Spencer Leniu is under scrutiny after making a controversial money gesture in the wake of his sin-binning in Samoa’s Rugby League World Cup semi-final defeat to the Kangaroos on Sunday night.
Samoa went out of the tournament with a relative whimper, losing by 32 points after an ill-disciplined and error-strewn performance.
And the frustrations continued after the match with even coach Ben Gardiner claiming the Kangaroos benefitted from “home-ground calls” by Australian referee Adam Gee.
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Leniu was binned for dissent late in the first half, though it remains unclear what he said.
What he did, however, is clear; as he left the field, Leniu rubbed his fingers together suggesting money influenced the officiating.
New Zealand great Shaun Johnson himself called out the refereeing on Channel 7’s coverage, arguing Samoa “did not get a fair shot”, and said “it’s a difficult spot”.
“These players are giving it their all, they’re putting it all out on the line. This is their one moment to try and achieve something together,” he said.
“I can’t help but think he’s probably alluding to a point of asking how Adam Gee is officiating a game where Australia is involved in against Samoa.
“Now I don’t know what the alternative to that. I don’t know what the solution to that is. But if he is giving that gesture, it has to suggest that he doesn’t feel like this is fair odds for them. That has to suggest that.”
Channel 7’s David Riccio said precedent would suggest Leniu is facing a ban of multiple matches — a big blow for his new club Parramatta to start the 2027 NRL season — for the dissent alone.
Samoa coach Gardiner hinted at his frustrations with the officiating as he accepted his side “didn’t react very well” after “some of the penalties that were given”.
“It was a real home-ground advantage tonight for Australia,” he said.
“They had the music pumping in the background. They got the home-ground calls, they got a really good start and it was too hard for us to chase them from there.”
Veteran half Jarome Luai told Triple M he had been impressed with Gee in previous games during the tournament.
“That was completely different tonight,” he said.
“Not saying it was his fault, it was discipline on our behalf. It is what it is, man. Sometimes you get what you deserve and sometimes you don’t.”
Speaking on Channel 7’s post-match coverage, Johnson said he was “torn” criticising the refereeing.
“I don’t want to take anything away from what the Aussies produced,” he said.
“I can’t help but have this frustration about how this game was officiating. I feel like Adam Gee got calls wrong. He was confusing in some of his calls and gave Australia the rub of the green tonight.
“They just got every little call and he wasn’t supported by the Bunker, Chris Butler, either.
“I can understand refs are human and I can understand getting calls wrong in the moment. What I can’t understand is going to someone who has all the technology at their disposal and overturning a call, or giving an explanation on a call that’s just incorrect.
“That’s what I’m frustrated by and I felt like we got that tonight. I feel like Samoa, they were hard done by — they did not get a fair shot through some of these calls.
“Calls within 80 minutes of footy are massive. What they can produce and how they can shift momentum is massive.
“But I do not take my words back that Samoa need to be better at handling that. Very frustrated at the officiating but Samoa needed to be better at how they handled it.”
