Tino Fa’asuamaleaui has revealed how he and his family were subjected to shocking hate online following this year’s brutal State of Origin decider in Brisbane, in which he put Matt Burton in a headlock as he was set upon by Dane Gagai.
Fa’asuamaleaui and Burton will feature for the Prime Minister’s XIII on Sunday night at Suncorp Stadium, the same ground where they were involved in a heated battle just over two months ago.
The image of Fa’asuamaleaui holding Burton as he was belted by Gagai will guarantee the hate between NSW and Queensland remains for years.
Fa’asuamaleaui was fined 20 per cent of his Origin match fee for two separate charges involving Burton, but did not expect the barrage of abuse that followed.
“I was thinking I might give him a handshake instead of a headlock,” Fa’asuamaleaui told The Sun-Herald as he waited for Burton to arrive in camp this week.
“I was a bit shocked [by the Origin reaction]. I copped a lot of hate online after that night – my family copped a lot – and it was quite full-on, to be honest. I won’t go into too much depth, but it was pretty disgusting.
Matt Burton and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui at Prime Minister’s XIII training.Credit:Bailey Sands
“You don’t mind it when they come after me, but it’s more when they come after your family. That’s when you draw a line in the sand.
“Whatever happens on the field, stays on the field. There was never any malice, I was just trying to back up a teammate and break up the fight, so we could get on and play the game.
“Origin footy, and football in general, is about having your teammate’s back.
“I’m not sure if you were at the Canterbury game a few weeks later, but I copped it even more. The whole crowd jumped on board. I’ve never experienced that before.”
After Burton returned to the Bulldogs, Canterbury teammate Tevita Pangai jnr made it known he was upset with Fa’asuamaleaui and vowed to take matters into his own hands given the chance.
Pangai jnr told the Herald at the time: “I wasn’t happy about what I saw … I love Burto and I don’t like seeing that stuff happen to him.”
Burton had no issues with Fa’asuamaleaui and was disappointed when told about the abuse he had received. He joked he might try and give Fa’asuamaleaui his own “little headlock”.
“We spoke about it after it happened – we’re teammates now and I’m looking forward to getting out there with him,” Burton said. “But it’s not on when families are being attacked. He’s been great all year and it’s great to have him in this side.”
Burton and Fa’asuamaleaui are among the key PM’s XIII contenders set to be picked by Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga for the Rugby League World Cup in England in October and November.
Burton has utility value, while Fa’asuamaleaui is one of the few players eligible for Samoa to prioritise the Kangaroos. Fa’asuamaleaui won the Gold Coast’s Paul Broughton Medal as player of the year for the second straight year.
“I was very tempted to play [with Samoa], but after sitting down and having a long discussion with my mum and dad and my family, I decided I wanted to try and play for Australia,” Fa’asuamaleaui said.
“My dad [Fereti] is a big influence in my life, and he said, ‘You should commit to Australia’. Australia have been the best of the best for a long time, and I’ve always wanted to achieve that.
“Hopefully, I get my chance to do that after Sunday.”
Meanwhile, Burton has given little away about his future at Belmore, and while it is expected he will remain with the club, especially with Cameron Ciraldo coming on board as head coach, the lethal left-footer said: “I’m happy at the moment.”
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