Spencer Leniu’s future at the Sydney Roosters looks set to come to an end sooner than expected, with the NSW Blues forward unlikely to see out his contract with the club.
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Brought in as a marquee signing from the Penrith Panthers, Leniu has failed to live up to his hefty price tag of $800,000 a season since his arrival.
And although he has managed to play State of Origin football during his time at the Roosters, he has been unable to secure consistent minutes on the field, which saw him used for only 14 minutes last week against the Broncos.
“This is a watch this space regarding Spencer Leniu. He’s got 12 months left on his deal. My gut is he won’t be at the Roosters next year,” Code Sports’ Michael Carayannis said on NRL 360.
“That’s my understanding of the situation. They’ll get to a point that there’s probably not a long-term deal for him at the club and his future may be elsewhere next season.”
DAILY TELEGRAPH JUNE 3, 2024.Spencer Leniu during the NSW Blues training session at the NSWRL Centre of Excellence at Sydney Olympic Park. Picture: Jonathan NgSource: News Corp Australia
Agreeing with his colleague, Brent Read stated that the Perth Bears and PNG Chiefs are two clubs that may be interested in recruiting his services, while the Parramatta Eels loom as another destination.
“I can’t imagine Spencer’s happy playing those sort of minutes either, though. I’d imagine if that continues, Spencer won’t be happy to stay there either and he’ll get interest on the open market,” Read added.
“You’ve got two new teams coming into the competition. Parra’s in the market for a middle forward I believe.
“There are clubs out there that cherish middle forwards. They’re a valuable entity in the modern game. I think you’d have no trouble getting that sort of money.”
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Contracted until the end of 2027, Roosters officials revealed to Code Sports on Wednesday that he has not been granted permission to leave early.
Greg Alexander said, “There’s not many power forwards like Spencer that get over the advantage line. Granted, he hasn’t done it that often this year.
“You can’t play Spencer 800K and not start him and at the moment he probably doesnt deserve that.”
“He was a bench player at the Panthers and a very effective one. Moves to the Roosters to get more time and be a starting front rower on big money. It’s a tricky one,” Braith Anasta continued.