bin Broncos forward Jack Gosiewski in the 30th minute for his high tackle on the visitors’ lock, Victor Radley.
Roosters’ second-rower Angus Crichton was put on report for an elbow to the throat of Broncos skipper Adam Reynolds.
Brisbane centre Kotoni Staggs was also booked for a late shot on Roosters five-eighth Sandon Smith.
Watson joined the list on report when he too was booked for a hit on winger Jesse Arthars, who left the field with a category one HIA, which he later passed.
Billy Smith leapt high with commitment and class to rise above Walsh to latch onto a Sandon Smith bomb, and it was 8-0 after 15 minutes.
The Broncos were struggling to make any impact until freakishly talented winger Selwyn Cobbo swooped on a Sandon Smith pass and raced 50m to score.
Broncos skipper Adam Reynolds orchestrated a Walsh try with a double-pump pass that deceived the Roosters’ defence. Both tries were scored when Smith was in the bin.
The Roosters scored twice when Gosiewski was in the bin. Billy Smith did wonderfully well to ground a James Tedesco grubber kick before the dead-ball line, then Crichton crashed over after a scheming dart by hooker Connor Watson for a 20-12 half-time lead.
Walsh put Arthars over after the break to narrow the margin to four, but the Roosters could not be denied. Butcher crashed over in the 65th minute off a Watson pass and the visitors hung on.
In his first starting game, new Roosters half Hugo Savala gave a good account of himself.
Tedesco ran for 213m from 22 runs in a true captain’s knock.
72′ NO TRY: Bunker denies Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos thought they had scored, but the Bunker has correctly ruled that Xavier Willison lost the ball before he put it down.
The Broncos ran the ball on the final tackle, as Ben Hunt found Kotoni Staggs.
Staggs threw the ball back infield, and Willison tried to pick up and score.
But Willison could not cleanly gather the bouncing ball.
70′ Jesse Arthurs fails his HIA
Brisbane winger Jesse Arthurs has failed his HIA and will not be back tonight.
66′ TRY: Roosters score and take a huge step to winning this game
The Sydney Roosters have a 10-point lead again with 13 minutes to play.
Nat Butcher has crashed over, after the Broncos conceded two six-again restarts on their line.
It started with 60 metres back up field, when Roosters’s lock Siua Wong got away and offload, with three defenders on him.
Another pass and James Tedesco was away.
The Broncos scrambled and the Roosters looked certain to score, but did not see five unmarked men to the left.
But the Roosters kept their cool and Butcher crashed through for the try.
58′ Jesse Arthurs off for a HIA, Connor Watson on report
Rooster Connor Watson is on report for a high tackle; it looked more like a head clash.
Certainly a penalty and worthy of being put on report.
Brisbane winger Jesse Arthurs looked groggy after that tackle and is off for a Head Injury Assessment.
50′ TRY: Broncos convert dominance into points after Sandon Smith errors
The Brisbane Broncos have been all over the Sydney Roosters to start the second half, and they finally have a try.
Jesse Arthurs has crashed over in the left corner after sustained pressure from the home side.
Roosters’ five-eighth Sandon Smith dropped the ball and gave away a stripping penalty, which gave the Broncos the chance at the line.
Reece Walsh was instrumental in that try, throwing the final pass to Arthurs, which put the winger in the corner.
Adam Reynolds has hit the post for the second time tonight — conversion unsuccessful.
The second half begins at Lang Park
The second 40 minutes are underway.
The Sydney Roosters have a well-deserved eight-point lead.
The Broncos were well below their best in the first half.
ABC sideline Zane Bojack is reporting that the Broncos coaching staff have told their troops to go up the middle.
HT: Sydney Roosters 20 leading Brisbane Broncos 12
A wild and whacky first half has come to an end at Lang Park.
The Sydney Roosters deserve their 20-12 lead over the Brisbane Broncos.
Roosters’ centre Billy Smith has scored two tries and was sent to the sin bin.
Angus Crichton has the other Sydney try, but is on report for an elbow to the throat of Brisbane captain Adam Reynolds.
The Broncos have themselves to blame. Jack Gosiewski was sent to the sin bin for a high shot, but the ref only marched him about a minute after the incident — so the Roosters never got a penalty.
Kotoni Staggs is on report for an elbow to the head of Sandon Smith, turning what should have been a Broncos scrum to a Roosters penalty.
I cannot wait for the second half.
38′ TRY: Roosters extend lead through Angus Crichton
Angus Crichton scores, and the Broncos only have themselves to blame.
Roosters’ five-eighth Sandon Smith had dropped the ball 60 seconds earlier, but Brisbane centre Kotoni Staggs then hit him in the head with an elbow.
That turned a Brisbane scrum into the Sydney penalty, and the Roosters converted it into points.
Connor Watson darted from dummy half with no markers, and then got a pass to Crichton, who crashed over and scored.
35′ TRY: Billy Smith scores again for the Roosters
Billy Smith has produced a terrific try, grounding a grubber kick from James Tedseco.
The opportunity came after a knock-on from Payne Haas.
Tedesco saw that Brisbane fullback Reece Walsh was in the defensive line, and he put in a grubber kick.
Smith chased through, collected the ball, and grounded it with just millimetres before the deadball line.
32′ PENALTY GOAL: Brisbane extend lead as Reynolds is elbowed in the throat
The Brisbane Broncos have extended their lead through Reece Walsh, who kicks a goal.
Angus Crichton of the Roosters was running with the ball and raised his elbow into Adam Reynolds’s throat, who was attempting a tackle.
Reynolds is struggling after that shot. Crichton is on report.
30′ SIN BIN: Bronco sent retrospectively
The Brisbane Broncos are down to 12-men, as Jack Gosiewski has been sent to the sin bin for a high shot on Victor Radley.
The sin bin came a minute after the fact, and at the time, the ref did not blow a penalty.
As the Broncos have the ball, the play is stopped and Gosiewski is marched off. But because the play has progressed so far, the Broncos will play the ball.
24′ TRY: Reece Walsh scores for the Broncos
Brisbane, go bang, BANG.
Reece Walsh scores on the next set after the Selwyn Cobbo try.
Adam Reynolds ran to the part of the Roosters’ defence where Billy Smith (who is in the sin bin) would have been defending.
Reynolds put Jaiyden Hunt in a hole.
Hunt passes to Cory Paix, who then passes to Walsh who scores.
21′ TRY: Selwyn Cobbo takes the intercept and runs to the house
Oh the poor Roosters.
They had defended their line with 12 players and survived.
But as the Roosters march towards the halfway, Sandon Smith passes a ball, which is picked off by Selwyn Cobbo, who runs all the way home and scores.
Cobbo never got to full speed, he never needed to. You could have added the points as soon as Cobbo grabbed the ball.
Adam Reynolds’s conversion attempt hits the post and is unsuccessful.
20′ SIN BIN: Billy Smith sent to the bin
Sydney Roosters’ try scorer Billy Smith has been sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on Reece Walsh.
Walsh was falling, and the ref says Smith made direct contact with the head.
Geez, that is harsh. I’m not 100 per cent sure the contact was direct to the head, rather than hitting Walsh’s shoulder and then riding up.
But the referee has seen enough to send Smith off for 10 minutes.
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