Adored off the field by the passionate Papua New Guinea fans and hammered on it by their ruthless national team representatives, it's fair to say Tino Fa’asuamaleaui won't forget his experience as part of the Australian Prime Minister's XIII.
Targeted early in an effort to shut down his powerful carries, Fa’asuamaleaui not only felt the full force of the PNG forwards, but also wore a trademark special from opposing halfback Kyle Laybutt – who he boasts around a 15kg advantage over – which set him flat on his back.
“There was a few of big hits, but there was one straight away [that stands out]. I thought I'd run at Kyle and then bang, he got me a beauty,” Fa’asuamaleaui said.
“I love it and there's a lot of respect to the Kumuls because they're a very tough team and they're going to do well in the Pacific Championships games.
“We know what they are capable of and everyone knows how tough they are.
“I'm hoping I get to be in camp and we can face them again soon too.”
Despite the attention from PNG defenders, the Titans skipper was still able to rack up close to 100 metres in a tough game that ended in the Australians running out 30-18 winners.
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Off the field however, it was a much more welcoming experience for the 23-year-old, who was a fan favourite along with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Josh Addo-Carr.
“This is my first time in PNG, it was one of the most crazy experiences I've ever had in my rugby league career,” Fa’asuamaleaui said.
PNG attack through defence
“The crowd was loud; it was almost as loud as an Origin game.
“We couldn't really hear each other out there.
“I thought I would be the lowest name here in the team and I didn’t think I'd really get noticed, but arriving at the airport and even at the game there, I saw that many big signs saying 'Big Tino, the Enforcer'.
"The people were very welcoming and it was a great experience, so I will definitely remember that.
“And they're just such a good team, such a good culture and such good people around the place. It's something I will remember forever.”
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