Join now and get your first month for just $1<\/a>.<\/p>\nThree years on, Leniu is preparing for his fourth Grand Final appearance.<\/p>\n
But his journey back to the competition\u2019s biggest stage has been anything but simple.<\/p>\n
Leaving the Panthers for the Sydney Roosters on a lucrative deal worth around $850,000 a season, he chose to chase a bigger role and a fresh challenge at one of the NRL\u2019s biggest powerhouse clubs.<\/p>\n
During his time at the club, Leniu made his State of Origin debut, served an eight-match suspension following a racism controversy that threatened to derail his career, and endured a level of scrutiny as few others have.<\/p>\n
Now he is preparing to run out on Grand Final day once again.<\/p>\n
Only this time, he will be wearing the famed Roosters jersey and potentially for the final time.<\/p>\n
Foxsports.com.au looks back at Leniu\u2019s chaotic past 36 months, the controversies that have shaped his career and what the future could hold for the Samoan international.<\/p>\n
Spencer Leniu. Picture: NRL PhotosSource: Supplied<\/p>\n
THE MOMENT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING<\/p>\n
Arriving at the club with high hopes and a lucrative contract, Leniu was expected to take the next step in his career at one of the NRL\u2019s biggest clubs.<\/p>\n
Brought in to eventually fill the void left by Jared Waerea-Hargreaves\u2019 eventual successor, he was expected to become a leader of the Roosters forward pack.<\/p>\n
Instead, his new chapter began with controversy.<\/p>\n
In his very first match for the club, Leniue found himself at the centre of an incident that would change the course of his career.<\/p>\n
During his side\u2019s clash with the Brisbane Broncos in Las Vegas, he was involved in an incident with opposing five-eighth Ezra Mam that dominated headlines in the weeks that followed.<\/p>\n
He was subsequently handed an eight-match suspension after being found guilty of a contrary conduct charge over a racial slur directed at Mam.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to apologise to Ezra and his family for using the word I did and I am sincerely sorry to cause him such distress,\u201d Leniu said at the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve put my hand up and want to take ownership of this. I said the word, but I didn\u2019t mean it in a racist way. Anyone who knows me knows that\u2019s not who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n
DAILY TELEGRAPH MARCH 11, 2024. Roosters player Spencer Leniu at the NRL Judiciary hearing at Rugby League Central, Moore Park. Picture: Jonathan NgSource: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n
Suddenly, the player who had arrived at Bondi expecting to become a cornerstone of the club\u2019s forward pack faced the biggest challenge of his young career.<\/p>\n
Forced to watch the sidelines as his new teammates continued their season, Leniu\u2019s sole focus became simple.<\/p>\n
To get back on the field and repay the club that had stood by him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can only control what I can control. Only those in my circle are the opinions that matter to me. If anyone thinks I\u2019m a racist, it is what it is, I can\u2019t control that,\u201d he told The Sydney Morning Herald midway through that year.<\/p>\n
\u201c[The support from Roosters coach Trent Robinson] was a massive thing for me. It would be [understandable] from their end if I had to leave the club. <\/p>\n
\u201cAt my end, I want to stay for life. They put their arm around me. I was happy to go out and play footy and repay them back.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Leniu finally returned to the field, the experience had changed his perspective on the club and those around him.<\/p>\n
And remarkably, it wasn\u2019t long before he reached another career milestone.<\/p>\n
A few months after serving his suspension – and with limited time on the field – he was named to make his State of Origin debut for the New South Wales Blues.<\/p>\n
Brigginshaw speaks on final NRLW game | 00:42<\/p>\n
It was a remarkable turnaround for a player whose first season in Tricolours had threatened to unravel before it even began.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was pretty tough, but tough times never last,\u201d he told NCA NewsWire during that year\u2019s Origin camp.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to give a massive shout-out to the Roosters. Those who know will always know what they did for me. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m grateful for the time and the effort they put into me because they put their reputation on the line.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m grateful to be part of such a prestigious club. I didn\u2019t know too much about the Roosters when I signed, but I definitely know what they\u2019re about now. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf it was my choice, I\u2019d love to be a part of the club for life. If there was advice I could give young ones coming up, it\u2019d be to know who your circle is.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you go through tough times like that, you\u2019ll know really quickly who your circle is. The only opinions that matter are the ones in your circle. <\/p>\n
\u201cNo one was talking to me for eight weeks except those who were in my circle, and they are only ones who matter. Stay staunch to who you are and what you believe.\u201d<\/p>\n
EMBARGOED SPEAK TO NICOLA BEFORE Spencer Leniu during open media day at NSWRL Centre of Excellence on Monday 30th, June 2025. Picture: Daly Telegraph \/ Dylan CokerSource: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n
THE BATTLE FOR HIS PLACE<\/p>\n
After everything Leniu had endured in his first season for the club, the next challenge was proving he belonged in the starting front row and could become Jared Waerea-Hargreaves\u2019 heir.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is another version of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves,\u201d Daniel Tupou told foxsports.com.au. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a bit of grub as they say on the field but off it he is the nicest bloke you will ever meet. <\/p>\n
