Nearly three months on from the racism saga that earned him an eight-game suspension , Spencer Leniu has publicly broken his silence. The NRL came down hard on the three-time premiership player, who was playing his first match for the Roosters after leaving the Panthers. In the days after the incident, several Indigenous stars – including now-Blues teammate Nicho Hynes – publicly condemned the slur.
READ MORE: Bennett on cusp of luring key man to Rabbitohs READ MORE: Walsh's big contract call amid 'crazy' Origin camp READ MORE: Panthers seeking cap relief amid May legal battle But on the first morning in NSW camp, Leniu said Hynes had been nothing but welcoming, and insisted everything had been "left at the door". "The sky blue jersey is everything that matters," he told 9News. "Everyone's priority is to represent this beautiful state.
" Leniu hadn't spoken publicly since the incident in March. He said the saga hadn't changed how he viewed himself, but learned a lot about the people he surrounded himself with. "I don't really care what people think of me.
I know who I am and those who are close to me know who I am and that's all that matters to me. Watch the 2024 State of Origin series exclusively live and free on Nine and 9Now . "I learnt who my circle is.
That's the biggest thing. "If I was to give any advice to younger kids coming up, try to find who your circle is before you come here. When you go through trials and tribulations, that's when you'll kn.