Warriors gamble on Fusitu’a
David Fusitu’a is relishing the chance to get closer to the action but Warriors coach Stephen Kearney is prepared to play the long game with his transition to centre.
Not for the first time in his career, Fusitu’a is moving in from the wing as part of a revamped right edge with backrower Tohu Harris and centreturned-winger Patrick Herbert.
Since making his NRL debut in 2014, the Tongan flyer has made 19 appearances in the centres, while he started the 2017 campaign in the position before establishing himself as one of the competition’s premier wingers.
The switch was instigated by Kearney at the start of the preseason and despite his success on the wing, Fusitu’a didn’t hesitate to give it another crack.
‘‘First training [Kearney] said ‘I want you to move in one more spot, give you a shot there and I think you can make the transition’. Since then I’ve just been working on my game, wherever he puts me I’m going to give 100 per cent,’’ Fusitu’a said.
‘‘I get to make a few more tackles – on the wing you don’t do too much defence. But it will be good to get my hands on the ball and just have a jam.’’
The move could be seen as something of a gamble, potentially strengthening one area by weakening another.
Fusitu’a was the NRL’s leading try-scorer in 2018 with 23 from
23 games. Despite a frustrating
2019 campaign, when he crossed the stripe on just five occasions, he remains one of the most lethal finishers in the game with his aerial ability and trademark onehanded dives for the corner.
At 1.89m and 106kg, the athletic 25-year-old has always had the physical attributes to make a top-line centre. Coupled with his under-rated distribution skills – as shown during a stint at fullback in 2016 – Kearney is confident he could find a home there.
But the coach does not expect the move to be an overnight success.
‘‘I think it’s the best fit for David in terms of his playing capability and what he can bring to the table for the team,’’ Kearney said. ‘‘There’s parts of defending and attacking as a centre that are different to the wing so it’s going to be a gradual progression for him. But I think he’s smart enough and talented enough to be able to get it.’’
Along with left winger Ken Maumalo and captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Fusitu’a played a vital role getting the Warriors’ sets rolling with powerful charges out of the back-field.
Herbert appears set to get first crack at taking his place on the right flank, having been named in the starting side for Sunday’s trial against the Wests Tigers.
With Adam Pompey and Taane Milne also waiting in the
wings, Tuivasa-Sheck believes they will lose nothing in the yardage department.
‘‘If it’s Patrick, if it’s ‘Wets’ [Pompey] or whoever comes up, we’re still strong in that back three,’’ the fullback said. ‘‘With Ken on one side, myself and whoever comes in, I’m pretty happy with who we have back there.’’
Fusitu’a’s switch also means a positional change for Herbert, who made eight appearances at
centre last year in his rookie season.
Communication on the edge is crucial, particularly in defence where it’s imperative that the decision-making between the centre and wing is on the same page.
It’s been a major focus for the pair but having teamed up together on several occasions last year – albeit in different positions – Fusitu’a believes that has given them a head start.
‘‘He’s been awesome for me. Last year we built that combination late in the year and heading into this one we’re trying to build our connection from there,’’ he said.
‘‘Not too much swapping notes but having a few conversations around what we want in different positions on the field and what we expect from each other, the way I like to defend and the way he does.’’