On Saturday, 23rd of March 2024, the sound of hearts shattering echoed throughout the homes of Gold Coast natives.
During a 32-0 thumping at the hands of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Gold Coast Titans skipper Tino Fa'asuamaleaui fell victim to a nasty ACL injury. After missing the rest of the 2024 season, the Maroons prop is set to unleash the beast for his side in 2025.
Fa'asuamaleaui is the heart and soul of this Titans squad, which is why it came to no one's surprise when the Titans finished in the bottom four last season.
His otherworldly size and tough-as-nails work ethic makes him an undeniable force on any team, whether the Titans, the Queensland Maroons,ย orย Australia.
Fa'asuamaleaui admitted to the Daily Telegraph, โI've been in the cage for twelve months. Being able to control that has been the biggest thing.
โThere's been times where I've already unleashed that.โ
Although the 24-year-old has been known to strike fear in his opponents, it was he who was afraid when he had come to terms with his season-ending injury.
โWhen I heard after that scan that night in Sydney, it hits you,โ he said.
โWhen you have surgery and get home, you feel the pain. You're not able to get up and play with the kids or have a shower properly. That's when it all hits you."
The prop revealed that at some points during his rehab process, the emotions ran higher than he had anticipated.
โI don't really cry much โ my missus always says โbe more emotional, it's all right',โ he said.
โThe big one was when I was laying in bed one night, probably a bit high on drugs because the pain was so bad, I couldn't sleep, and I just broke down. I hid myself under the blanket. I didn't want anyone to see me cry.
โI get a bit emotional talking about it now.โ
Now he is set to return to the NRL after his lengthy rehabilitation process, which saw him head over to America to work with renowned reconditioning specialist Bill Knowles.
Fa'asuamaleaui was put through the ringer during his time with Knowles, proving why he was so popular with NRL superstars such as Latrell Mitchell, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Tom Trbojevic.
โIt was intense, training one-on-one from 8am-4pm with just a lunch break,โ he said.
โI just kept working until I got it right. I got a lot of confidence out of it and also a different point of view of things."
The Titans skipper credited Knowles for his extensive knowledge of the human body, admitting he learned a lot during his time with the specialist.
โHe gets you excited to learn about the body and how the knee works and improving it during the journey.
โHe treats all knee injuries the same and gets you working,โ he said. โHe wants you to nail the basics but also get your head right.
Now that his time has come, Fa'asuamaleaui is ready and roaring to compete for a premiership with Des Hasler's squad.
โI've been in the cage for twelve months. Being able to control that has been the biggest thing. There's been times where I've already unleashed that.โ
He is committed to the club until 2033, and has never shied away from a challenge when it comes to his beloved Titans side.
โI just want to get on the field and find my feet. I've been out for almost a year so it's not just going to happen straight away,โ he said.
โBecause I couldn't do anything I felt like I let the boys down last year. I couldn't be out there to help the boys at their low. I could hear comments from the crowd and there's social media."
'Tino' expressed his desire to lead his troops once again, disappointed that the opportunity was taken from him last year.
โAs a leader you want to take all that brunt and negative stuff so the boys don't feel it. You want to protect them.
โThe past two years have been tough but we know what we need to do to get there. I love this club. I want to achieve something that hasn't been done before.โ
The barnstorming representative prop will look to play his 100th game in the NRL this season, but his main priority is a premiership for his young side.
