'We'd had enough of him': Leniu backed for Blues after standing up to JWH

Spencer Leniu has been nicknamed “fireball” by his Panthers team-mates and Jarome Luai declared the prop was “built for Origin” after he stood up to a trash talking Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.

A fired up Leniu told Waerea-Hargreaves he wanted to go on with it in the car park after the pair were sinbinned following a heated exchange in Saturday night’s 30-6 win by Penrith and he had to be escorted from the field by team-mates.

However, Luai revealed that the Panthers had been fired up by comments made after prop Moses Leota was forced from the field for a HIA following an errant blow by Waerea-Hargreaves with his elbow. 

Leota joined Liam Martin on the sidelines after the NSW Origin forward collected the hip of Waerea-Hargreaves in an attempted tackle just minutes earlier and Luai revealed comments made by the Kiwis prop had angered the Panthers.

The match exploded soon after when Waerea-Hargreaves squirted a water bottle and then threw it towards Panthers players, with Leniu reacting and a melee erupting before referee Adam Gee sent the pair to the sinbin.

While some thought Leniu was foolish for risking an Origin debut, the incident may help earn the Samoa World Cup prop a different colour Blue jersey as he proved he won’t take a backward step against Queensland in Origin.

“I hope he's in the conversation because everyone knows what he brings, man,” Luai said. "He's got that fireball energy and when he's out there, he can change the momentum on the game.

“Fingers crossed, man, because he's been doing that consistently this year and if he's handed that opportunity he's going to relish in that arena.

He's built for it, man. Watch out, he’s a fireball. We call him fireball.

Panthers prop James Fisher-Harris, who plays alongside Waerea-Hargreaves in the New Zealand front-row, said it was always an intense battle against the Roosters.

"It’s east versus west, and they've been up on the pedestal for a bit now so it's always good to play against them," he said. 

“I think they were just trying to do something because the scoreboard wasn't looking too pretty for them.

“We know Jared's going to bring the energy so none of the boys were really backing down. They both got sent off. If just Spencer had got sent off I would have been pretty pissed off."

Leniu has signed with the Roosters for next season and Luai joked that there some bridge building may be needed before he makes the move and plays alongside Waerea-Hargreaves.

“He had a fair bit to say, especially after the elbows as well, which sort of ticked us all off and I think that was just a build-up of a bit of frustration,” Luai said of Waerea-Hargreaves.

Spennie is going there next year so it might be a bit awkward but that's footy, man.

“It’s heat of the battle stuff and, you know, what happens on the field stays on the field but there's got to be a line in the sand, and we’d all had enough of him.”

Luai is expected to retain his NSW No.6 jersey for Origin II at Suncorp Stadium on June 21, but team-mate Liam Martin is in doubt after being forced from the field in the 65th minute with a Category 1 HIA.

As a result, Martin faces a mandatory 11-day stand down and won’t be able to take part in full contact training until the day of the game unless he receives a medical exemption, but Luai said NSW should still pick the second-rower.  

“I think with how he played last game, he was best on the park, so you have got to take that into consideration and the way he played tonight was pretty good up to that point,” Luai said.

“I know Marto, he is reliable and once you get him out there, he’ll be ready to rip some heads off.”