Wallace: Moe holds barred
TITANS prop and former Maroon Jarrod Wallace has backed Moeaki Fotuaika to continue his stratospheric career trajectory after shooting into the representative spotlight last season.
Fotuaika (pictured) is still only 21 but already has added the Titans’ Paul Broughton Medal for best and fairest player and a State of Origin series win to a mantelpiece of accolades that is rapidly filling.
Wallace said Fotuaika had earned his place among the top props on the planet and would embrace his role in 2021 as the leader of the most talented Titans pack in Wallace’s four years with the club.
“He’s come in here a lot more confident, in a lot more of a senior role now,” Wallace said.
“He’s not a young kid any more, he has a job to do and that’s to lead our pack.
“Moey has got so much behind him; he’s strong, he’s fast, he’s got a massive motor. He’s been running with the outside backs, he’s so fit.
“He’s definitely up there with the best young front rowers in the comp. There’s not many who are getting him on metres or getting him in a tackle.
“He doesn’t just do the 200 metres and 50 tackles per game, he does the other things off the ball that the stats don’t count.
“His support lines, pushing off the guys who are running with the ball, those are the little things that are the most important, and that’s why he’s such an important part of our team.”
Wallace said Fotuaika’s experience of playing under Wayne Bennett and alongside
Daly Cherry-Evans, Christian Welch and a core of forwards with grand final experience at the Maroons had only built his confidence ahead of his return to Parkwood.
“For him it’s only up from here,” he said.
“The confidence he would taken out of that Origin series with Wayne as coach and playing with the boys upfront who have played in grand finals … you’d be surprised how much you take out of those camps.”
Wallace, 29, said the influx of young stars into the forward pack had only strengthened his resolve to earn back a starting jersey.
“My starting role is everything for me,” he said. “I lost it there for a bit last year and I worked hard to get it back. I’m not putting myself in any position to lose it again this year.”
Wallace is in stellar shape, having added weight while improving his fitness, with some thanks owed to a new training partner in David Fifita.
The pair, similar in stature despite playing different positions, have reignited their friendship from Queensland’s 2019 State of Origin squad to help drive each other to new heights in fitness.
“We’re different positions but when it comes to running we’re the same size so we make sure we’re always pushing each other to be better with fitness.
“The more we push each other the better we’ll be on the field and the better connection we’ll have. We’ve formed a great little bond so when times are getting tough we’ll be able to rely on each other and trust each other.
“If our forward pack isn’t going forward our backs aren’t going anywhere so we’ve got a big job this year to make sure we’re laying that platform.”