\u201cDown to earth and he\u2019s just a great asset to the club. He\u2019s a great teammate, a great father, a great son. He\u2019s an all-round great bloke to have in your team.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, establishing himself as a genuine starting player proved more difficult than expected.<\/p>\n
His minutes remained limited as the competition for spots inside the Roosters forward pack intensified.<\/p>\n
This left him battling for a place among a growing group of young forwards such as Naufahu Whyte, Siua Wong and Salesi Foketi, who would eventually overtake him in the pecking order.<\/p>\n
Spencer Leniu. SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 17: NRL match between Manly Sea Eagles and Sydney Roosters at 4 Pines Park, on March 17, 2024, in Sydney, Australia. Picture: NRL PhotosSource: Supplied<\/p>\n
Even though he played in all three matches of that year\u2019s Origin series, he didn\u2019t look like the same player who had burst onto the representative scene the season prior.<\/p>\n
To make matters worse, he once again found himself embroiled in controversy, this time in a fiery exchange with future Immortal and NRL legend Jonathan Thurston.<\/p>\n
It added another layer to his already complicated relationship with the media.<\/p>\n
Never one to shy away from speaking his mind, Leniu found himself under the microscope and a regular target of scrutiny.<\/p>\n
Although he accepted that it comes with the territory of playing in the NRL, he was frustrated with the media\u2019s fixation on the negatives.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s one of the lowest jobs,\u201d he said on The MAYDAY Podcast last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like they only come out when things are bad. Controversy sells. <\/p>\n
\u201cI know that they know that and that just burns me inside that they just come out when something bad happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
NRL 2025 RD06 Brisbane Broncos v Sydney Roosters – Spencer Leniu, Johnathan Thurston, confrontation Picture NRL PhotosSource: Supplied<\/p>\n
The same sentiment is shared by many athletes around the world, including NBA superstar LeBron James, who made a similar distinction during a 2025 appearance on The Pat McAfee Show during his own dispute with a talk show host.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that criticism of athletes is part of the job.<\/p>\n
But once it becomes personal, a line has been crossed.<\/p>\n
\u201cNever would I ever not allow people to talk about the sport, criticise players about what they do on the court,\u201d James said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is your job to criticise or be in a position where if a guy\u2019s not performing, that\u2019s all part of the game.<\/p>\n
\u201c(But) when you take it and you get personal with it, it\u2019s my job to not only protect my damn household but protect the players.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matty’s ultimate Grand Final Preview | 12:15<\/p>\n
Despite the constant scrutiny, Leniu had no intention of changing who he is to fit someone else\u2019s idea of an NRL player.<\/p>\n
\u201cNever change, especially when the pressure is put on you. I think it\u2019s so easy to fall in line with how society wants you to sort of behave,\u201d he stated on The MAYDAY Podcast.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou might not fit the criteria or the way other people are portraying who you want to be. I like to stay in my own lane and be me. <\/p>\n
\u201cI will never switch up for no one, no matter how famous or how much money they get. I\u2019m still that kid from Mincho. I\u2019m still that kid from Mangere in South Auckland. The kid that didn\u2019t have much.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been pressured a lot on social media and this and that and I don\u2019t feel like I\u2019ve switched up one bit. I\u2019ve stayed true to myself through the ups and downs and that\u2019s the biggest lesson I\u2019ve learned. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor any younglings coming up just be you. Not everyone\u2019s going to fit the mould that they want and just be you. Switch up for no one.\u201d<\/p>\n
NRL 2025 RD22 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles v Sydney Roosters – Spencer Leniu, sssSource: Supplied<\/p>\n
Although he remained true to himself, he couldn\u2019t make the issues beginning to emerge on the field.<\/p>\n
His form soon began to dip and he no longer looked like the high-impact forward that was recruited from the Panthers.<\/p>\n
Instead, he was fighting to hold his place and by 2026 even he knew he wasn\u2019t performing at the level required of him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a good thing going at the Roosters, there\u2019s healthy competition [for spots], and to be honest, I haven\u2019t been performing at my best, and that\u2019s why I haven\u2019t been getting the minutes I\u2019ve been wanting,\u201d he said ahead of Magic Round.<\/p>\n
\u201cRobbo [coach Trent Robinson] and I have had some honest conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those conversations between him and Robinson have become even more significant since his place in the club\u2019s finals rotation has come under further pressure.<\/p>\n
This saw him left out of the side altogether for last week\u2019s preliminary final, with Robinson opting to play Hugo Savala as a utility.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was either Hugo or Spenny that was gonna be that fourth one there and with Sammy coming off, it was ended up being Hugo,\u201d coach Trent Robinson said last week.<\/p>\n
\u201cSpenny\u2019s one of our leaders, and I didn\u2019t like having that conversation (during the week). <\/p>\n
\u201cHe looked at me and he said \u2018whatever\u2019s best for the team\u2019 and went up to the guy who took his spot (Crichton) and congratulated him then they got back to training. <\/p>\n
