‘They could have easily given me the flick’: Why Spencer Leniu is so desperate to repay the Roosters after signing new deal

Roosters prop Spencer Leniu says the loyalty shown to him by club bosses during the racism scandal at the start of the season is one of the major reasons he decided to sign a new deal that will keep him in Bondi until the end of 2027.

While Leniu is already thinking about upgrading his coffee order, his main focus is on paying back coach Trent Robinson and chairman Nick Politis who he says could have easily moved him on following his eight-game ban for racially abusing Ezra Mam during his Roosters debut in Las Vegas.

“You find your true friends and your circle really quickly when you go through hard times in life,” the powerhouse prop said.

“That was a bit of a downfall, so for them to stick up for someone who they didn’t really know at that time, they could have easily given me the flick.

“But they stuck by me and who I am as a person, and that’s what drew me to wanting to re-sign.

“When I came back (from the ban) my intention was to repay the Roosters for what they did for me in that time.”

It takes a lot for Leniu to be intimidated by anyone, but even he was a bit scared of meeting with Politis when he initially decided to leave Penrith to join the Roosters.

“I remember my first time meeting with Nick,” he recalled.

“It was so intimidating because this is the guy that everyone in the NRL talks about. I shook his hand and walked away, but he’s a top bloke.

“He’s Greek and my partner is Greek, so they get along well. I’m just so stoked that I get to build on the relationships that I’ve built. It’s a special group and I want to be part of a team that has a crack at premierships.”

It wasn’t easy for Leniu to leave the Panthers after winning three premierships with all of his closest mates, but the change of scenery has paid off.

The hard-running prop made his State of Origin debut and is playing some of his best footy in the middle.

He’s gone from an impact player off the bench to the man who will replace Jared Waerea-Hargreaves next year, and he’s glad that he took the risk to leave his comfort zone, even if he was worried about what life in Sydney’s east would be like.

“I remember I signed here for two years and I didn’t think I’d like it at the time,” he said.

“Being out west and coming out east, I thought I was going to get homesick.

“It was a bit of a mystery because I was taking a risk, but I’m happy that I did that because without risk, you don’t have a story.

“I’m here now and I love it here. It’s my home.

“Everyone inside those four walls are amazing people, and that’s why it made me want to re-sign here with how genuine everyone is. You can have a mad chat with everyone in there, and everything outside of football is what drew me to re-signing.

“I’m grateful that I get to spend more time in the eastern suburbs for the next couple of years. I’m looking forward to upgrading my coffee order. I’m on a strong latte, so I think I’ll slowly progress to a long black.”