Fainu Bros sign with Tigers.

[Terry Zarsoff]

Think we've done our share of support for the Fainu's over the years SER, their now in the Tigpie's court now, ...bye.

De-Fainuisation underway. A subset of the de-Fultonisation process.

 

[robbiea]

If, as reports suggest, Samuela was seeking singular redress from an opponent for slandering his family's name then I have no problem with it.
Aren't we told to call out bullies?
Settling scores man-to-man, one-on-one is a tried and true method. Or would people rather let the bully get away with it?

No ,the DH'S need to pull their head in .
They are being paid big money to be professional & not a dumb Tongan thug.

 

[The '47ers]

I really hope Manly are offering some sort of support or counselling to the young Fainus

Hopefully something along the lines of "there's the door, don't let it hit you on the way out"

Be responsible for your own actions

 

[The '47ers]

If, as reports suggest, Samuela was seeking singular redress from an opponent for slandering his family's name then I have no problem with it.
Aren't we told to call out bullies?
Settling scores man-to-man, one-on-one is a tried and true method. Or would people rather let the bully get away with it?

A bully or someone calling it how it is?! Fair dinkum. Manase and family would've copped worse on this very site, from their own club's fans.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

The Fainu Bros. Circus is moving to its next venue.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

The Fainu Bros. Circus is moving to its next venue.

Plenty of clowns over there so they’ll fit in well.

 

[Frogz]

Looks like we have dodged 2 more expensive bullets. This will costs Wests heaps and cause many a headache, Im tipping..... A troubled family.

 

[ricardo]

Bozo's plan dies with this deal.

 

[Thewestisbest]

No ,the DH'S need to pull their head in .
They are being paid big money to be professional & not a dumb Tongan thug.

You should really get acquainted with syntax.

Syntax is your friend.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Bozo's plan dies with this deal.

Yes , the place is now virtually “ De-Fultonised”

Maybe that’s part of the plan as well and yes nothing to do with player managers

 

[Eagles4Life]

Looks like we have dodged 2 more expensive bullets. This will costs Wests heaps and cause many a headache, Im tipping..... A troubled family.

Yes I agree @Frogz I said the same things at the beginning of the Latu Fainu thread, and in previous threads as well. No one on here (except a couple of posters) wanted to believe that was the case back then. In fact from the administrators down it was mostly dismissed. I don't want to say I told you so, but I told you so. (Not aimed at you @Frogz)

 

[mickqld]

$4mill for 4 years. No thanks that's insane. They could be the next Cleary and Kikau but fuk me dead not for that money at this stage. We've done enough insane high priced contracts without adding to it. Farewell , just hope there is some gratitude for the support Manly gave for Manase from the family or is this another Haas clan.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

$4mill for 4 years. No thanks that's insane. They could be the next Cleary and Kikau but fuk me dead not for that money at this stage. We've done enough insane high priced contracts without adding to it. Farewell , just hope there is some gratitude for the support Manly gave for Manase from the family or is this another Haas clan.

Huge money for basically “ potential “.

And I bet if they do turn out superstars that they’ll be urging a get out from the Tigers as soon as that happens.

Enjoy the ride Tigpies , you’re gunna have fun !!

 

[wombatgc]

That's what irks me the most! The club moved all the family to the northern beaches to supposedly get the boys away from the bad crowd and trouble, supported Manase through his shoulder surgeries and his court cases, supported the brothers through the junior grades and generally spent much money and effort on the family to now be repaid with the brothers departing. Farewell Fainu's, enough is enough.

Spot on Linda. When all that was going on (and I remember Des being heavily involved) I stupidly thought this will build some long term loyalty down the road. A very different generation now.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Scotty from Tigers’ Recruiting in the SMH:

‘When they come good, it will be cheap for the club’: Can the Fainu brothers save Wests Tigers?

There are some players you hear about before you see them play. That’s the case with the Tigers’ latest signings, Latu and Samuela Fainu.

www.smh.com.au

‘When they come good, it will be cheap for the club’: Can the Fainu brothers save Wests Tigers?

By Adrian Proszenko​

July 20, 2023 — 7.45pm

Wests Tigers recruiter Scott Fulton, himself a member of a league clan of some repute, reckons the investment the club has made into the Fainu family will soon begin paying dividends.

“Easily,” Fulton replied when asked if Latu Fainu, an 18-year-old five-eighth, would be ready to make the step-up to the NRL in round one of next year.

A dismal season for the Wests Tigers has been brightened with the acquisition of both Samuela and Latu Fainu.

“He would stand up to first grade, no problems whatsoever. There’s a bit of [New Zealand legend] Olsen Filipaina about him because he’s such a strong bugger.

“He’s got the skill that Josh Schuster possessed at that age in terms of passing and the like, but he’s got defence like Andrew Johns. He’s got that head-on defence, he can lift them, like Johnsy used to.”
Fulton fired his first shot as Tigers recruiter in nabbing Latu and older brother Samuela, a 19-year-old forward who has already made five first-grade appearances, from his former club Manly. Wayne Bennett wooed their pair, but they turned down the legendary mentor to ink lucrative four-year deals with the Tigers.

