Spencer Leniu’s family packed the three premiership rings that were twinkling away on his left hand within minutes of adding a fourth on Sunday night.
The polarising Roosters prop told coach Trent Robinson that “I was packing my boots and my pompoms” for what he accepts is most likely his last game for the club.
Leniu proved himself a genuine game-breaker off the Tricolours bench in their 19-18 triumph over Newcastle. He rates his fourth title as “a bit more special” after a trio of Panthers premierships given the dramas of his three-year stint at the Roosters, most notably the racism row involving Brisbane’s Ezra Mam at the start of 2024.
The 26-year-old enforcer has a year left on his contract at the club but is set to link with Parramatta. He spoke with an air of finality, as well as warmth for the Roosters and pride in his achievements as he took to the presentation stage, brandishing his quartet of premiership rings and delivering some choice words to the cameras.
“I’m forever indebted to this club; it tells you who your true friends are when you’re at your lowest point,” Leniu said.
“I was obviously at my lowest point here at the Roosters at one point of my career, and they stuck by me.
“I think this [premiership] is a bit more special to me because I came to this club [when it was] in a sort of rebuild phase.
“It didn’t work out exactly how everyone planned it … but at the end of the day, we got a premiership. It’s such a special club, and I would encourage anyone who’s wanting to come here to come experience it because it’s second to none.”
Leniu was the last Rooster to leave the Accor Stadium turf for the dressing rooms on Sunday night, and he spent several minutes taking a knee by himself on the halfway line as cleaners went to work around him clearing away red, white and blue streamers.
The Samoan international eventually pointed to the sky and joined his teammates in the sheds and explained that he was fulfilling his regular post-game ritual.
“I definitely felt God’s presence today, and I had to give all that glory back to him,” he said.
Leniu also confirmed that his family “always bring my premiership rings in case there’s a win”. So the three mementos from his time at Penrith were slipped straight on as he also caught up with his old Panthers teammates Stephen Crichton, Jarome Luai and Brian To’o in the stands.
His preparation for the decider was anything but ordinary though given he had watched the entire grand final qualifier as an unused bench replacement.
Robinson lauded Leniu’s response to that uncomfortable scenario after defeating the Dolphins. The four-time premiership-winning coach was again full of praise for Leniu’s 25-minute stint that featured 93-line-bending metres and several heavy shots in defence.
“I was definitely a little bit bitter in the sense that I would have loved to feel like I’ve earned my job and earned my way into this grand final week,” Leniu said.
“I didn’t get that opportunity, but I learned early in my career that egos are a really bad thing in this game, so I just put that ego aside.
“I told Robbotoo, I’ll pack my boots or I’ll pack my pompoms … then when Robbo told me I was going to play I was just like ‘f— I just gotta send it. I gotta give everything, empty the tank’.
“Having that feeling last week, I never want to feel that again. I thought I had to just put everything out there.
“It gives you a lot of confidence having Gus [Crichton] and Nat Butcher sitting on the bench, we called it the bomb squad.
“When we found out that we were going to come on together it was just like ‘there’s no excuses why we can’t impact the game with us three players coming in’, and I think we did a tremendous job.”
Dan Walsh is a sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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