NRL star jailed for stabbing a church leader makes a huge statement from prison regarding his three footy star brothers
Manase debuted in the NRL with the Manly‑Warringah Sea Eagles in 2018 and quickly became their starting hooker, making 34 first‑grade appearances across the 2018–2019 seasons and scoring eight tries.
In 2019, he featured prominently in Manly's finals campaign, playing in both the elimination and semi-final matches.
However, his promising career came to an abrupt halt after a 2019 stabbing incident led to his suspension under the NRL's no‑fault stand‑down policy and, ultimately, a conviction for grievous bodily harm in 2022.
On October 25, 2019, Fainu was involved in a violent altercation at a church charity event in Wattle Grove.
During a brawl in the car park, he stabbed youth leader Faamanu Levi with a steak knife, puncturing the man's lung and causing internal bleeding.
Witnesses identified Fainu - who was wearing a sling due to a shoulder injury - as the man holding the knife.
Despite pleading not guilty and claiming he fled after hearing someone yell 'knife,' a jury found him guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm after just two hours of deliberation.
He was sentenced to eight years in prison in December 2022, with a non-parole period of four years and three months, and his appeal was dismissed the following year.
While Manase remains in jail, his siblings Sione, Samuela and Latu Fainu have been thriving at the Wests Tigers since joining the club.
Sione earned a spot in the top 30 squad and impressed with strong performances in 2024.
Samuela has become a regular in the forward pack, while Latu is emerging as a promising playmaker in the halves.
All three brothers made headlines recently when they each scored in the same match, helping the Tigers upset the Roosters.
Now Fainu, through his lawyer Paul McGirr, has told News Corp that he wants his brothers to stop visiting him in prison and focus on their own lives.
Sione has become a regular in the Tigers forward pack after also joining the merger club
'Manase is the eldest boy who led the charge for them all getting into footy,' McGirr said.
'He said to his brothers: 'Don't worry about me – I'll be fine. Just take advantage of the opportunities that you've been given to play footy'.
'Because he is so far away up there at Clarence, Manase told them to stay away and focus on their footy because they support the family. He wants them not to worry about him.
'Manase follows the careers of his brothers closely on TV or through the newspapers. I speak to Manase and this is what he has told me. I'm in regular contact with him and will back him.'
Manase spends his prison time balancing a football program with groundskeeping duties and hopes to return to top-level rugby league when he's released at 27.
'He is a popular inmate that has something to offer in terms of giving fellow inmates some extra rugby league skills – passing, kicking, attack, the right techniques,' McGirr said.
'There are a lot of young blokes in there not doing long sentences who are actual park footy players.
'It helps with their mental wellbeing. Idle hands are the devil's workshop. Manase is giving them something to do and it helps take their minds off the dreary environment of a prison - hours upon hours are spent sitting around clockwatching.'
Latu and Sione Fainu have both been named for the Tigers side for their must-win clash against the Gold Coast Titans at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday.
Tyrone May will play his first NRL game since early last year, after impressing with a hat-trick in NSW Cup for the joint-venture.
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Hit the skies for Suaalii It is easy to imagine Schmidt rubbing his hands with glee at the Lions' restart wobbles over the past few weeks, because he has a not-so-secret weapon to deploy at Suncorp Stadium. Joseph Suaalii was used rather sparingly against Fiji a fortnight ago in Newcastle. Harry Potter, himself an excellent aerial operator, was the chief chaser even for this Ben Donaldson strike after Australia had gone 18-14 behind with 12 minutes remaining. Suaalii, closer to the near touchline, tended to hold back: Back in November, the rangy athlete caused havoc from these situations at Twickenham and continually won back possession. Here, after England have scored a try to go 37-35 ahead, Donaldson dinks and pressure from Suaalii causes a spill from Maro Itoje: Australia would score their match-winning try from the ensuing scrum. This ploy was so effective that it became a reliable way for the Wallabies to surge towards the opposition 22. Two weeks later against Scotland, Suaalii leaps prodigiously and slaps back into the path of a bulldozing Harry Wilson: A close-up shows how he sprints behind Jamie Ritchie, who possesses impressive spring, and blindsides the back-rower, reaching up with one hand: Suaalii will be more threatening with the crackdown on obstructing chasers, and Australia adopted route one in Dublin at the end of their autumn campaign. Fraser McReight spins the ball away from a line-out to Jake Gordon and an old-fashioned up-and-under allows Suaaliii to disrupt Ireland's back-field. The Wallabies eventually secure it… …and score out wide through Max Jorgensen a few phases later: With aerial contests becoming more critical and more chaotic, Schmidt has a devastating asset. 2. 