The Perth Bears have been hit with a recruitment blow after Tino Fa’asuamaleaui committed to staying on the Gold Coast.
The Titans announced on Wednesday afternoon the representative forward had pledged his future to the club until the end of the 2030 season.
Fa’asuamaleaui was already signed for that contract length but had a get-out clause that made him a free agent.
READ MORE: Tigers make $1.1m move as first piece of crucial puzzle solved
READ MORE: Wallabies set for World Cup first as historic clash locked in
READ MORE: Cummins reveals ‘minor setback’ dashed World Cup hopes
His connection to Mal Meninga, who used to work at the Titans, made the Bears a possible landing strip. His former club Melbourne was part of speculation too.
Tino Fa’asuamaleaui. Getty
However, pre-season training under new coach Josh Hannay must have been enough to convince the 25-year-old to stay.
“The Titans mean a lot to me and my family, and my goal has never changed since coming to the club … I want to remain loyal and be part of the team that delivers premiership success to the Gold Coast,” he said in a statement.
“To achieve that, I want to do everything I can to build a winning culture, and that’s why I’ve put to bed all the speculation around my future before we start the season.
“I’m fully committed to the Titans and genuinely believe we have so much potential with the long-term playing roster we’re assembling and Josh at the helm.
“I’ve particularly enjoyed the environment he’s created since returning to pre-season training, especially his emphasis on our connection with just not ourselves as a playing group, but also to our wider staff, members and community.
“Being part of this club is a huge honour and I’m excited about what lies ahead as we continue our pursuit of NRL premiership success.”
Josh Hannay. Getty
Hannay said he was “delighted” to have locked down the captain long term.
“In all my discussions with him, he has always been consistent with his love for the Titans, a love for his teammates, a passion for our community and a desire to help this club be successful,” he said.
“We also spoke on developing an environment and a football program that he and our entire club are proud of and want to be part of.
“We’ve been cognisant of the fact this can take some time and I’m glad he’s had the opportunity to fully immerse himself with the changes we’ve made since returning from representative duties in December.
“He’s one of the best front-rowers in the game who’s still yet to hit his ceiling. He’s also one of our core leaders and joins representative forwards Moeaki Fotuaika and Beau Fermor in collectively developing our emerging forwards.
“I know how much he loves the club and I’m glad he’s here for the long haul as an important cog to us achieving sustained success.”