NRL 2021: Gold Coast Titans star Tino Fa’asuamaleaui wants to be like Sonny Bill Williams
The Titans may have shelled out to get David Fifita, but it’s Tino Fa’asuamaleaui who has emerged as the NRL’s newest hit-man.
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Gold Coast Titans enforcer Tino Fa’asuamaleaui has emerged as the NRL’s new hit-man after declaring he wanted to emulate league legends Sonny Bill Williams and Sam Burgess.
Fa’asuamaleaui was best on ground in Gold Coast’s demolition derby of the Broncos at Cbus Super Stadium on Friday night.
The Queensland Origin gun finished the game with modest statistics - 115m and 17 tackles - but it was his impact on the contest that played a huge part in the Titans’ record third straight victory against Brisbane.
Fa’asuamaleaui went on a mission to hammer Brisbane’s big men in the middle like Tevita Pangai Jr and terrorised Broncos back-rower Jordan Riki.
The 21-year-old Melbourne Storm recruit had a mediocre Titans debut in last weekend’s loss to New Zealand and said he wanted to make a statement against the Broncos.
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“Yeah, 100 per cent,” he said.
“I didn’t really have a good performance last week and let the team down.
“I had a lot of errors, especially defence-wise and that’s a big area I want to build my game around. Coming from Storm, that’s what we were built around.
“I want to get my defence right for the team. I didn’t do that last week. I had a few missed tackles and hits where I didn’t stick.
“I really wanted to do that (against the Broncos) and keep doing it each week. Hopefully each week I get better.
“I wanted to make up for that this week and improve.”
While the Titans splashed $3.5 million to lure David Fifita from Brisbane, Fa’asuamaleaui could prove to be the more consistent signing.
He is already an NRL premiership-winner and State of Origin player, despite having only made 28 first grade appearances, and has been touted as a future captain.
Fa’asuamaleaui grew up near Gympie idolising some of the game’s great forwards and said he wanted to emulate them to become the Titans’ pack leader.
“I had heaps (of idols),” he said.
“Petero (Civoniceva), Gorden Tallis, Sonny Bill Williams - although he is every islander’s idol. Shane Webcke…I could name a whole team. All those fellas that were tough and willing to do anything for the team, I looked up to that. Sam Burgess is another one.
“I can hopefully bring that into my game. In each game I want to slowly improve, become a leader and lead from the front.
“We’ve got a lot of leaders in this team, especially in the middle with ‘J Wal’ (Jarrod Wallace), ‘Moey’ (Moeaki Fotuaika), all those boys off the bench are leaders.
“I wouldn’t mind that but I’ve just got to focus on my job and hopefully I do become a leader one day.”
Fa’asuamaleaui looked at home in the Origin arena last year, taking on NSW rival Payne Haas in an explosive Game Two encounter.
The polite lock forward denied he picked out rivals to target but admitted he loved tackling the NRL’s biggest names.
“I love the challenge but I don’t really narrow in on one person,” he said.
“I focus on my job and if they happen to be in front of me I will try to put my best foot forward.
“That confidence from last year, especially in Origin, was a big boost for me coming into this year.
“I want to keep improving each week and hopefully that confidence grows and I can keep playing consistent football.
“We’ve got to get better each week and be consistent. We can’t just have one good game and slack off the next. We need to be consistent to be a good team in this comp.”
Titans coach Justin Holbrook said he didn’t need to urge Fa’asuamaleaui to fire on the field.
“I don’t need to challenge Tino, if anything I’ve got to try and pull him back a bit because he’s such a competitor,” he said.
“He was up for a really big game. I thought he was good for us last week but he had that determination which was great.
“I’ve loved everything about him since he’s joined the club. He was good and will be every week.
“The way he’s going about his game is great. We’re really happy to have him and for our fans to know we’ve got guys like that in our side is pretty impressive.
“He has taken that (leadership) upon himself but it’s not really what’s needed.
“I’d be happy to not have just one leader. Our whole pack is capable of it.”
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