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| Born | 8 September 2000 Auckland, New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 110 kg (17 st 5 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Position | Prop | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] As of 25 May 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spencer Leniu (born 8 September 2000) is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Leniu was born in Auckland, New Zealand and grew up in Australia. He played for the Minchinbury Jets in the Penrith District Junior Rugby League. [2]
Leniu made his first grade debut for Penrith against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in round 21 of the 2019 NRL season which ended in a 26-20 victory for Penrith at Panthers Stadium. [3] [4]
Leniu played 12 games for Penrith in the 2020 NRL season but did not feature in the clubs finals campaign or the 2020 NRL Grand Final loss to Melbourne.
Leniu played a total of 19 games for Penrith in the 2021 NRL season including the club's 2021 NRL Grand Final victory over South Sydney. [5]
Leniu played 25 games for Penrith in the 2022 NRL season including the clubs 2022 NRL Grand Final victory over Parramatta. [6]
In October Leniu was named in the Samoa squad for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. [7]
On 18 February, Leniu played in Penrith's 13-12 upset loss to St Helens RFC in the 2023 World Club Challenge. On February, Leniu announced he will join Sydney Roosters from 2024 onwards. [8] Leniu was selected as 19th man in the NSW Blues State of Origin squad for Game 3. [9] Leniu played 21 games for Penrith in the 2023 NRL season including the clubs 26-24 victory over Brisbane in the 2023 NRL Grand Final as Penrith won their third straight premiership. [10]
In round 1 of the 2024 NRL season, Leniu was placed on report during the Sydney Roosters victory over Brisbane at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. It was alleged that Leniu had called Brisbane player Ezra Mam a "monkey". The incident was immediately reported to the NRL judiciary. [11] [12] Leniu pleaded guilty to a contrary conduct charge and was suspended for eight games at the sentencing hearing on 11 March. [13] Leniu was asked about the racial vilification aimed at AFL legend Adam Goodes which ended his career, but the Sydney Roosters prop claimed he didn’t know who Goodes was. [14]
On 21 May, the Sydney Roosters hit back at claims that Leniu had been taking illegal substances on a live stream along with fellow players Brandon Smith, Zach Dockar-Clay, Naufahu Whyte and Terrell May. The club released a statement which read “The Sydney Roosters have been made aware of a small clip from a longer live stream that some on social media have claimed identifies behaviour that breaches NRL rules. “The clip reveals no use of illicit substances or any other breach of NRL rules, however some see fit to make that grossly distorted and clearly damaging claim". [15]
On 26 May, Leniu was one of the surprise selections by New South Wales ahead of the 2024 State of Origin series. [16]
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Greater Western Sydney suburb of Penrith that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL). The team is based 55 km (34 mi) west of the centre of Sydney, at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Penrith are the current reigning NRL Premiers, having won the title five times, including the last three times consecutively.
Isaah Patrick Ferguson-Yeo is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a lock and second-row forward for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL and Australia at international level. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest locks in the game.
Scott Sorensen is a New Zealand international rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward and lock for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL.
James Fisher-Harris is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop, lock and second-row forward for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL, and New Zealand and the New Zealand Māori at international level. He has won three NRL premiership titles with the Panthers, in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Erevonu Tuicaumatalevu "Tui" Kamikamica is a Fijian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League (NRL) and Fiji at international level.
Nathan Cleary is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a halfback for the Penrith Panthers in the Australian NRL and Australia at international level. He won the Clive Churchill Medal in 2021 and 2023 as well as Dally M Halfback of the year in 2020 and 2021. As co-captain, Cleary also led the Penrith Panthers to three consecutive premiership wins from 2021 to 2023. Being the captain in all 4 of his grand final appearances, he is considered one of the best halfbacks of all time.
Moses Leota is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop and lock for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL. He has played for both Samoa and New Zealand at international level.
Dylan Edwards is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a fullback for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL with whom he won the 2021, 2022 and 2023 NRL premierships.
Cameron Murray is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a lock forward and captains the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL.
Jarome Luai is a Samoan international rugby league footballer who plays as a five-eighth for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL. He is a three time premiership winning player with the Panthers, and he has represented the NSW Blues in State of Origin, Samoa at test and 9's level and the Māori All Stars at international level.
Corey Allan is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a wing, fullback and centre for the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Liam Martin is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League and Australia at international level.
Brian To'o is an Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays as a winger for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL.
Mitchell Kenny is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a hooker for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL. He is a NRL premiership winning player of 2022 and 2023.
The 2020 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2020 National Rugby League season held at Sydney's ANZ Stadium on October 25. The match was contested between minor premiers Penrith Panthers and second-placed Melbourne Storm. Melbourne led the game 22-0 at half-time before holding off a late Penrith comeback to win 26-20, claiming their fourth premiership title. Melbourne fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as the official man of the match. The match was attended by 37,303 spectators due to an enforced limit to stadium capacity by the NSW government as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. The game would be the last for Melbourne hooker and captain Cameron Smith after announcing his retirement in the following year, making him the most-capped player in the NRL with 430 games, and the most for a single club.
Charlie Staines is a Samoan international rugby league footballer who plays as a winger or fullback for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League (NRL).
The 2021 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2021 National Rugby League season in Australia. It was contested between the Penrith Panthers and the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Sunday 3 October at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Penrith won the match 14–12 to claim their third premiership title, and their first since 2003. Penrith co-captain and halfback Nathan Cleary was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as the official man of the match.
Ezra Mam is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a five-eighth for the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugby League.
Terrell Davis May is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Sydney Roosters in the NRL.
The 2023 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2023 National Rugby League season in Australia. It was contested between the Penrith Panthers and the Brisbane Broncos on Sunday the 1st of October at Accor Stadium in Sydney. Penrith, who were the two-time defending premiers and the defending minor premiers, won the match 26–24 to claim their fifth premiership title, and became the first club in forty years to win three consecutive first-grade premierships following the Parramatta Eels in 1983. Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary, who scored the winning try for his team, was awarded his second Clive Churchill Medal for being judged as the man of the match. The match gained significant notoriety for featuring the largest comeback victory in grand final history, with the Panthers overcoming a 24-8 deficit after 56 minutes by scoring 18 unanswered points to ultimately win the match.
