Slater impressed by Storm rookie, wants to see him earn more game time

Making waves in the NRL last season, Sua Fa'alogo heads into this year looking to cement a regular spot in the first-grade team this year after signing a lucrative contract with the club.

Playing in the final game of the 2023 season against the Brisbane Broncos, Fa'alogo scored a double before earning his international debut for Samoa in the Pacific Championship against Australia and New Zealand.

This saw him impress multiple critics, fans and even Storm great Billy Slater, who made the club's number one jersey famous

"I'd be trying to find a spot for him somewhere because he's a wonderful player," Slater said on Wide World of Sports' The Billy Slater Podcast.

"He's just re-signed with the club for another five years, so he's there for a long period of time.

"I know he's been working hard in the off season, so I think it's time for Sua to enter the NRL again."

After Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler both urged coach Craig Bellamy to use him off the interchange bench as a utility player, Slater had the same idea and praised his work ethic and training ability.

"He's a great young man … I'm very fortunate to get the opportunity to work with classy players like Sua, Ryan Papenhuyzen, and obviously the Queenslanders and help them build their career," he said.

"He was born in Samoa and his family moved over to Victoria when he was only young .. and his family has since moved back to Samoa.

"He lives here with one of his siblings, and he travels over an hour to get into training. That's the work ethic – that's the want that he has to fulfil the dream.

"He's going to build his game over the next handful of years, and he's going to be a wonderful player.

"I don't know what position he's going to end up in, but to be honest he's one of those players that it doesn't really matter.

"You just get him out on the field and he can play in the middle, he can play on the wing, he can play fullback – wouldn't surprise me if he played a bit of dummy-half.

"He's one of those players that you just get him involved in the game and good things will happen."