Fainu ‘100 per cent’ behind coach’s halfback plan
Jasper Bruce |
Latu Fainu says he is “100 per cent” behind Benji Marshall if the Wests Tigers coach decides he needs to keep starting from the bench.
Fainu had been earmarked as the Tigers’ long-term halfback now that Lachlan Galvin has left for Canterbury, but found his minutes curtailed in recent weeks by coach Marshall.
In the round-21 loss to Penrith, Marshall benched Fainu in the second half and did not use him again, and then started him from the interchange in the shock defeat of Galvin’s Bulldogs.
Off-contract utility Adam Doueihi was shifted to halfback on game day against the Bulldogs and was the Tigers’ best player in the 28-14 win.
Marshall, himself a former halves prodigy, has defended taking a slow-and-steady approach to developing Fainu, who is only 19 games into his first-grade career.
“I’ll make a decision each week that I think’s best for the team,” the coach said of his halves combination going forward.
“Long-term (Fainu) will develop and understand that position and be better at it, but we’re definitely not in a rush with him, that’s for sure.”
Marshall has used Fainu as a lightweight middle forward at times in his first two NRL seasons, with the 20-year-old honing his utility value during his time in Manly’s junior system.
Fainu said he was happy coming on from the bench and playing second fiddle to the in-form Doueihi if that’s what Marshall required.
“A hundred per cent, whatever the team needs,” Fainu told AAP.
“I can play anywhere, I’ve been playing my whole juniors in different types of positions. I’m comfortable doing whatever the team needs.”
Fainu has shown promise in an injury-hampered second NRL season, enjoying a career-best game in the shock defeat of the Sydney Roosters
Hamstring and thumb injuries have combined to restrict him to only 10 of a possible 20 games, though, with Fainu comfortable playing the long game to become a regular NRL halfback.
“I’m just building minutes into my game, just building confidence,” he said.
“I had a lot of injuries, so the main priority is just building confidence into me.”
Fainu is confident the Tigers are turning a corner after three consecutive wooden spoons, with Sunday’s win likely precluding them from “winning” the dreaded prize in four straight seasons.
With four games to go in the regular season, this year’s Tigers have already won as many games as in the 2022 and 2023 campaigns combined.
“We’re building something great,” Fainu said.
“There are circumstances of people leaving, but at the end of the day we’re still building, we’re still getting better each and every single day. We’re just improving.”
AAP
