Four years on, the Tigers still carry the memory of Mosese Fotuaika

THE sudden and tragic death of rising star Mosese Fotuaika rocked the Tigers in 2013. This is their message to NRL players suffering in silence.

IT WAS the eve of the 2013 season and the Wests Tigers players were at their training base in Concord going through their final preparations.

In the gym, Mosese Fotuaika stacked 60kg on a bar, an innocuous move. He could bench-press up to 160kg.

It was a routine exercise but somehow, he tore his pectoral muscle.

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The promising forward was in his first full pre-season with the top-grade squad. His imminent NRL debut which was just weeks away was suddenly postponed.

Fotuaika was devastated after being told he’d be sidelined for months, openly crying in the arms of the club’s physiotherapist.

Only a few hours later, the 20-year old would be found dead in his home. There were no suspicious circumstances.

Mosese Fotuaika passed away in 2013.

As the news started to filter through the NRL community, the shock of what had happened started to sink in.

His teammates and club officials were at a loss, mostly because no one saw it coming. By all accounts Fotuaika had the world and NRL stardom at his feet.

Backrower Sauaso Sue had become close friends with Fotuaika. They experienced the elation of winning the under 20s grand final together in 2012.

“He was always happy, always joking. It was a shock when it did happen,” Sue said.

“He was the last person we thought would do that. We didn’t really see any signs, he was always happy.

“We were pretty close. He was always a leader in our team and someone who we looked up to when we needed help on and off the field, so it’s pretty sad, extremely sad, he’s not here today.”

Tigers stalwart Chris Lawrence remembers wondering if there was something more that could be done to save Fotuaika.

Fotuaika won an Under 20s grand final with the club in 2012.

And that if he had slipped through the cracks, who else in his team was suffering in silence.

“It really shocked all the boys, particularly those that were close to him because no one would have expected that to happen,” Lawrence said.

“Initially all the boys wondered if they could have stopped it. Asking ‘what more could I have done?’

“Every time you hear about people taking their lives, sometimes it’s the case that it’s the last person you would think, so it does make you wonder if there could be teammates out there struggling and you don’t know about it.

“That’s why it’s important to make sure players are asking for help if they need it.”

Fotuaika was the oldest of 10 children and his girlfriend was pregnant with his child.

Sue knows the pressure some Pacific Islanders face to provide not only for their families but for their community in their home countries. And that talking about your emotions as a man is still considered taboo.

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It’s a dangerous mix of cultural and professional expectations but it’s for this reason Sue has put his hand up to become a BeyondBlue ambassador. He wants to break down the dangerous stigmas surrounding mental health that exist in Polynesian communities.

“Mosese was the eldest child so for him to speak up it was pretty hard,” he said.

“I think it’s our harsh upbringing and boys just have to be boys and take whatever happens and I think that makes it hard to speak up.

“I know a lot of Polynesian boys don’t like to speak up so I’d like to be that stepping stone for them to get help or just to be there for them if they need to talk.”

Lawrence said players sometimes fell into the trap of trying to apply the physical toughness they are conditioned to endure on the field to their mental health.

“It’s hard to flick that switch, when you’re on the field you’re taught to never give up on a play and always hang in there, hang in there,” he said.

“We are taught to be physically tough on the field. But off the field you don’t have to ‘hang in there’ you can ask for help and you don’t have to deal with it by yourself.”

Chris Lawrence, Paul Whatuira and Sauaso Sue are aiming to raise awareness of mental health issues.

Since the tragedy in 2013, the club has implemented a range of changes to help ensure players receive the support they need before it’s too late.

The Tigers have increased their education and wellbeing department to three full-time staff, all players now have a mental health plan in place, education and wellbeing staff receive a list of injured players each week and meet with them individually, and external support is brought in regularly with a psychologist available at all times for players, their families and club staff.

Tigers welfare officer Paul Whatuira has struggled with and overcome his own mental demons. The two-time premiership winner says the admission from superstar Greg Inglis about his mental health battle should be a lesson to all players to seek help if you’re struggling.

“I was taken by the way GI decided to put himself out there and to tell the world about his mental health issues and struggles,” he said.

“He was brave enough to share his story and admit he needed professional help. It is an issue in our game all players go through and it’s important to let players know that the support is there if they need it.”

Beyond Blue’s support line is 1300 22 4636

Lifeline’s 24-hour crisis support line is 13 11 14.

Originally published as Four years on, the Tigers still carry the memory of Mosese Fotuaika