Spencer Leniu had to be held back by Penrith officials on Saturday night but his bid to be fit for Sunday’s NRL grand final is off to a positive start after reporting no lingering symptoms from Taane Milne’s sickening high shot.
Renowned as one of the Panthers’ toughest nuts and brought into the club’s junior ranks off the back of regularly training to the point he was physically ill, Leniu must complete NRL concussion protocols after two HIAs in Saturday’s 32-12 win over South Sydney.
Milne’s coat-hanger tackle on Leniu has the Rabbitohs winger facing a six-game ban. The Penrith prop sprayed Milne as he walked off the field, Panthers officials holding him back to ensure tensions didn’t boil over.
A head knock suffered earlier in the match meant Leniu was automatically ruled out of the contest and must pass return-to-play protocols before Sunday’s grand final against Parramatta.
Sources with knowledge of Leniu’s recovery told the Herald that he has full memory of Saturday’s win over the Rabbitohs, including being collected high by Milne and the fiery aftermath.
Leniu has reported not suffering any headaches on Saturday or Sunday when he reported to the Panthers academy for team recovery and a BBQ, before attending Sunday’s Jersey Flegg and NSW Cup finals that featured Penrith sides.
The 22-year-old still requires clearance from Penrith’s team doctor Scott Reid as well as an independent specialist later in the week.
Leniu has been a valued member of Ivan Cleary’s cohort over the past three years despite limited game time off the bench, with Melbourne’s Craig Bellamy unsuccessfully trying to lure him south at the end of 2020.
He was passed over for that year’s grand final loss to the Storm but featured in the 2021 grand final win over South Sydney.
Auckland born and Mt Druitt-raised, Leniu’s NRL credentials were forged over the course of western Sydney summers when he would regularly train to the point of vomiting with fellow Penrith hopefuls as a teen.
Spencer Leniu celebrates a try against Souths.Credit:Getty
In an interview with The Herald before the pyrotechnics of Saturday’s preliminary final, Leniu credited his “Samoan genetics” for the eye-catching leg speed that has troubled plenty of opposition defences, and summer slogs with his manager Joe Nakat for the impressive motor that compliments it.
“There’d be a group of us Minchinbury Jets boys, four or five of us and we’d go do these extra training sessions with Joe,” Leniu said.
“He’s a proper runner, marathons and those sorts of things. So we’d be in for these big long distance focused sessions to get the fitness up.
“It’d be repeat 600-metre efforts, 300-metre efforts and that sort of stuff.
“Every single session I had of those, I’d end up pushing myself either right to the edge of vomiting, or more often than not I’d lose my lunch.
“We’d end up doing it twice, maybe three times a week as our own little pre-season before Harold Matts training would start up.
“That’s not my forte as a front-rower But you still need it don’t you and I’d say it’s helped build me into the player I am today.”
