Wayne Bennett has come out swinging on the Ezra Mam-Spencer Leniu saga, insisting the sport is not racist and calling for the “drama queens to stay out of the argument”.
One of the code’s most powerful voices, Bennett has broken his silence on the ‘Monkey-gate’ affair as Roosters prop Leniu prepares to defend allegations of a racist slur at the NRL judiciary next week.
Leniu could face up to eight weeks on the sidelines if found guilty of allegedly calling Mam a “monkey”, with Souths superstar and proud Indigenous icon Latrell Mitchell calling for the Roosters enforcer to be suspended for three months or more.
But Bennett, who has coached some of the code’s greatest Indigenous athletes, including Mitchell, Steve Renouf and Wendell Sailor, called for calm and common sense over the Leniu-Mam firestorm.
“We are not a racist game,” Bennett said.
“The game doesn’t have to take a strong stand on this. The game has always taken a stand on racism. It’s bulls*** to think otherwise.
“We don’t tolerate racism in our game and we have always included all races – we can all be one in rugby league.
“It happens very irregularly in our game.
“I am proud of the game and I am proud of the way we as clubs conduct ourselves, regardless of what race you are.
“All the drama queens should stay out of the argument.”
Bennett made it clear he does not condone racism in any walk of life.
Asked what suspension the NRL should dish out to Leniu if he is found guilty of racially abusing Mam, the Dolphins super coach was unequivocal.
“The game has to handle this in the manner they handle any other situation that’s thrown at it,” Bennett said.
“The NRL may have to come up with a penalty, but if he is found guilty, I don’t believe it should be an overkill penalty.
“It should be a fair and reasonable penalty and we all move on.
“We have all been in a situation where we have said something we regret, including the very people now calling for blood.
“We have all been guilty of saying something silly.
“He (Leniu) can’t take it back and it’s been said.
“The Roosters guy is of Polynesian descent.
“But the game has acted the way it should do, it got reported and the game will deal with it.”
Bennett says Mam would not be the only Bronco to have been the victim of a racial slur, revealing he has supported Brisbane’s Indigenous legends Renouf, Sailor and Thaiday through difficult periods in their careers.
“Of course you feel for players who are racially abused,” he said.
“It hurts them.
“I’ve had guys like Steve Renouf, Wendell Sailor and Sam Thaiday, great Indigenous players I coached, they copped their share and they went through it.
“They will always remember their slurs, but we protected and supported them as much as we could.
“Our game is not racist, it never has been. When you look back over the history of our game, it’s not something that has been a major issue with us.
“We have some wonderful Indigenous players and they have been treated as well as anyone in the team.
“Arthur Beetson played our game and he was Australian sport’s first indigenous captain. He could not have got any more accolades in his life, so don’t tell me rugby league doesn’t act on racism.
“In this case, it’s one word against another, it’s a tough one, so I’ll leave it to the NRL.”
