In our 'Get to know...' series, we take a look at the new faces in Redfern for 2018 and assess the impact they could make in Red and Green. First up is the newest South Sydney Rabbitoh, Vincent Leuluai.
Background
Born in Sydney, Leuluai played his junior rugby league with the Minto Cobras before he was signed by the Sydney Roosters.
Career
Leuluai began his career with the Sydney Roosters back in 2012 where he was a part of their S.G. Ball Cup side. From 2013-2015, he was an integral part of the Roosters Under 20s squad.
The following year, Leuluai made the step up and had his first encounter with the Rabbitohs on his debut in Round 1, where the Roosters were thumped 42-10. He would go on to make one more appearance in the tri-colours before switching mid-season to the Melbourne Storm.
After adding two more appearances to his first grade tally amongst a number of strong performances for feeder club Sunshine Coast Falcons, Leuluai cut his contract short for a return to Sydney with the Rabbitohs in 2018.
Head Coach Anthony Seibold“He’s a powerful athlete who will have every opportunity to push for a spot in our top 17. His skill set is a point of difference to those who are already part of the squad and we’re looking forward to seeing him progress as we head towards Round 1.”
Style
At 180cm in height and weighing in at 103kg, Leuluai is built for the front row and for bulldozing opponents. With a game based on power and aggression, Leuluai is capable of breaking tackles on a regular basis.
General Manager of Football Shane Richardson“Vincent Leuluai is a very strong player which we have high aspirations to play first grade next year. He comes out of the Melbourne system, he’s very strong and will add a lot of depth to our middle.”
How he fits into the squad
At just 22 years of age, Leuluai adds youth and depth to the front row stocks where he will be looking to apply pressure on our established forwards in a bid to becoming a regular first grader.