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From a close-range line-out, they start with the slice set-up that is seen around the world with centre Ollie Sapsford at first-receiver and Hudson Creighton running flat. Usually in this scenario, the ball will either go flat to Creighton or there will be a pull-back to the fly-half, who is Declan Meredith in this case. Instead, Sapsford throws a longer pass to Ben O'Donnell, who arrives on the outside of Meredith and loops the ball over pressing defenders directly to Corey Toole: Rather amusingly, the Lions responded by using the exact same option to score against the AUNZ invitational side, with Owen Farrell feeding Mack Hansen in the build-up to a Duhan van der Merwe finish: Nevertheless, it is a shrewd ploy. Expect Potter and Jorgensen to roam off their wings towards the opposite 15-metre lines. And the Wallabies are bound to be armoured with strike plays. 3. Clinical choreography Schmidt is a meticulous strategist and has a well regarded head of analysis in Eoin Toolan, who doubles up as a skills coach. They will have studied hours of footage in preparation for this series. In just over a year of matches under Schmidt, the Wallabies have showcased several trick plays. This one, unfurled against Argentina before Australia capitulated from 20-3 up to lose 67-27, will be familiar to Ireland fans. Three forwards are poised to the near side of the ruck before Donaldson slides behind this pod to collect a pass from Gordon and join up with Len Ikitau beyond the breakdown. Jorgenson is released by a flurry of passes and Andrew Kellaway supports to score: An extremely cunning line-out move cut open New Zealand later in the same Rugby Championship campaign. Rob Valetini arcs back around to take a Matt Faessler throw that sails over the top. White follows up and McReight, who had originally lifted Nick Frost for a jump that holds the All Blacks at the tail, sprints through to take the scoring pass: Another lobbed throw, this time over Harry Wilson for Tate McDermott to bolt through the middle, brought about a try against Scotland: This series will not pass by without a Schmidt special. 4. Set-piece smarts Schmidt has assembled canny lieutenants around him. Geoff Parling is a studious line-out guru and, in Frost and Jeremy Williams, Australia have jumpers to disrupt the Lions. Wilson picked up a couple of steals at the front against Fiji as well. Few, if any, on the planet can hold a candle to Mike Cron as far as scrummaging nous. It is fascinating that Angus Bell has been held back among the replacements for Saturday, with the experienced James Slipper starting. This looks like an effort to be as solid as possible, giving a good impression to the officials, early on. Bell is a rampaging carrier, so is sure to get half an hour. Tom Robertson, who gave Tadhg Furlong some issues when he started at loosehead for the Force, is Australia's tighthead replacement. He will succeed 81-cap Allan Alaalatoa with instructions to keep his team in the fight. 5. Treading water over line-speed We may see the Wallabies go against the grain of aggressive, pressing defences by holding back – at least close to the breakdown – to let the Lions run their intricate phase shapes. Australia did this in Dublin eight months ago. Their forwards came up slightly more slowly than they would normally, trusting backs to spot 'back-door' options and dart from out to in. The Lions have been more lateral than direct so far this tour, and a more gradual press could stifle them if the Wallabies manage to read pull-back passes. 6. Breakdown control Teams coached by Schmidt are characterised by ruthless efficiency around the ruck area when they are in possession. His Ireland outfit were renowned for restraint when it came to offloading, though Australia evidently have more freedom. There is little point stifling a player like Ikitau. Against Fiji, the Wallabies forwards shifted the point of contact with deft inside passes from the front of three-man pods. Here, Langi Gleeson transfers to Harry Wilson, who shrugs off Eroni Mawi and lifts an offload to Frost: If Australia are to make punchy inroads around the ruck, Champion de Crespigny will need to aid Wilson in the carrying stakes because Valetini, Gleeson and Will Skelton are big misses. Australia will go to the boot if they lose impetus – Jorgensen and Potter kicked from wide positions against Fiji – and the slippery Tom Wright will be a key runner from full-back, especially if the Lions offer up opportunities on kick-return. He will want to link with Tom Lynagh as fluently as he has done with Noah Lolesio. Having watched breakdown scavengers like Charlie Gamble and Luke Reimer make hay for the Waratahs and the Brumbies, respectively, Australia will want the Lions to go through phases in the middle of the pitch. In McReight, they have a total pest over the ball in their ranks. Track the white scrum cap here: Carlo Tizzano, on the bench for the first Test, tackles Albert Tuisue and hurls the Fiji back-rower towards the try-line. McReight then stretches towards the ball before withdrawing. Isoa Nasilasila flies over the top, conceding a penalty. Australia clear from the penalty, eke out another infringement with a driving maul and eventually batter down the door for Wilson's winning try thanks to a series of close-quarter carries. Organisation and toughness will be essential if they are to oust the Lions. This is a challenge that Schmidt will relish.
