Leniu was on Monday handed a grade-two careless high tackle charge, ruling him out of the Roosters' opening two games with an early guilty plea.
If the prop elected to fight the charge at a pre-season judiciary hearing, he would risk facing a third week on the sidelines if the challenge was unsuccessful.
Adding insult to injury for the Roosters is the fact Leniu would only have missed one match, if not for the loading from last year's racial slur in Las Vegas.
Leniu's charge capped a horror weekend for the Roosters, who were beaten 48-10 by Newcastle on Sunday and had Mark Nawaqanitawase suffer a calf injury.
Considered genuine premiership contenders in each of the past 12 seasons, the Roosters are facing their toughest challenge in more than a decade.
Halfback Sam Walker is anticipated to miss the first half of the season returning from an ACL rupture, as is outgoing hooker Brandon Smith.
The club lost the likes of Joey Manu, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Luke Keary and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves to rugby and the English Super League at the end of last year.
After also letting Terrell May go during the off-season, Leniu was meant to help fill the Waerea-Hargreaves shaped hole in the club's pack.
But while Leniu brought Waerea-Hargreaves' aggression while starting on Sunday, he also had the mix of chaos with his high shot on Crossland.
If Leniu does accept the ban, he will miss the Roosters' opening games against Brisbane and his old club Penrith.