Dragons to feel heat when teen Rooster warms up his cold shoulder

[TheLoneRooster]

Don't worry TLR.

That's basically code for - i got paid more elsewhere.

LOL, I didn't think of that, I just took him at his word.

[Guest]

Don't worry TLR.

That's basically code for - i got paid more elsewhere.

Pretty much!

[Guest]

What I don't understand is where the B in BJ comes from???
Joseph Ikenasio Vitale Poiva Leilua Kelemete - ''BJ'' Leilua for short

[Guest]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1225901341122

BJ LEILUA is no stranger to rough nights.
As a teenager, he endured his fair share as he ran amok with his mates. But few have compared to the night last year when he told St George Illawarra coach Wayne Bennett he was leaving the Dragons to join the Roosters.

"It was a rough night that night," Leilua said. "We had a meeting -- me, him (Bennett) and Craig Young. They were talking about wanting me to sign. I told them the truth straight up -- that I was going to be signing with the Roosters.

"It was scary. He (Bennett) was telling me 'I could do heaps for you'. I told him I needed to go, needed something new and fresh. I had to go.

"Bennett was all right. He said we will get you back hopefully in the next three years. I was pretty sad at the time but then I said this is a new opportunity for me."

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The Dragons reacted to his decision by cutting him loose, a decision Leilua admits left him "spewing".

The 18-year-old has made up for lost time this year. The Roosters game against St George Illawarra at the SCG on Sunday will be the 10th of his embryonic first grade career and his form has been so impressive he has already been sounded out by New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney.

Yesterday, he credited his parents for helping him get his career back on track. As a teenager, he often skipped school to spend his days running wild with his mates. At the age of 15, his parents pulled him aside and told him he had two options: knuckle down and become a star, or waste his life.

Leilua chose the former.

"When I reached the age of 15 they told me it's now or never," he said. "They said if you want to keep on playing footy and be a star, you have to stop going out and being stupid. I actually did that and I am here now.

"They're very proud of me. I did it for them. They pushed me through my whole career to be a footballer for a living. It inspired me. When I was a little kid I wasn't very good. I was a bad kid never come home and always out. I was going out every day mucking around with my mates, just being stupid at the park, running around doing nothing.

"I wasn't doing my homework or taking footy seriously. I didn't go to school all the time. But then when I reached 17, I went to school every day."

Leilua, whose real name is Joeseph Ikenasio Vitale Poiva Leilua Kelemete but takes the initials BJ from his father Bati, is paying back his parents by literally paying them back. "It makes me proud, doing it for my family, especially with what they went through when they were younger," he said.
"They have told me stories of how they had nothing when they were younger. I am giving them something to build off."

He also credits Roosters coach Brian Smith for helping him realise his potential.

Leilua expects as many as 20 relatives to be at the SCG to watch him lock horns with his former teammates.

"I can't wait to play them, he said. "It's going to be a good match. They're a top side. It's going to be cool. I can't wait to get out there and smash them. At the same time respect them because they're another good team."






I know we have good players coming through but this kid is the best of them. The way he can break tackles with his strength and footwork is awesome and he is only 18! When he matures he will be one of the better backrowers in the game.

[Guest]

Mack,
Add Cherro to your list. If he gets an injury free season under his belt like Mose, he will make many sit up and take note especially Kiwis coach Kearney.

Just on Symonds, it's not form that is working against him but rather injuries and opportunities. Tom, Kennedy, Mose and Conn are all part of coach Smith's merry-go-round which seems to be working effectively.
With the team firing, Aiden Guerra hasn't come into calculations since the earlier part of the season either.

Symonds is a bona fide, proud local junior of good character who must not be lost by the club.

Well right now...

Props - Nate Myles, Jason Ryles, Mose Masoe, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Martin Kennedy, Daniel Conn, Lopini Paea, Tinirau Arona

Backrowers - FP Nuuausala, Mitch Aubusson, Braith Anasta, Joseph Leilua, Tom Symonds, Aiden Guerra, Jason Baitieri, Anthony Cherrington (injured), Brad Takairangi

Plenty of depth there.

[Guest]

Well right now...

Props - Nate Myles, Jason Ryles, Mose Masoe, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Martin Kennedy, Daniel Conn, Lopini Paea, Tinirau Arona

Backrowers - FP Nuuausala, Mitch Aubusson, Braith Anasta, Joseph Leilua, Tom Symonds, Aiden Guerra, Jason Baitieri, Anthony Cherrington (injured), Brad Takairangi

Plenty of depth there.

I think Myles and JWH are equally as good in the backrow, which is good for flexibility

[Guest]

The depth is starting to get a bit worrying actually, we will potentially lose some very good players.

[Guest]

The depth is starting to get a bit worrying actually, we will potentially lose some very good players.

We definitely will.

This is where POS and Smith will earn their money. Backing the right blokes to retain. Most of the names mentioned in this thread are or will be good first graders. We need to make sure we retain the blokes that will be more than this - we need to retain the blokes that will go on to be future rep players, good club men and loyal.

