Following the leader: Fa'asuamaleaui finding the fun as captain

Titans captain Tino Fa'asuamaleaui is passionate about his club and wears his heart on sleeve – but his time with the Australia Kangaroos side during their triumphant Rugby League World Cup campaign has taught him to have fun as well.

Last year, Fa'asuamaleaui became the third youngest player – behind Sione Mata’utia (Knights) aged 20 in 2017, Nathan Cayless (Eels) aged 21 in 2000 and alongside Patrick Carrigan (Broncos) aged 22 in 2020 – to be a regular captain in the NRL and showed how much it meant to him with emotional post-match addresses after his young side made a pattern of fading away in matches.

This season however, while still as committed and dedicated as ever, he has brought with him a new mindset to his leadership and knows he also has plenty of support to draw on whenever he needs any guidance, including from coach Justin Holbrook, who showed great faith in him when appointing him to the role.

“Obviously, last year was my first year being captain and Justin was only in his third year being the coach at the Titans and obviously, it was a tough run and the work hasn't stopped,” Fa'asuamaleaui said.

“But I think we learnt a lot from each other last year being that leader and obviously Justin being the coach and it's good, we can just bounce off each other and we drive the same message and grow together and I think that's exciting when you have a young captain and coach that's here for a few years that we can grow together and hopefully create success here at the club.”

With 2023 season recruits Kieran Foran and Sam Verrills joining the side and slotting straight into the leadership team alongside experienced forward Isaac Liu and long-term Titan AJ Brimson, Fa'asuamaleaui said their support had been invaluable.

“It's making my job easier when I have these boys, because I'll lead with my actions always and I continue to try my best to do that,” Fa'asuamaleaui - who is currently sitting in third spot on the Dally M ladder rankings - said.

“But those boys, when there's time for someone to speak, they step up and they know when to say something and it's good system going on and we have a good leadership crew that we just bounce off each other, which is good.”

Foran – who was brought to the club to provide guidance not only to the halves but the inexperienced squad overall – said Fa'asuamaleaui had impressed him as a leader.

“He’s been amazing Tino, I've been impressed with his leadership qualities and the way in which he addresses a group,” Foran told NRL.com.

“He’s very mature, he's only just turned 23, but he's also played a hell of a lot of footy for a young guy. He's played in big matches as well, Origin, for Australia, so he's been around a lot of experienced players in those arenas and I'm sure he's learnt a lot of valuable lessons on the way there.

“I'm just there as a helping hand when he needs it, I'll try and I guess lighten the load on him when I can … (but) my main job around that is just to back him and always be there as a support.

“He's a true leader and he's someone that really just leads through his actions and at the same time, boys look up to him and that's what you need in the leader. You need someone that players look to and aspire to be like and Tino's got that from the group. 

“He's very passionate about the club, he wants success, and he shows that every week and in the way he plays. He just leads by his actions and he tries to bring everyone with him and that's why he's such a good leader for the club; everyone needs to follow him.”

Playing in the World Cup with the Kangaroos under coach Mal Meninga, who is also the high performance senior advisor at the Titans, Fa'asuamaleaui said one of the main things he learnt was to take the time to enjoy the experiences the game can offer.

“I think as a fan sitting back, you look at Mal and think, ‘oh, he's just always serious’, but he's the funny one, he's the one that enjoys football and that's why he was successful because he enjoyed working hard and enjoyed being uncomfortable in games and also off the field he enjoyed (himself),” Fa'asuamaleaui said.

“He put that into us boys and we were successful in the end and we had that good bond between each other, and that's what I want Mal and myself and the coaches and the players to do here too.”

While Fa'asuamaleaui said it was important to have fun, he also wanted fans to know he and his team were serious about turning their results around this year.

“(When I say I am) happy, I don't want a fan to think that the Gold Coast is the place to just come be happy and that it’s all about the off-field things,” Fa'asuamaleaui said.

“I am happy away from football with my family and that’s a bonus for my footy because when you're happy off-field and you're happy playing football, it's the best feeling ever. But I don't want it to seem ‘you're happy, so you're comfortable, because you live in the Gold Coast’; our whole mentality is we want to want to be successful here and enjoy football.

“After last year, it was a learning curve and all of us know what that feeling is, and we don't want to be there again, so we've all worked hard to make sure that.

“We are working to get better as individuals and as a team and I think it's a good energy.

“We don't be happy with what where we're at, we just want to make sure that we just keep wanting to improve.”

 The Titans will get their next chance to show their resolve when they host the Dragons on Sunday.