NRL 2023: Brisbane reject Tino Fa’asuamaleaui primed to hunt Payne Haas in Titans-Broncos derby
They famously traded blows in the 2020 Origin series; now Tino Fa’asuamaleaui is ready to take the fight to Payne Haas in the Titans-Broncos derby.
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Titans skipper Tino Fa’asuamaleaui has vowed to stand up to Broncos enforcer Payne Haas and says he won’t take a backward step if there is more Origin-style fireworks between the monster duo in Saturday night’s derby.
Fa’asuamaleaui has opened up about his Broncos snubbing and his desire to win Gold Coast’s first premiership as he celebrates his 50th game for the Titans in the Brisbane blockbuster at Cbus Super Stadium.
The Broncos are banking on Haas’ relentless go forward to spearhead another Queensland derby triumph, but Titans ironman Fa’asuamaleuai has other ideas.
The duo famously clashed during the State of Origin series in 2020 when Fa’asuamaleaui and Haas went toe-to-toe during a wild melee, prompting the Queensland and NSW firebrands to be sin-binned.
The pair have enjoyed a competitive rivalry since an under-18s Origin game in 2017, when Maroons rookie Fa’asuamaleaui challenged NSW rival Haas to run at him from a tap restart.
While Fa’asuamaleaui has enormous respect for Haas’ ability, he prides himself on beating the best and Big Tino says he is ready to fight fire with fire with the 118kg Broncos hardman at Robina.
“I won’t take a backward step,” Fa’asuamaleaui said of his midfield derby clash with the in-form Haas.
“My parents have always taught me not to back down and always give your best.
“I live with that attitude for the Titans every game and I always put my best foot forward.
“Whenever you come up against the best in the game, I want to compete against those and see how good I am.
“I rate Payne as one of the best props in the NRL, so that‘s what I am excited for this weekend.
“He is the best and I want to see how I go against the best.
“I will never give up.”
Fa’asuamaleaui was given his Queensland debut by Wayne Bennett in the 2020 Origin series and looks back fondly on his explosive showdown with Haas.
“That night showed how passionate me and Payne are about our individual states and being that young, it was a cool memory to have,” he said.
“It‘s cool to look back on that series.
“I don‘t even know what really started it (his fight with Haas).
“We were both sticking up for our teammates and suddenly we were in the middle of it.
“There was no sledging, we just saw our teammates being pushed and we ended up being in the thick of it.
“I actually don’t know Payne well. I never played with him in my time at the Broncos.
“He and Dave (Fifita) were the big guns coming through the (Broncos) system and rightly so because they were so good so young.
Wayne Bennett's not happy with the Courier Mail. He's sensationally blamed us for igniting the State of Origin fight between Payne Haas and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, via @MCarayannis
— Courier Mail Sport (@cmail_sport) November 11, 2020
Details: https://t.co/xu3APqznXOpic.twitter.com/k9mszraffB
“But I was never on that friendship level with Payne. He was above me in the grades.”
There is an extra edge of intensity when Fa’asuamaleaui faces the Broncos.
It is partly driven by the Gympie product’s belief there was not an NRL pathway for him at the Broncos, prompting Fa’asuamaleaui to shift to Melbourne, where he won a premiership ring in 2020 before joining the Titans.
“I love playing against the Broncos because of my history there,” he said.
“I was in their junior system, but I never even played under-20s there. They basically didn’t offer me anything, so I went to Melbourne at 17 and I haven’t looked back.
“It’s always been a motivation. I am grateful for the opportunity the Broncos gave me, but in some ways it felt like they didn’t believe in me and that’s when I got a chance at the Storm and went my own way. I grew from there.
“There’s no hate towards them. That’s just football. Sometimes things don’t work out — I went to Melbourne and won a premiership — but there’s always that bit of motivation playing the Broncos.”
The 23-year-old has been inspirational this season, averaging 30 tackles and 164 metres per game, and is equally motivated to deliver a watershed title to the Titans.
“I can’t believe this is my 50th Titans game already, time goes fast,” he said.
“Coming to the Titans, it was always going to be a tough challenge, but I want to build a culture here like the Storm and Penrith where they have winning habits and a winning mentality.
“It’s something I am working on for this club. We have a long way to go but I want to win the first premiership for this club.
“It would mean so much to lead the Titans to a premiership.
“I get emotional when I mention it because it is a dream of mine.
“When I first came to the club, a lot of people doubted me and doubted we could do it.
“But if we keep working hard, we will get there … I would love to be the first captain to lift a trophy for the Titans.”
Originally published as NRL 2023: Brisbane reject Tino Fa’asuamaleaui primed to hunt Payne Haas in Titans-Broncos derby
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