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In late 2021, when he was still sixteen years old, Latu has signed the biggest contract ever for a player yet to reach NRL level. On Saturday, when he makes his debut off the bench against the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium, fans will finally see what all the hype is about.
Now 18 – he will turn 19 next month – the playmaker will become the third member of his family to reach the top flight, following in the footsteps of Manas and Samuela.
The Faino family, with mother Lil at the center.
Lato and Samuela struggled to fit in in their youth, but that changed when they started playing rugby league together. They have developed an almost telepathic understanding of where the other is on the field, as seen when they were part of the Sea Eagles' unbeaten Harold Matthews Cup side in 2021, as well as during NSW's win in the Under-19 State of Origin match. last year.
“When they started playing at Manly together, they started running away from each other,” Leal said. “Lato was fifth, Samuela was the striker and they got to a stage where they were running the show.
“You can tell because Manly were unbeaten that year. When they play together, Lato will find a gap for Samuela to run through. That's what I see.
“This happens all the time. Lato can read when Samuela or Samuela should come [knows]they naturally coincide with each other.
Samuela and Lato Faino after the NSW U19 State of Origin win.
“If you knew us family, you would laugh all the time because it wasn't like that at all [in childhood]”.
The suspension of fellow Tigers teenager Lachlan Galvin, for a hip tackle on Parramatta's Kilma Tuilagi, has given Latu a chance to make the grade. Also on the books for the Tigers is another sibling, Sione, who is hoping to become the fourth member of the family to reach NRL level.
Mansi was the first, but his career was halted after he was imprisoned for A Mormon church dance stabbed. The prostitute has maintained her innocence and is appealing the decision.
For the family, each debut was special in its own way.
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“With Manase, we had never seen an NFL debut so it felt really new and amazing, it was like, ‘We have a son in the NFL,'” Leal said.
“With Samuela, it was emotional because Manas had just gone to prison and we were feeling like our lives were falling apart, that everything was going wrong.
“And this is even more shocking. I always knew Lato would succeed, that he had it in him. However, he is suffering injury after injury. When we got the call, we were shocked.”
“I feel the best is yet to come. Sione is a great father and a great player, I feel he will too. The best is yet to come.”
Regarding who is the best player among her children, Leal replied: “I can’t say. In terms of joking, I would say my mother and father because we are able to raise them.
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