MD today
John Hopoate helps a rising Sea Eagles star
Jon Geddes
Manase Fainu about to score a try against the Warriors. Picture: AAP
LIVEWIRE Sea Eagles hooker Manase Fainu has revealed how former NRL bad boy John Hopoate has been a mentor as his career really starts taking off.
While Hopoate has had plenty of dramas on and off the field, he has been able to draw on his own experiences to offer words of wisdom to the Sea Eagles rising star.
Hopoate is a family friend and Fainu’s parents attended the same Mormon church.
Fainu had a hiccup of his own when he received a suspension after pleading guilty to filming a sex act without consent last year.
“It was pretty tough,” he said.
And Hopoate was on hand with advice and support.
“He has helped me a lot,” Fainu said.
“He has been through everything.”
The young forward often catches up with the old warhorse for a chat, but not that much about football.
“More like off-field situations, keeping out of trouble,” Fainu said.
And what was Hopoate’s advice?
“Stay away from girls,” Fainu said.
The 20-year-old also said it was the Hopoate family that brought him to the Sea Eagles from Parramatta.
He was playing for Fairfield United with John Hopoate Junior and got dropped from the Eels’ Harold Matthews side.
“I was devastated and moved on from there,” Fainu said.
He arrived at Manly aged 17 with a point to prove and has succeeded in doing that.
Fainu has been working well in tandem with the Sea Eagles experienced starting hooker Api Koroisau.
“He has been helping from day one since I moved up to first grade,” Fainu said.
“Even when he was injured he was on the sideline saying to ‘you can do this, you can do that’. “And if I can help him out, I try and help him out. “We are like brothers.”
Fainu is off contract at the end of this season. “ I would love to stay here, I love the club, love the culture here, everything about it. “(I’ll) See how things turn out.”