‘“They Were Too Fearful”: Paul Gallen Slams Queensland for Steering Clear of Spencer Leniu at Kick-off’

Former NSW captain Paul Gallen has become the latest State of Origin legend to criticise Queensland for their choice to shun public enemy number one, Spencer Leniu, in the opening match of the series.

The Courier-Mail featured a provocative back page leading up to Game One, displaying a striking image of Leniu accompanied by the headline: “SMASH THIS BLUES GRUB”.

This fiery display was sparked by Leniu’s earlier confrontation with Maroons icon Johnathan Thurston during the season.

However, when Leniu was introduced off the bench in Wednesday night’s game following a try from the Blues late in the first half, the Maroons opted to kick the ball to the far side of the field.

Instead, they directed their kick towards NSW debutant Max King. When Leniu did take a hit-up on his third tackle, the three Maroons defenders — Patrick Carrigan, Lindsay Collins, and Jeremiah Nanai — did not precisely treat him like public enemy number one.

It’s worth noting that Leniu and Collins are teammates at the Roosters.

Leniu was visibly fired up when he noticed Queensland had deliberately avoided him during the kick-off, exchanging heated comments with Maroons players and their home crowd.

Former Queensland player Corey Parker and ex-NSW tough guy Willie Mason have also voiced their discontent at the Maroons’ decision not to target Leniu with the kick.

Gallen, famously disliked by the Queenslanders during his playing days, recounted how he notoriously landed a punch on Maroons forward Nate Myles during the 2013 series, cementing his legacy as one of Queensland’s most hated opponents.

Following these revelations in the ongoing Leniu-Queensland saga, Gallen commented on 2GB’s The Continuous Call Team on Saturday afternoon.

“The Queenslanders deliberately kicked away from him [Leniu], which I saw as a clear message,” Gallen stated.

“They were intimidated.”

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Darryl Brohman, a former Queensland front-rower, challenged Gallen, questioning whether he truly believed the Maroons were “scared” of Leniu.

“I reckon they were,” came Gallen’s response.

“The day before, the front page of the paper proclaimed, ‘SMASH THIS [BLUES] GRUB’.

“He’s taken on one of your greatest Queensland legends, and yet the tough forward pack of the current Queensland side chose to kick away from him when he’s running straight into 13 [players] on his own?”

Brohman further questioned whether the Maroons might have simply overlooked Leniu’s presence on the field.

“Not a chance,” Gallen confidently answered.

“He was featured on the big screen continuously, and they kicked that way previously.

“They avoided him because they were reluctant to tackle him.”

On Wednesday night, Leniu made an impressive contribution, amassing 60 metres from seven runs and making 10 tackles during his 24 minutes on the field.

The Samoan international prop has been named to play against the second-placed Raiders at Allianz Stadium this Sunday afternoon.