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Luciano's leadership priority following breakout season
Author - Dan Talintyre
Timestamp
Sat 12 Dec 2020, 11:50 PM
Despite producing his best individual season in 2020, Luciano Leilua knows there's much more he can give Wests Tigers in 2021.
The biggest focus is leadership.
A new recruit entering the 2020 season, Leilua starred in an up-and-down year for Wests Tigers — producing career best numbers for tries, linebreaks, offloads, run metres, tackles and try assists despite playing in a shortened competition.
But with forwards Russell Packer and James Tamou the only players in Wests Tigers current 27-man squad older than 29 years of age, the powerhouse edge forward knows the time is now for him to help lead a young pack in 2021.
"I've come back to training fitter and I'm keen to take on the role of a leader," the 24-year-old told reporters earlier this week.
"I think that's important for me.
"Madge and I spoke about that in my review at the end of last season.
"The focus was to come back and try and set the standards.
"We have a lot of young boys so they'll look to guys like me as leaders and role models. I want to be a leader so it's a role I want to take on to help push the young boys and this club into the finals.
"With the squad we have now, everyone has the confidence we need," he said.
"We're sick of not making the finals so this is the season we should fix that."
Having learned from Life Members Chris Lawrence and Benji Marshall during his first year with the club, Leilua said he's keen to impress his knowledge on the next generation of talent coming through at Wests Tigers.
"Losing guys like Benji and Chris definitely does leave a whole," Leilua said, "but there's heaps of leaders within our club right now.
"Guys like Adam Doueihi, Moses Mbye, and myself — we're at that age now where we just have to do it ourselves because nobody is going to do it for you.
"Benji and Chris last year where really good for me to look to last year. They do the little things really well — talking to the young blokes and finding people different to the guys you speak to every day. It's all the little things."
Author - Dan Talintyre
Timestamp
Sat 12 Dec 2020, 11:50 PM
Despite producing his best individual season in 2020, Luciano Leilua knows there's much more he can give Wests Tigers in 2021.
The biggest focus is leadership.
A new recruit entering the 2020 season, Leilua starred in an up-and-down year for Wests Tigers — producing career best numbers for tries, linebreaks, offloads, run metres, tackles and try assists despite playing in a shortened competition.
But with forwards Russell Packer and James Tamou the only players in Wests Tigers current 27-man squad older than 29 years of age, the powerhouse edge forward knows the time is now for him to help lead a young pack in 2021.
"I've come back to training fitter and I'm keen to take on the role of a leader," the 24-year-old told reporters earlier this week.
"I think that's important for me.
"Madge and I spoke about that in my review at the end of last season.
"The focus was to come back and try and set the standards.
"We have a lot of young boys so they'll look to guys like me as leaders and role models. I want to be a leader so it's a role I want to take on to help push the young boys and this club into the finals.
"With the squad we have now, everyone has the confidence we need," he said.
"We're sick of not making the finals so this is the season we should fix that."
Having learned from Life Members Chris Lawrence and Benji Marshall during his first year with the club, Leilua said he's keen to impress his knowledge on the next generation of talent coming through at Wests Tigers.
"Losing guys like Benji and Chris definitely does leave a whole," Leilua said, "but there's heaps of leaders within our club right now.
"Guys like Adam Doueihi, Moses Mbye, and myself — we're at that age now where we just have to do it ourselves because nobody is going to do it for you.
"Benji and Chris last year where really good for me to look to last year. They do the little things really well — talking to the young blokes and finding people different to the guys you speak to every day. It's all the little things."