[Guest]

Well look at the past few weeks.

Against Broncos, we were missing Myles and Pearce (essentially losing a forward as Braith moved into the halves).

Against Eels, we were missing Hargreaves and Conn.

So long as they are all relatively fresh and fit by the finals, we should be fine.

Ryles
Friend
Myles
Nuuausala
Morbs
Anasta

Koops
Leilua
Hargreaves
Masoe

That will be our pack come finals. Massive and aggressive forward pack with the right balance of grafters and impact. If Myles, Ryles or Hargreaves go down, we have tough blokes like Kennedy and Conn who can step up. If Mose goes down, we have a similarly explosive prop in Paea who is a proven performer. If Nuuausala goes down come finals, hopefully the like-for-like Cherrington will be fit and ready to step in. Symonds and Guerra are effective hole-hitters much like Leilua, and Jorbs and Jones can come in if Friend or Koops go down.

The man we NEED to be fit, in my opinion, is Aubusson. He is the key, he is the man who we have got to mark the most dangerous players going around and he has shut them down time and time again. As good as many of the other players are, we have the depth to cover them, but Morbs is one of the best well-rounded players in terms of consistent linebreaking ability and amazing cover defense - he is indispensable.

[Guest]

Well look at the past few weeks.

Against Broncos, we were missing Myles and Pearce (essentially losing a forward as Braith moved into the halves).

Against Eels, we were missing Hargreaves and Conn.

So long as they are all relatively fresh and fit by the finals, we should be fine.

Ryles
Friend
Myles
Nuuausala
Morbs
Anasta

Koops
Leilua
Hargreaves
Masoe

That will be our pack come finals. Massive and aggressive forward pack with the right balance of grafters and impact. If Myles, Ryles or Hargreaves go down, we have tough blokes like Kennedy and Conn who can step up. If Mose goes down, we have a similarly explosive prop in Paea who is a proven performer. If Nuuausala goes down come finals, hopefully the like-for-like Cherrington will be fit and ready to step in. Symonds and Guerra are effective hole-hitters much like Leilua, and Jorbs and Jones can come in if Friend or Koops go down.

The man we NEED to be fit, in my opinion, is Aubusson. He is the key, he is the man who we have got to mark the most dangerous players going around and he has shut them down time and time again. As good as many of the other players are, we have the depth to cover them, but Morbs is one of the best well-rounded players in terms of consistent linebreaking ability and amazing cover defense - he is indispensable.

Agree with everything, especially the part about Aubusson. He is the hardest player to replace in our pack!

[Guest]

Well look at the past few weeks.

The man we NEED to be fit, in my opinion, is Aubusson. He is the key, he is the man who we have got to mark the most dangerous players going around and he has shut them down time and time again. As good as many of the other players are, we have the depth to cover them, but Morbs is one of the best well-rounded players in terms of consistent linebreaking ability and amazing cover defense - he is indispensable.

Agree with Maubs being the key man in our pack. Does the clean up work that Fitzy used to do.

I would add FPN to that as well though. He adds both agressive running and ball skills. His size in the back row allows Maubs and Anasta to play their natural games without shouldering too much of the hitup workload up the middle.

And to suggest Cherrington may be able to cover for FPN should he get injured in the finals....Mack, come on! The guy has loads of talent, but he has always struggled for fitness. Throwing him straight into semi final football after a major injury would be very brave!

[Rooster_6]

I think Myles and JWH are equally as good in the backrow, which is good for flexibility

I actually think they're both better backrowers than they are front rowers but they just don't suit the game plan. Anasta & Maubs are both recognised ball players... FPN more so that Myles or Hargreaves.

[Guest]

Or on a park bench sipping VB through his beard

Lets hope it's this option

[Guest]

I'm a little confused by one thing that BJ (besides why the choice of the letters B and J to abbreviate his long name) said and that is this part ...

"I just told him I needed to go, I needed something new, something fresh."

Now, he's quite young and that quote is something I'd expect to hear out of someone older and who had been with the one club for a good few years - that's not BJ. His explanation doesn't make sense to me and actually gives me cause for concern that he may ultimately come to feel that way about the Roosters when his contract is up.

Joseph Leilua was never the stand out player in his younger days coming through the Dragons system. It was only last season that he came to the forefront and was identified as one of their best young talents, if not the best. But by then, he had already been approached about an NRL opportunity by Peter O'Sullivan. I think he felt the Dragons had never really given him a chance, and that O'Sullivan had seen something special in him right from when he first saw him play. I have no worries about Leilua and when his contract is done with us. We gave him a chance, and I'm sure he will be grateful for the opportunity.

[Guest]

The story is almost Hodges like, involving the same man (Bennett).

He got Hodges back in the end... lets hope it pans out a little differently this time.

Well.. he ended back up with Bennentt again.