Spencer Leniu’s former teachers use the Blues forward as a source of inspiration for their students

A fireball, a firebrand and a back fence specialist – Spencer Leniu has built a fearsome reputation over the years. But there’s a side of the Blues prop that only those in his inner sanctum really know.

Spencer Leniu’s teachers at Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown would routinely log on of a morning to find an email from the fearsome Blues forward in their inbox.

Attached were drafts of his homework and assignments, more often than not sent after midnight.

On Wednesdays the Catholic school ran a voluntary mass for the cohort of 1100 students, on most weeks only around 50 showed up.

Leniu without fail was always one of them.

Greg Beecroft, the school’s head of rugby league, remembers a quiet spoken Leniu and his ‘good habits’.

Habits that helped the NSW Blues prop top his English class, get accepted into university to study teaching and even make his senior debut for Penrith’s NSW Cup side as a 17-year-old.

Former Patrician Brothers Blacktown rugby league stars Stephen Crichton and Spencer Leniu. Picture supplied

“Spencer had good habits. He would go to training with the Panthers after school, they’d start training at about 4pm,” Beecroft said.

“He’d finish school at 3pm and head to Penrith and wouldn’t get home until 8.30 that night. But then he’d be up until midnight doing his school work.

“Some might take the easy option, go home and rest.

“Not Spencer, he went home and studied. Then he’d send drafts to his teachers at midnight.

“They’d get in the next day and say, ‘Look, Spencer is sending us drafts of his work to look at, what a good kid’.”

Leniu is one of four Blues stars in Laurie Daley’s squad for Origin III to have attended Patrician Brothers including Stephen Crichton, Jarome Luai and Isaiya Katoa – who finished his schooling at Barker College.

But when teachers want to inspire students to take their studies seriously, especially those who only dream of being the next NRL star off the school’s rich rugby league production line, Leniu is their go to man.

Leniu has embraced enforcer status. Picture: Daily Telegraph/Dylan Coker

“We were in the same grade and always together but he was the total opposite to me back at school,” Crichton laughs.

“I was into my sports and that’s about it. But he always had the mindset that footy doesn’t last that long. Which is a very mature mindset to have, so he took his studies seriously.

“He came first in English in his class, I remember. He always wanted to have a plan for after footy, so he’s got a good head until his shoulders.

“He’s definitely a good role model for the school to use to help kids.

“It’s actually pretty amazing to reflect back on those days back at school together and now we are able to share the same football field.”

Since making his NRL debut in 2019, Leniu has garnered a reputation as a firebrand enforcer.

During last year’s series he earned the moniker ‘fireball’ from his Blues teammates after a barrage of rampaging runs at club level in the lead-up to the Origin decider.

This year, Leniu was labelled public enemy No.1 after a sideline spat with Maroons legend Johnathan Thurston, sparking anger north of the border.

But Blues five-eighth Luai reckons Leniu’s infamous fire and brimstone approach is somewhat of a veneer.

The Daily Telegraph 2.7.2025 Spencer Leniu. Westpac NSW Blues training at Blue Mountains Grammar School, Wentworth Falls. Ahead of the final State of Origin match next week. Picture: Rohan Kelly

“For a forward, yeah he’s smart … people stereotypically would say so for an Islander but he’s really switched on,” Luai laughs.

“He’s definitely intelligent … and sometimes he doesn’t come across that way because he is a really emotional guy.

“Some people don’t really see beyond that emotion, and so never get to see that other side of him.

“But you can tell he’s able to process situations and then really analyse them and speak really well, intelligently.

“A lot better than some within our crew – myself, Bizza (To’o), Critta (Crichton) and Spenny – Spenny is probably one of the smarter ones.

“There’s a few different characters in our crew, Critta is probably on the other side to where Spenny is.”

In the series opener, Leniu also unabashedly went on an expletive-riddled tirade levelled at the Queenslanders for avoiding him on the kick-off when he was injected into clash.

The response of the three-time premiership winner hardly surprised Beecroft.

Leniu’s back fence runs have been part of his footballing DNA from the start.

The Daily Telegraph 4.7.2025 Spencer Leniu. Westpac NSW Blues, Sate of Origin team at Blue Mountains 0n a day off from training. Picture: Rohan Kelly

“We had to play a big game against Westfields that Wednesday, and Spencer was already playing some Jersey Flegg,” Beecroft recalls.

“The Flegg team list came out and Spencer’s name wasn’t on it.

“I thought, great they are resting him because we have this big game on Wednesday.

“Less than hour later, Penrith made an announcement that this rising star was making his NSW Cup debut.

“All I was thinking was please don’t get hurt.

“He started that game, and what happened? Never one to be intimated, he took the first run from the kick off.

“He wanted to run against grown men, a kid on debut just went on the charge, straight into them head on.

“Which is exactly the way Spencer has always tackled anything he takes on, whether his studies or football.”