\u201dHe\u2019s been much maligned outside of the team for different things that he\u2019s done, but the character of somebody when they get bad news is often a good judge of who they are and I really thank him for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
JWH speaks on Justin Holbrook | 00:43<\/p>\n
Victor Radley has seen that side of Leniu firsthand, describing him as someone his teammates can rely on when things get difficult.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a real loyal person and real loyal friend. He\u2019s got your back no matter what,\u201d he told foxsports.com.au. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s had my back plenty of times, especially last year when I was getting in strife I felt it the most from him. <\/p>\n
\u201cLoyal is the one thing I would definitely say about Spencer and someone you want in your corner. He\u2019s a real selfless person. I love playing with him<\/p>\n
It was a telling moment for Leniu.<\/p>\n
Once recruited as a future leader, he was now watching from the sidelines as his teammates fought for a place in the Grand Final.<\/p>\n
NRL 2025 RD23NRL 2025 RD23 Dolphins v Sydney Roosters – Spencer Leniu, Try Celebration. Picture: NRL PhotosSource: Supplied<\/p>\n
THE UNEXPECTED ENDING<\/p>\n
Less than four months ago, Spencer Leniu was adamant his future was at the Sydney Roosters.<\/p>\n
Now, as he prepares for the Grand Final and is one win away from achieving premiership glory once again, Sunday could mark his final match in the famous jersey.<\/p>\n
The front-rower previously hosed down speculation linking him with a move away from Bondi, declaring he loved the club and insisted \u201ceveryone knows where my heart lies\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m contracted to this club. I love this club, I love the brothers here, and we\u2019ve got a good thing going into the finals,\u201d he told NCA NewsWire in July.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy sole focus is just putting my best foot forward for this team and for the club, and hopefully we get a good run into the finals.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t see it too often, it\u2019s more so when my family sees it and then it becomes a topic of conversation,<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone knows where my heart lies inside our four walls, and to be honest, that\u2019s all that matters. Outside noise is outside noise. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor the fans, it\u2019s awesome for them to hear about these rumours and speculate, but that\u2019s part of the game. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got to take the good with the bad. As long as people know in those four walls where my heart lies, that\u2019s all that matters to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, since he last spoke publicly about his future, the situation has shifted dramatically.<\/p>\n
Despite remaining contracted to the Roosters until the end of 2027, he is now expected to depart at the end of this year\u2019s campaign and join the Parramatta Eels.<\/p>\n
On the surface, the decision may come as a surprise.<\/p>\n
Leniu has made no secret of his love for the club and has repeatedly said he wants to remain at the Roosters.<\/p>\n
But behind the scenes, several factors are reportedly driving his exit.<\/p>\n
In a recent episode of Fox League\u2019s NRL 360, CODE Sports reporter Brent Read revealed the club\u2019s concerns centre on a combination of his limited minutes on the field, discipline issues and the growing salary-cap pressures of the Tricolours.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s a combination of things,\u201d Read said. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe was brought in to become a starting front-rower and he hasn\u2019t become a starting front-rower. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s paid to be a starting front-rower (but) he\u2019s been playing 20-30 minutes a game basically. <\/p>\n
DAILY TELEGRAPH MONDAY 30TH JUNE 2025 EMBARGOED FOR DAILY TELEGRAPH ONLY – NO NEWS.COM NO AUSTRALIAN – TALK TO PIC DESK BEFORE USE Pictured at the NSWRL Centre of Excellence at Olympic Park in Sydney is NSW Blues player Spencer Leniu ahead of the 3rd and deciding game of the 2025 Origin Series. Picture: Richard DobsonSource: Supplied<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t pay guys that amount of money. I think that\u2019s part of it. Obviously there are some concerns around his discipline at times.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think it has anything to do with him as a person because I think they love him as a player, but it\u2019s value for money. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think they\u2019ve also got some blokes going up next year in terms of salary cap – Naufahu Whyte, Siua Wong, Blake Steep, Savala. All those guys\u2019 salaries are going up in the next couple of years.\u201d<\/p>\n
It leaves Leniu facing an unexpected ending to his Roosters chapter.<\/p>\n
With the Eels waiting on the other side of the Grand Final, he has one final opportunity to decide how his time in the Tricolours will be remembered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Thirty-six months ago, Spencer Leniu was celebrating a third consecutive premiership with the Penrith Panthers. He was 23…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":912954,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":["post-912953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-nrl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/912953","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=912953"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/912953\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/912954"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=912953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=912953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=912953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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