The Sydney Roosters prop tipped to join the Warriors was such a big fan he gave his famous cousins a hard time for losing to the Auckland club.
Poasa Faamausili – who scored on debut for the two-time NRL champions – is on the brink of bolstering the Warriors in a groundbreaking four-week loan.
The 24-year-old is the cousin of former Penrith Panthers and Kiwis brothers Tony and Frank Puletua.
“I remember Tony and I played in Auckland once, and we got carved up, the Warriors were on fire that day, after the game we went to the house where all the families got together,” Frank Puletua told Sydney’s Daily Telegraph.
“And there was Poasa, just a young kid, and he was giving it to us, telling us our team wasn’t very good.”
The NRL.com website reported that Roosters coach Trent Robinson has given Faamausili the green light to join the injury-ravaged Warriors next week.
Faamausili’s move would be the first since the NRL sanctioned month-long loans last week, in response to pressure to help the beleaguered Warriors field a competitive forward pack.
Stephen Kearney’s Warriors have been reeling after injuries to middle forwards Leeson Ah Mau, Bunty Afoa, Jackson Frei and Jazz Tevaga.
Kearney said on Wednesday that the Warriors were in discussion with two rival clubs about securing a prop specialist loan player and hoped to confirm a deal over the weekend.
The Warriors had previously been linked to former Kiwis prop Russell Packer, who is now with Wests Tigers, while an attempt to get 2021 signing Ben Murdoch-Masila on loan from the Warrington Wolves was rebuffed by the Super League side.
Faamausili, 24, has played 14 first grade games for the Rooster since his debut in 2018.
He played, as an interchange forward, in the Roosters’ round two loss to the Manly Sea Eagles in March, but was only named as the 21st man for this Friday’s clash with the Rabbitohs.
Faamausili, who is 1.88m and 108kg, has been behind fellow New Zealanders Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Isaac Liu and Siosuia Taukeiaho in the Roosters’ propping pecking order.
But his cousin, Frank Puletua, believes he will be an asset to the Warriors after so long in the Roosters’ system.
“I think if he can take what he has learned at the Roosters and impart some of that to the Warriors, they will greatly benefit,” Puletua told the Daily Telegraph.
“He’s come from a very strong, stable family, and he is very strong in values which is consistent throughout Pacific Islander families.
A Glenora Bears junior, Faamausili attended Waitakere College before being recruited by the Roosters.
Auckland-born Faamausili was a Glenora Bears junior before being recruited by the Roosters.
He played in the age-group grades for the Sydney club. He was part of their SG Ball 18 years grade title winning team which played in the Rugby League Commonwealth Championships as Australia’s representative.
Faamausili was a Junior Kiwi in 2016 and is a former New South Wales under-20s representative.
He played in the NSW Cup competition for the Wyong Roos, a Roosters feeder team, and was a Toa Samoa representative at the 2018 international Nines tournament.
Faamausili was one of three Roosters to score on their NRL debut against the Gold Coasts Titans in 2018.
He came off the interchange bench against the Gold Coast Titans on Sunday and scored with his second touch after running a splendid line to score by the posts in the 57th minute after hurtling onto a deft pass from Kurt Baptiste.
Faamausili was linked to a potential move to the Cronulla Sharks in March, but has remained at the Roosters.
