For some players, it’s the games they miss that make the games they play so special.
When Burleigh Bears winger Troy Leo ran out for his 100th game against the Western Clydesdales, it was the matches he didn’t play that made the milestone so meaningful.
Leo endured two devastating ACL injuries during his career.
The first came in 2019, just before that year’s finals series, and after working tirelessly to return, he ruptured his ACL again in Round 1 of 2021, ruling him out for yet another season.
Between the 25th of August 2019 and 9th of March 2024, Leo played just one game for the Bears, the match in which he suffered his second knee injury.
One game in 236 weeks.
Throughout his career, Leo has demonstrated remarkable resilience, perseverance and dedication to his rugby league craft.
His finishing ability on the edge of the Bears' backline has produced 75 tries, placing him second on the club’s all-time try-scoring list behind Sami Sauiluma’s 88.
Leo made his Hostplus Cup debut against the Dolphins in 2017.
He scored the first try of his Bears career that day, although Burleigh went down 26-8.
“My debut, I think I took for granted. Coming from New Zealand, I didn’t really understand the importance of the Hostplus Cup,” Leo said.
“I have a much greater understanding now of what it means to play in the Hostplus Cup and to play for the Bears.
“Those injuries have certainly made me more grateful for what I have now. One hundred games for the Bears is a massive deal to me.
“The Bears have such a strong culture of success and winning.
“I wasn’t promised anything when I came back. It was simply a matter of working hard and seeing where it took me.
“I am certainly not the same player I was in 2019, but I think this version of me is a better player and contributes more to the team.”
When reflecting on his 100 games, one match stands above all others — the 2025 Hostplus Cup Grand Final.
The Bears’ 22-8 victory over the Norths Devils sits at the top of Leo’s list of career highlights.
Not only did he win a premiership with Burleigh, but he also shared the field with his favourite teammate for the final time in his Bears career.
“To win, score a try and have Sami Sauiluma on the field was exactly how I imagined it would feel,” Leo said.
“Don’t tell anyone, but Sami is my favourite teammate. He knows it.
“He played 65 minutes off the bench on my side and, at full-time, I was so happy to see him.
“He was always so good for me. He would tell me exactly what he thought about what I was doing — good or bad, Sami would tell you.
“I missed out in 2019 because of my knee, and to make up for that in 2025 was very special.”
Sometime in the future, a young Bear may be battling injury and wondering whether the hard work is worth it.
That’s when an older Bears brother might say, “Let me tell you about Troy Leo and the 236 weeks he spent out of the game.”
That may well become Leo’s greatest legacy at the Bears — not the 75 tries, the premiership, or even the 100 games, but the example he set through resilience, patience and perseverance.
