Dt team news
BREAKING: FONUA DROPPED BY TIGERS!
MAHE Fonua and his mullet have been dropped from first grade after the Wests Tigers cult figure arrived to training an hour late last Sunday morning.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal Fonua, an NRL revelation over the past month, will play reserve grade this weekend following a decision involving Tigers coach Ivan Cleary, CEO Justin Pascoe and the club leadership group.On Sunday morning, the powerhouse centre not only missed 40 minutes of team prehab, but then failed to show for the first 20 minutes of video. As a result, the five captains – Benji Marshall, Russell Packer, Chris Lawrence, Josh Reynolds and Elijah Taylor -- asked that their team-mate be stood down for a week.Immediately, both coach and CEO agreed.The hardline disciplinary stance once again proves the culture now demanded under Cleary in 2018.Out of the NRL for two years, Fonua was recalled to first grade against Parramatta in Round 9 and enjoyed an immediate impact.Apart from making headlines for his bizarre hairstyle, the 106kg back scored a blockbusting try against the Warriors before doubling down with a star performance against 2017 grand finalists North Queensland.Switching from wing to centre, following the late withdrawal of Kevin Naiqama, Fonua earned Man of the Match honours in the Tigers emphatic upset win over the Cowboys at Leichhardt Oval.
In the match, Fonua not only ran for 215m — the most of any player on the field — but also made five tackle busts, orchestrated a try and saved another when Cowboys opposite Ben Hampton seemed certain to cross midway through the first half.
The incident is said to be a one-off for the new signing, who is back in the NRL after two seasons with Hull FC in the English Super League.