Spencer Leniu has ended his self-imposed media silence, reaffirming his dedication to the Sydney Roosters and insisting he should not be selected for the State of Origin series opener.
Partly inspired by Latrell Mitchell's decision to conclude his own media hiatus, Leniu overcame his nerves and faced the press for the first time in over a year at Magic Round.
“Public speaking in general, I’m not the biggest fan of,” the prop said on Friday. “I’ll take any back fence carry rather than speaking to people in public. But it’s part of our duty, we’ve just got to do it.”
Leniu was hurt by recent media speculation linking him with an early exit from the Roosters amid concerns over his form and limited game time. Since recovering from a hamstring injury in April, he has averaged only 27 minutes per match and has run for more than 80 metres just once in five appearances.
The 25-year-old has had “some honest conversations” with coach Trent Robinson regarding his form at the Roosters, which has not reached the heights of his three premiership-winning seasons with Penrith. However, Leniu dismissed reports suggesting he would leave the Roosters before his contract expires at the end of 2027.
“When people test my integrity and my loyalty to this club, it sort of makes me a bit angry, to be honest,” Leniu said. “I hold myself to high standards in terms of integrity and loyalty. To all the Roosters fans, I’m here to stay. We’ve got a good thing going.”
Leniu acknowledged he must improve his form to increase his minutes during his third season with the Roosters. He believes he is on the right track ahead of Saturday’s clash with North Queensland, having run for a season-high 120 metres against Gold Coast last week.
“To be honest, I just haven’t been performing at my best. That’s probably the reason why I haven’t been getting the minutes that I’ve been wanting,” he said. “At the end of the day, I’ve just got to perform better and I felt like last week was a good step in the right direction.”
However, Leniu believes his recent improvements should not be enough to secure a spot on NSW’s game-one team sheet. “I don’t think I should be in any conversations, making that Blues team,” said Leniu. “Just Origin alone, I just respect the game so much. I feel like we need to pick our side on form and I think, like I said, my performances haven’t been up to scratch. All I want to see is NSW succeed. I don’t think I’m in any contention to make that side.”
The 25-year-old wants NSW to be at their best, even if it means he is not in the team. He hopes club teammate Victor Radley and former Roosters prop Terrell May will be chosen for game one instead. Changes to Origin eligibility rules have opened the door for English international Radley to make his debut, while uncapped May could provide big minutes in the absence of the injured Payne Haas.
“If anything I hope ‘Rads’ gets a call. I just know Radley epitomises everything they say Origin is about,” Leniu said. “Hopefully Terrell gets a call too.”
Leniu expects a hostile reception from Queensland fans at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday. His media silence was triggered by a highly-publicised confrontation with Maroons and Cowboys legend Johnathan Thurston at the same venue last April. Leniu said jeering from Cowboys fans is all part of the game.
“I’m just obsessed with this game: the good, the bad, the boos and the cheers,” he said. “They all give me confidence and rile me up.”
