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To appreciate what Addin Fonua-Blake and Cronulla mean to each other, watch the 76th minute of Saturday’s elimination-final victory over the Sydney Roosters.
“Look at the way he celebrates when Toby Rudolf scores,” Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon said.
“We all know the way he plays, he’s relentless, he’s been so consistent, and he’s played busted a lot this year with calf and groin injuries. He turns up and plays.
“But the best example of how much he means to us, and what we mean to him, look at the way he celebrates with Toby. It’s pretty cool.”
Fonua-Blake is Cronulla’s most expensive signing since Fitzgibbon took charge. His power game and big engine have set the stage for the Sharks to succeed.
The 29-year-old prop was excellent against the Roosters, and his injection back into the game midway through the second half, along with the returning Briton Nikora, helped swing the momentum back to the home side.
Addin Fonua-Blake celebrates Toby Rudolf’s try.Credit: NRL
“I feel like Addin has been the missing piece to the puzzle since our generation finished up,” Sharks’ premiership prop Andrew Fifita said.
“He’s a leader on the field and off the field. I’ve known him for a long time; we played together with Tonga; he’s brought that aura to our team. When he walks into the room, everyone knows it’s ‘Addin Fonua-Blake’. When he goes out on the field, people get confidence around him.”
Fonua-Blake, who was granted an early release from the New Zealand Warriors so he could be closer to family in Sydney, preferred to praise his teammates.
“I’m a product of how good the boys have been going,” he told this masthead.
“Every day I come in and learn something new. I’m just trying to help put us on the front foot and put the spine in good position to pick teams apart.
“Canberra have been the benchmark all year, their middles do a lot of great work.
“But I feel like on our day when we get it right, very few teams can stick with us.
“Coming into week one, a lot of the comp didn’t really want to get the Roosters first-up, but we didn’t back down, and we came over the top of them. We need to keep doing that.”
Sharks prop Addin Fonua-Blake takes on the Roosters last Saturday.Credit: Getty Images
Some Raiders fans will never forget Fonua-Blake for mocking them after Manly won a game in 2019, which prompted Canberra officials to tell him to “grow up”. Fonua-Blake said he had matured since that moment six seasons ago.
His showdown against Raiders pair Joe Tapine and Josh Papalii will be an international appetiser, with the trio to feature for Tonga, New Zealand, and Samoa, respectively, in the Pacific Championships next month.
Fellow front-rower Rudolf said of Fonua-Blake: “He’s someone when you’re running out next to him, you have so much confidence that he will get you on the front foot, he has the best footwork of any big man in the game, and he gets our sets rolling.”
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Playmaker Nicho Hynes added: “He doesn’t have to say too much, but he has that presence.”
Fonua-Blake is already on his way to joining some of the greatest props to wear the Cronulla colours, including Dane Sorensen, Cliff Watson, Jason Stevens and Fifita.
The Sharks head to the nation’s capital to tackle a Raiders side trying to bounce back from a 94-minute loss to the Broncos on Sunday. Tom Hazelton is on the extended bench after being ruled out of the Roosters match due to an infection. The Raiders have made no changes.
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