EXCLUSIVE: Queensland Legend Darren Lockyer Unveils Spencer Leniu’s Motivational Spark for the Maroons

Queensland’s rugby league icon Darren Lockyer is confident that the Spencer Leniu controversy would have been a topic of discussion in the camp before the State of Origin opener.

The passionate NSW Blues prop was caught up in a widely reported altercation with Johnathan Thurston earlier this year, following the racism incident from last season when Leniu received a significant suspension for directing a racist comment at Ezra Mam during a match.

On Wednesday night, Leniu will be in the spotlight as he performs in front of 50,000 dedicated fans at Suncorp Stadium.

A headline in a Brisbane newspaper on Tuesday challenged the Maroons to “smash this Blues grub,” adding fuel to the already intense rivalry between the teams.

Despite the mounting attention, Queensland coach Billy Slater dismissed the idea that targeting Leniu had been discussed with his players and questioned the significance of the matter during his pre-game press conference.

On being questioned regarding the newspaper’s headline and the ongoing tension with Leniu, Slater responded, “what situation is that?”.

Yet, during an appearance on Wide World of Sports’ QLDER, a member of the Maroons’ selection panel expressed doubts about Slater’s comments.

“I think that would have been discussed at some stage during the camp,” Lockyer stated.

“Origin inherently motivates you, but if you’re a coach, you might want to stir a few players to get them fired up.

“I’m sure there have been discussions among the group along the lines of ‘hey guys, let’s make a stand here and really go at him’.”

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Leniu made his State of Origin debut last year, making a significant impact off the bench as the Blues clinched the series 2-1.

This year, Queensland will be bolstered by the return of Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, strengthening their front-row capabilities, along with Cameron Munster returning to the five-eighth position.

Lockyer acknowledged the relatively subdued lead-up to this year’s series and suggested that both Slater and Blues coach Laurie Daley would have been advising their players to maintain a low profile and avoid adding fuel to the fire.

“Definitely, as we’ve evolved, the banter has lessened – in the past, there were numerous characters on both teams willing to rattle the opposition,” he observed.

“I believe both coaches would instruct their players to keep comments to themselves and not give the opposition any ammo.

“That being said, I’m certain that plenty of Queensland players don’t need extra motivation to perform on this stage.”