Samoa forward Spencer Leniu has copped a two-game ban after being captured making a controversial gesture in their Rugby League World Cup semi-final defeat to Australia. Referee Adam Gee sent the fiery forward to the sin bin for dissent late in the first half of Samoa’s 44-12 thumping loss in Sydney, as the Kangaroos booked a spot in next weekend’s tournament decider against New Zealand.
And Leniu appeared to make a ‘money’ gesture with his hand as he was leaving the field, in an apparent swipe at the officiating. Samoa were on the wrong end of a lopsided penalty count and had a first half try to Stephen Crichton controversially disallowed after Francis Manuleleua was ruled to have knocked the ball into Reece Walsh from a high kick.
The Kangaroos scored up the other end moments later in a crucial 12-point swing. And Leniu couldn’t hide his frustrations after giving referee Gee a serve that earned him a trip to the bin. Vision then emerged of Leniu rubbing his fingers together as he left the field.
Spencer Leniu cops NRL ban after sin-binning
Veteran league reporter David Riccio said Leniu’s actions and verbal spray could leave the Parramatta recruit in danger of being suspended for the start of the new NRL season. And on Monday afternoon the premiership-winner was hit with a Grade 3 contrary conduct charge by the match review committee.
It carries a two-game ban if Leniu takes the early guilty plea, but will increase to three games if he challenges and fails. At this stage he’ll miss at least the first two games for his new club Parramatta at the start of the 2027 season, including their opening game in Las Vegas.
Previous incidents involving Brandon Smith and Reece Walsh also resulted in bans for both players. “What I do know is when players in the past, certainly in 2023, Brandon Smith and so too Reece Walsh, when they’ve been sin-binned for dissent in the past, they’ve both received three match suspensions,” Riccio said after the game. “So it doesn’t augur well if you’re a Parramatta fan with your brand new signings heading your way, but we’ll see what the match review committee comes up with.”
Parramatta recruit Spencer Leniu has been slapped with an NRL ban. Pic: Seven
The other incident Riccio was referring to was a lifting tackle from fellow Eels recruit Jarome Luai that saw the Samoa co-captain placed on report. Luai and Kiwi great Shaun Johnson both took aim at Gee’s officiating in post-game swipes.
“We didn’t get many calls that first half, got one sent to the bin,” Luai told Triple M. “Previous games I thought Adam Gee had been reffing really well but that completely different tonight. I’m not saying it was his fault, it was probably discipline on our behalf.”
Johnson added: “I can’t help but think he’s (Leniu) probably alluding to a point of asking how Adam Gee is officiating a game where Australian is involved in against Samoa… I don’t know what the solution to that is, but if he is giving that gesture, yeah, it has to suggest that he doesn’t feel like this is fair odds for them.”