Samuela Fainu, arguably the best footballer in a freakishly talented family, will make his NRL debut for Manly on Sunday.
His mother, Lile, wonders whether the magical moment would have come so soon had big brother Manase not been jailed over a Mormon church dance stabbing.
“There is a reason why Manase has been taken away,” Lile said. “I cry every day because my son is not with me, but I know the Lord has his reasons.
“If Manase was here he would just prolong ‘Uella’, because [Samuela] would be relaxing and just following Manase.
“But with Manase out of the picture, it’s giving Samuela an oomph to go harder, to go stronger.
“He knows that he is the man now, he needs to step up and look after his mum and dad. Therefore he is striving, he’s got to be the man.”
The Fainu family gather on Tuesday night to celebrate Samuela’s NRL call-up.
Samuela will make his first-grade debut off the bench in jersey No.14 against Wests Tigers at Campbelltown Sports Stadium on Sunday. The family learnt of the 19-year-old’s selection on Tuesday and gathered for a huge feast at their North Narrabeen home to celebrate.
In attendance was his brother Latu, who in November, at the age of 16, signed a deal that could result in him becoming the highest-paid player yet to reach NRL level. Another sibling, promising prop Sione, is also nearing a debut at Wests Tigers.
However, the most accomplished of the quartet to date, Manase, who has maintained his innocence over the stabbing and is planning an appeal, had to pass on his best wishes via a phone call from jail.
In his last interview before being incarcerated, when asked who was the best footballer in the family, Manase didn’t hesitate in nominating Samuela.
‘I wish Manase was here. It is what it is. [Samuela] wouldn’t have worked so hard if we weren’t in this situation.’
Lile Fainu on her sons Manase and Samuela
As the league world prepares to cast its eye over the family’s latest NRL player, Lile reflected on the joy and heartache of her sons’ rollercoaster ride. The matriarch was brought to tears when talking about the influence Manase had in the development of Samuela and his other younger brothers.
“It was mixed emotions, I cried,” Lile said when she learnt of Samuela’s call-up.
“I wish Manase was here. It is what it is. [Samuela] wouldn’t have worked so hard if we weren’t in this situation.
“In body structure, he’s different, but with everything else he is a miniature of Manase. Samuela is my tallest kid out of all of them but the mentality, everything, is Manase all over. Personality-wise, their mouth, it just doesn’t stop. There’s no filter in them.
The Fainu footballing brothers. From left, Latu, Sione, Manase and Samuela pose for the Herald late last year.Credit: SMH
“It’s been his dream for a while now, it’s a long time coming.
“He’s always had the ambition to play football. I sent my kids to a Catholic school when I couldn’t afford it, I was paying bills by the week to put them into a good school.
“But they didn’t want to go to a Catholic school, they wanted to go to Westfields [Sports High School] to learn how to play football.”
Sunday will also be a big day for Latu, who makes the transition from Jersey Flegg to NSW Cup for Manly’s feeder team Blacktown Workers in the precursor to Samuela’s debut at 4pm.
Asked what effect Samuela’s big moment would have on Manase’s spirits, Lile said: “It means the world to him, he is so happy. He wishes he was here.”
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