Acrobat Fusitua joins elite with try haul Four or more club
David Fusitua isn’t exactly a rookie, but it feels like he has finally arrived in the NRL over the past month.
The rangy winger scored four tries in yesterday’s 50-14 demolition of the Knights, showcasing the pace and athleticism that are becoming his trademark.
Two of the tries were spectacular, as he touched down with his body in the air and well outside the field of play. It’s a skill few can match, but Fusitua has also demonstrated a much more rounded game in recent weeks. He is strong on kick returns, reads the play well and is prepared to do his share in the trenches.
“Obviously he can finish tries and do the special things but he has been doing a lot of tough stuff as well,” said Warriors McFadden.
“It’s a long way to go for David. . . He’s had a lot of bad luck [with injuries] but now we are seeing what is capable of.”
Fusitua played 12 games in his rookie season in 2014 but injury restricted him to just three appear- coach Andrew ances last year. He came back into the side for the round seven win over the Bulldogs and has scored seven tries in as many games.
McFadden wasn’t prepared to say the Warriors are on a roll — “it’s only two wins” — but agreed there was a positive feeling in the camp.
“We are not getting ahead of ourselves but we are certainly building some confidence in our game.
“We were probably more consistent against the Broncos [last week] but it was a tricky game and we did the job. “It was a good performance.” McFadden confirmed Shaun Johnson was taken off as a precaution with a tight quadricep, and that Manu Vatuvei strained a hamstring and was in doubt for next Sunday’s match with the Roosters.