Roosters coach Trent Robinson won’t tell firebrand Spencer Leniu to tone down his aggression after last week’s spiteful clash against the Dolphins where four players were sent to the sin bin and fines were dished out like candy at Halloween.
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Leniu and teammate Naufahu Whyte joined Dolphins duo Francis Molo and Aublix Tawha in the sin bin after a post-try melee that was sparked by the NSW prop shaping up to Tawha.
Players from both sides came together just a minute after referee Gerard Sutton had warned both captains following another push and shove that was sparked by Tawha shoving Roosters halfback Sam Walker.
“I see a guy that’s passionate about protecting his halves. I don’t think anything was going to happen until someone touched Sammy Walker,” Robinson said, with Leniu scoring a try upon his return in the crucial 64-12 win.
“The game didn’t like it with the charges, and I think a couple of guys could have got charges – ‘Fahu’ (Whyte) and one of their players (what they did) was probably a bit too much.
“You don’t want people running in from a long distance – I understand that – but I think I’ve had 100 per cent of comments that have been really positive about the way that game was played and the intensity of those guys.
“I think everyone enjoyed seeing it because no one got hurt, there was no trouble from it and people knew why it happened.”
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The push on Walker infuriated Leniu, with the Roosters frustrated by several calls this season when acts of foul play were unpunished by officials.
Nat Butcher and Siua Wong both suffered knee injuries that weren’t penalised on the field but resulted in lengthy bans, while Wong was also knocked out from a kick-off last week, with Sutton ruling a knock-on because the contact was deemed accidental.
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“I think supporting ‘Spenny’ and the boys when they want to protect each other (is fine) because we’ve had some foul play that has gone untouched,” Robinson explained.
“We’ve had significant foul play this year that we haven’t even received a penalty for, and sometimes the guys get a bit sick of it and want to make a stand of it themselves.
“As long as that gets looked after, the boys will stay on task.”
There’s a reason why Leniu was so desperate to protect Walker given the halfback has been in stunning form since returning from an ACL injury that ended his 2024 campaign.
It usually takes a year for players to return to their best, but the halfback has set up 13 tries in five games and has them back in the finals mix.
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His combination with Hugo Savala has been tremendous, while Robinson isn’t taking any credit for the ad-lib play like the footwork and long ball that fooled the defence and set up a Daniel Tupou try last week.
“It’s a hard thing to come back and get in the groove straight away,” he said.
“I think over the last month we’ve seen that progression week on week, and I feel like … he’s seeing the game really clearly now getting back to a physical presence in the game.
“Sammy is a year older, a year smarter, and long may it continue.
“We get to watch him all the time and he’s always looking for what the next opportunity is. There’s a trust there because his eyes are very good and his instinct around space is really good.
“He knows how to use his tools, whether it’s a pass or kick or a run to take advantage of that. It’s just observing and allowing the freedom for those plays. It’s got nothing to do with our coaching. It’s allowing him to do it whenever he wants.”
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Last week’s big win has the Roosters on the edge of the top eight ahead of a mouth-watering showdown with the high-flying Bulldogs in the wet.
“We’ve been pretty clear with how important we think this game is. All that matters is tomorrow night. It’s all we’re focused on and we’ve prepped towards that,” Robinson said.
“I’ve really enjoyed watching the challenge of the guys and how they’ve risen to that because we know it’s right there.
“Each week has been the most important week this season, and it’s no different tomorrow night, so we need to attack them.
“They’re a very good team and there’s all respect to that, but that’s it for us. We have to go after it – there’s no other choice.”
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