MOE OF THE SAME
Teammates swoon over Titans tyro
NATHAN Peats’ resume includes State of Origin, NSW City-Country and Indigenous All-Stars but the Gold Coast hooker rates clubmate Moeaki Fotuaika as the one of the best young talents he’s played with.
Peats was in awe of Fotuaika’s barnstorming efforts against Brisbane on Sunday and recalled a particular turning point in the Titans’ eightpoint win.
“Mo, he’s a freak,” Peats said of the 19-year-old. “(I was) pretty buggered at the 25-minute mark ... it was a pretty fast-paced game.
“Then I look over and he’s (already) having a 10th hit-up.”
Fotuaika’s effort drew special praise from Titans coach Garth Brennan and Peats happily backed up the hype.
“He’s an unbelievable kid, got a really good attitude and really humble. You’ll barely hear him speak,” Peats said.
“He just rips in. I love playing with him and hopefully he keeps playing for us.”
Playing alongside Fotuaika is an achievement in itself for Peats, who returned from a 10-week injury lay-off during the Round 13 upset.
The 28-year-old tore a pectoral muscle in a March gym session and shared his frustration at being sidelined during a tough period for the club on and off the field.
“I haven’t really missed too many games since my first year at Parra (in 2014) where I missed the back half of the season so it was a bit disappointing,” Peats said.
“I’m just trying to work really hard to finish the year strong … and there’s plenty of games to play with 12 to go.”
Peats followed a strict rehabilitation program to ensure he was at peak physical condition upon his return and says he wasn’t tempted to rush back a week early against the Cowboys.
“I had some confidence because I knew I’d got through a week of contact last week,” he said.
“Craig Hodges, our assistant coach, has a one to four step stages of contact and we’ve ticked all those boxes.
“If I didn’t get those goals in the proper order, it could’ve jeopardised everything.”
With his commanding presence back on deck, Peats is eager for Gold Coast to build on their Brisbane win and turn around a season of near-misses.
“We’ve been in most games, which is sort of tough to swallow … we’ve been in a lot of games right to the end, which is frustrating,” he said.