Greyhound Racing NSW has apologised for a racist remark made about a dog named after Broncos playmaker Ezra Mam.
A few hours after Sydney Roosters prop Spencer Leniu was banned for eight weeks by the NRL judiciary for calling Mam a “monkey”, a two-year-old greyhound named Ezra Man was due to run in Maitland.
The form comments provided by GRNSW to several betting partners – including Sportsbet – about Ezra Man read: “Go Bananas! Let’s see if we can get some positive Headlines, tonight??”
When a screenshot of the offensive comments started to circulate on social media, Sportsbet shut down betting on the race altogether.
The offensive form comment about greyhound, Ezra Man.
“We are extremely disappointed highly offensive and inappropriate comments supplied by a third party were automatically published on our platforms,” a Sportsbet spokesman said on Tuesday morning.
“Our partner Greyhound Racing NSW has confirmed that necessary action has been taken, and we have sought further reassurances that appropriate controls are in place.
“We do not tolerate hate speech, discrimination and racism in our organisation, on our platforms, or by our partners. We will continue to call it out and unreservedly apologise for the distress this has caused.”
Sources with knowledge of the situation talking on the condition of anonymity because they were unable to speak publicly confirmed to this masthead the employee who provided the form comment had since been sacked.
GRNSW chief executive Rob Macaulay contacted Mam’s agent early Tuesday to apologise to the player and his family.
Describing the comments as “inappropriate and offensive”, GRNSW said via a statement: “GRNSW was made aware of the comment during the evening and immediately deleted the remark, and while this removed it from thedogs.com.au, this correction did not flow through to our partners.
“GRNSW is appalled by what was published, and apologises unreservedly for the comment, and the distress it has caused.
The dog led all the way and won at Maitland as a short-priced favourite.
“GRNSW also apologises unreservedly to its partners who were unwittingly and through no fault of their own, caught up in the incident. GRNSW will not tolerate this kind of behaviour and appropriate action has been taken.”
Ezra Man started a short-priced favourite and led all the way to record a third straight win.
Trainer Charmaine Field said she was unaware of the drama, but confirmed her dog had been named after Mam by her league-loving grandsons, including one who plays in the Newcastle Knights’ junior system.
The NRL did not wish to comment, but NRL sources confirmed they were unimpressed with the words used and would continue to support Mam.
It emerged at Monday night’s hearing that Leniu had called Mam a “monkey” during the Las Vegas match, but he dismissed the enormity of the situation straight after the game because “I thought it was one brown man sledging another brown man”.
Judiciary chair Geoff Bellew said the two-man panel of Sean Hampstead and Bob Lindner both agreed to accept the NRL’s recommendation that Leniu sit out the next two months.
Leniu’s lawyer James McLeod argued he should miss four matches because there was never any racial intent behind the use of the word, and he had since expressed great remorse.
Leniu, 23, said he had wanted to fly to Brisbane to apologise to Mam, “face to face, man to man, without anyone knowing”.
Bellew said about the penalty: “The fact that player Mam acted in the way in which he did clearly demonstrates, if any demonstration were needed, the unacceptability of the use of such a term towards members of the Indigenous community.”
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