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Very few professional sports teams will give a 21-year-old the captaincy, but the Titans did it with Tino Fa’asuamaleaui.
It’s a bold move by coach Justin Holbrook, but the kind of move that could pay off big for years to come.
There are similarities to when Brian Smith at Parramatta in 2000 cast Nathan Cayless as chef at the same age. The Eels had a young team that, all was well, would play together for several seasons and by choosing a sensible leader who would develop like them, Smith had someone who would be a standard bearer.
It is now history that the Eels nearly won the competition the following year when their runaway minor premiership-winning side were upset in the grand final by Newcastle, but Cayless led Parramatta 221 times in the final. a decade and captained New Zealand. 2008 World Cup triumph.
Fa’asuamaleaui has a similar work ethic to Cayless. He is known as one of the main players holding his Gold Coast teammates to account since arriving from Melbourne for the 2021 season.
Like the Eels a few decades ago, the Titans have a thriving promising squad with marquee rookie David Fifita, Maroons representatives Moeaki Fotuaikia and AJ Brimson, rookie fullback Jayden Campbell, running back Beau Fermor and demi Toby Sexton aged 23 or under. .
There must be something about the Glitter Strip and young captains – 10 years ago Gold Coast United’s Mitch Cooper became the A-League’s youngest captain at just 17 on his debut in a decision particularly odd from the club’s controversial owner which ultimately led to coach Miron. Bleiberg leaves after being suspended for calling it a token gesture.
The Titans shelled out big bucks when he was at the Storm to sign Fa’asuamaleaui, who previously represented Junior Kangaroos, Samoa and Queensland, and recently extended his contract until the end of 2026 despite the interest of the Dolphins.
He would have been an ideal recruit for the expansion team around which to base its first generation of players.
Your club captain 2022 ????
https://t.co/3A0Nze0YRe— Gold Coast Titans (@GCTitans) February 2, 2022
The hulking striker was a wanted man years before he was old enough to sign his own contracts.
He was brought into the Broncos system in high school and despite interest from the Roosters, Cowboys and Knights, he moved to the Storm in 2017 and made his NRL debut two years later.
Although he only had five freshman games under his belt, Gold Coast had seen enough after his rookie year to hand him a lucrative three-year contract which won out on an offer from the Warriors and returned Crazy Melbourne.
“Storm has been advised by Tino’s representatives that it is highly unlikely the club will be able to compete with the money offered for a young man who is at the start of his career,” Melbourne’s blunt statement said. era.
The Gold Coast had hoped to remove him a year earlier, but Fa’asuamaleaui was adamant he would honor his deal and being true to his word meant he was rewarded with a permanent place on the Storm team and a premier ring in 2020.
In making the captaincy announcement on Thursday, Holbrook was adamant his young general would get the most out of himself and his team.
“Tino is a natural leader and has been with us since he joined the club,” Holbrook said.
“He sets such high standards and I love that about Tino. He’s someone who leads by his actions, he demands a lot of himself and others and those are great qualities in a captain.
“Tino is part of an exciting new wave of Titans who are investing in bringing success here on the coast.
“He’s a player who has a lot of respect from his peers, including our senior players like Kevin Proctor, Isaac Liu and Corey Thompson.”
After reaching the Finals for only the second time in a decade last season before retiring in heartbreaking circumstances with a one-point loss to the Roosters in the first round, the Titans are well positioned to return to the playoffs and go further into 2022.
The addition of Liu gives their pack much-needed experience while the decision to allow former skipper Jamal Fogarty to join Canberra is a vote of confidence in Sexton to become their long-term half-back with Brimson moving to five-eights to accommodate Campbell’s rise in the rear.
They will face Brisbane (February 19 at Cbus Super Stadium) and Warriors (February 26 at Moreton Daily Stadium) in trials before traveling to CommBank Stadium in the first round to face Parramatta on March 13.