“When they come good, it will be very cheap for the club, contrary to what some so-called experts say,” Fulton said.

Latu Fainu is tipped for big things by Wests Tigers recruiter Scott Fulton.CREDIT: RENEE NOWYTARGER

They have arrived with much hype, which has been growing from the moment Latu signed a record-breaking Sea Eagles deal in late 2021 that made him the highest-paid player yet to make his NRL debut.

Not all of the attention has been positive. The spotlight is something the family has been accustomed to after oldest brother Manase, 25, was jailed over a Mormon church dance stabbing.

And in the same week that he has finalised his future, Samuela is facing sanctions for his conduct after captaining the NSW side to victory in the under-19s State of Origin match at Redcliffe. It’s alleged he left the team hotel and sought revenge against Maroons players who sledged him about Manase’s plight throughout a spiteful encounter.

“The players that we select in our under-19s team expect to be treated like elite athletes and that is the way they are treated, but with that comes an expectation that they behave like elite athletes as well,” a NSWRL spokesperson said.

The Fainu footballing brothers. From left, Latu, Sione, Manase and Samuela.CREDIT: SMH

“We’re working through reports that suggest the behaviour of some of the people in the groups didn’t meet our expectation. That is really disappointing from our point of view and it is not something we can tolerate. There will be at least two code-of-conduct breaches that will be issued by the end of the week in relation to the reports we have received.”

The Tigers believe it is a minor misstep in what should be promising careers. The club already has another member of the family, 22-year-old prop Sione, on the books.

So who is the most talented member of the Fainu family? The answer depends on who you ask.

“I always tipped Samuela as the best one as a kid,” said Tigers assistant Wayne Lambkin, who has coached all four brothers during their time at Westfield Sports High School. “The parents used to laugh at me and say ‘What do you mean, Samuela?’ I was saying they all got it wrong, that he would be the best of the lot.

“He’s very football-aware for a young forward. He’s got a good offload, a good pass, a halfback in a big body in many ways with his football intelligence. He’s got very tall and lean since he left school, I’ve always been a big fan of Sammy’s.

“Some of the things he did in that under-19s game I cringed at, how he was carrying on and it’s something that needs to be managed in his game. With the right people around him, they will break that out of his game and get him concentrating on footy.”

The Tigers have gambled on youth in their quest to climb off the bottom of the ladder. A rookie coach, in the form of club legend Benji Marshall, will be at the helm just as a crop of promising juniors are expected to progress into first grade.

The Fainus have further bolstered a youthful roster and the trio hold an ambition of playing in the NRL together, potentially as soon as next year.

“In due course you will see the three of them playing first grade,” Fulton said. “That would be a fairytale story, the family and the club would be over the moon with that. It would see the fulfilment of the investment in the boys.”

 

[robbiea]

You should really get acquainted with syntax.

Syntax is your friend.

You should of stayed in school turd burg.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Lol, deja vu, a young half at the Tigers being compared to Andrew Johns

 

[MW66]

I fear this one will come back and bite us and I also believe that both could play FG next year. If not then they will be ripe to go in 2025.

I would already have Samuela in front of Kelma and Woods in our Top 17 and I think due to the fact that Latu looks a pretty strong defender he could have played next to DCE next year without missing a beat.

How do we fit them in you ask? As much as I would love Schuster to be the player he aspires to be, I think he has had enough chances. For hiss $800k we could have afforded both Fainu Bros. I think it says something that the Tigers chased the Fainus hard and not Schuster. S. Fulton if nothing else would know. AND this beat-up about them being "trouble", well let's wait and see.

 

[Sheikheagle]

I fear this one will come back and bite us and I also believe that both could play FG next year. If not then they will be ripe to go in 2025.

I would already have Samuela in front of Kelma and Woods in our Top 17 and I think due to the fact that Latu looks a pretty strong defender he could have played next to DCE next year without missing a beat.

How do we fit them in you ask? As much as I would love Schuster to be the player he aspires to be, I think he has had enough chances. For hiss $800k we could have afforded both Fainu Bros. I think it says something that the Tigers chased the Fainus hard and not Schuster. S. Fulton if nothing else would know. AND this beat-up about them being "trouble", well let's wait and see.

Problem being no one else wanted the Schu. Unfortunately we are stuck with him.

 

[Frogz]

I fear this one will come back and bite us and I also believe that both could play FG next year. If not then they will be ripe to go in 2025.

I would already have Samuela in front of Kelma and Woods in our Top 17 and I think due to the fact that Latu looks a pretty strong defender he could have played next to DCE next year without missing a beat.

How do we fit them in you ask? As much as I would love Schuster to be the player he aspires to be, I think he has had enough chances. For hiss $800k we could have afforded both Fainu Bros. I think it says something that the Tigers chased the Fainus hard and not Schuster. S. Fulton if nothing else would know. AND this beat-up about them being "trouble", well let's wait and see.

I would have Humphrey Baer in front of Woods.