Leilua's career in tatters as Tigers wield axe

Enigmatic centre Joey Leilua is fearing his NRL vocation is implicit aft copping the footwear from Wests Tigers.

Leilua is 1 of 5 departing Tigers players pursuing a horrific 38-0 decision to wooden-spooners the Bulldogs to adjacent different dismal campaign.

The Tigers person opted against activating a declaration enactment successful their favour to springiness Leilua a 3rd year, putting his NRL vocation successful a sedate presumption aft 225 games with the Roosters, Knights, Raiders and Tigers.

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The embattled nine is besides seeing disconnected erstwhile Queensland Maroons inferior Moses Mbye, who signed with the Dragons past month, arsenic good arsenic fractional Billy Walters, who's acceptable to play nether his dada Kevin astatine the Broncos successful 2022.

Joey Leilua warming up for a lucifer during his two-year enactment astatine Wests Tigers. (Getty)

The different 2 players leaving the Tigers are back-rower Michael Chee Kam, who's failed to person a caller deal, and retiring front-rower Russell Packer.

Leilua was named Dally M centre of the twelvemonth successful 2016, connected the backmost of an electrical play successful which helium struck a lethal right-edge operation with Canberra winger Jordan Rapana.

But the Raiders offloaded Leilua astatine the completion of the 2019 play and the bustling Samoan struggled to rediscover his superb signifier successful Tigers colours.

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The 29-year-old managed conscionable 14 games with the Concord nine successful 2020, owed partially to a brutal changeable connected Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards that dealt him a four-game suspension, earlier adding lone different 7 appearances successful 2021.

Joey Leilua successful enactment for the Raiders during their 2019 expansive last nonaccomplishment to the Roosters. (Getty)

Rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns gave a dire appraisal of Leilua's future erstwhile Tigers manager Michael Maguire dropped him aft the 2nd circular of the season.

"We spoke successful the off-season astir however he's a mislaid a heap of weight," Johns said connected Wide World of Sports' Freddy and The Eighth astatine the time.

"I don't spot that he's fit.

"The talent's there, you tin spot however talented helium is and we've seen it during his career, but astatine the infinitesimal helium doesn't look interested."

Joey Leilua successful Wests Tigers colours. (Getty)

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NSW Blues manager Brad Fittler was besides unimpressed.

"That fight, the desperation, the tendency to halt tries, the tendency to assistance teammates – conscionable not there."

Leilua has near down his younger member Luciano astatine the Tigers, who's contracted to the nine until the extremity of 2022.

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