Jared Waerea-Hargreaves could be playing his final game for the Sydney Roosters this weekend, just don't say that to Spencer Leniu.
“It won’t be his last,” was the prop's blunt response.
Waerea-Hargreaves returns from a three-game suspension this week with his Roosters’ career and the hopes of a grand-final swansong hanging by a thread.
After being bullied off the park by Penrith in their qualifying final, the Roosters must defeat Manly at home on Saturday to reach a preliminary-final showdown with the Melbourne Storm.
A loss would end Waerea-Hargreaves' decorated Roosters' career, with the hard-as-nails prop set to head to the Super League in 2025 with Hull Kingston Rovers.
And even if the veteran Kiwi front-rower is approaching the end of the line there is no doubting the Roosters have missed his ability to intimidate the opposition pack at the pointy end of their campaign.
“He’s going to be a big inclusion,” Leniu said.
“He makes everyone feel 10 feet tall when you play alongside him.
“He’s itching to get back out there and repay for what he did and it’ll be good to have him back.”
Waerea-Hargreaves' return to the starting side means Leniu will be kept on the bench to try and up the ante midway through the first half.
NSW State of Origin prop Leniu entered the fray against Penrith when the Roosters were already 22-0 down after 25 minutes.
But Leniu said he was proud of how he was able to help his side finish with a slightly more respectable 30-10 loss.
“We just have to go back to the drawing board,” Leniu said.
“This club is built off hard work and we’re taking the hard road to making it to the grand final but it’s business as usual.
“It (coming on late against Penrith) was a weight off my shoulders.
“I said to the other bench boys, ‘let’s go out and have some fun’ and when we came on the momentum changed and I think that’s a credit to us.”
