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Tino hails Samoa visit as Test choice call looms
Joel Gould, AAP • July 29th, 2025 10:51 am
Tino Fa'asuamaleaui | Photo: AAP
Gold Coast captain Tino Fa'asuamaleaui says he will make a decision on his Test future after he returns from a knee injury next month.
The 25-year-old Australia and Queensland prop, like with Dolphins fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Brisbane prop Payne Haas, is weighing up whether to honour another side of his heritage and make himself available for Samoa in the post-season Pacific Championships, rather than the Kangaroo tour of England.
Fa'asuamaleaui did play a Test for Samoa in 2019, but has represented Australia in his past seven internationals including the 2022 World Cup final.
"For now I haven't made a decision. I'm hoping I'm in the boat where I have to make a decision," Fa'asuamaleaui said.
"Obviously being in rehab probably rules that out at the moment. I just want to get my knee right, play good football and hopefully I get to that point at the end of the year where I get to select."
New Australia coach Kevin Walters has said he would speak to Fa'asuamaleaui, Haas and Tabuai-Fidow about their representative plans at an appropriate time.
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Fa'asuamaleaui said he had "bumped into" Walters at an airport after he injured his knee against Wests Tigers but there was "no football chat".
The lure of Samoa deepened for Fa'asuamaleaui when he and brother Iszac visited the birthplace of his father Fereti last year.
"I am massively connected to my Samoan culture. Me and Iszac were fortunate enough to go back at the end of last year after 10 years," he said.
"To be back there with my family and see all the kids I grew up with who now have kids like me, it brought a real connection to my culture.
"I have always loved being Samoan and I am still on that journey of learning my culture more and understanding it."
Fa'asuamaleaui, who missed all of last year with a ruptured ACL, was expected to miss at least four weeks of action with a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury but could be back before round 24.
"I am back in three weeks or it could be less depending on how rehab goes," he said.
"Initially I thought my season was going to be over but the surgeon looked at it and everything came back good.
"It was good news that I get to come back and play for the Titans at the back end of the season. It has been frustrating to be back in rehab after last year but that's football."
