addin.webp
addin.webp

Player Addin Fonua-Blake

Date of Birth
Nov 6, 1995
Birth Location
Meadowbank, New South Wales, Australia
Nationality
  1. 🇦🇺 Australia
  2. 🇳🇿 New Zealand
  3. 🇹🇴 Tonga
Height (cm)
189 cm
Weight (kg)
123 kg
Position/s
  1. Prop
Nickname
AFB
Warrior #
252
Warriors Debut Date
Mar 13, 2021
Warriors Debut Details
NRL 2021, Round 1, Gold Coast Titans
Warriors Years Active
  1. 2021
  2. 2022
  3. 2023
  4. 2024
Signed To
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Signed From
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Junior Club/s
Mascot Jets
Previous Club/s
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Current Club
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Rep Honours
  1. NZ
  2. Tonga
Awards/Honours
  1. Warriors Captain
  2. Dally M (Positional Award)
Status
Active
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addin_Fonua-Blake
Rugby League Project
https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/addin-fonua-blake/summary.html
Overview instagram Updates (1) Gallery Discussion

NRL: NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster expects star front-rower Addin Fonua-Blake to leave club on high​

While the early exit of Addin Fonua-Blake remains the elephant in the NZ Warriors clubrooms, coach Andrew Webster insists his star front-rower seems more intent than ever to take his team to the next level in 2024.

The Dally M Prop of the Year sent shock waves through the club's fanbase over the off-season, when he requested an early release from his contract, due to expire in 2026, to return to Sydney on compassionate grounds.

In the interests of compromise, Fonua-Blake has committed to at least one more season at Mt Smart, while the Warriors bargain for the best return on their investment, when he leaves.

Sydney clubs are already queuing for his services, with St George Dragons emerging as the favourites, but they must also provide a suitable replacement on the Warriors roster.

Fonua-Blake, 28, has been instrumental to the Warriors' dramatic improvement over the past 12 months, with Webster rating him the best of his position in the game. News of his departure must be tearing at the heart of a coach desperately trying to elevate his team to an NRL Grand Final - an perhaps beyond.

If it is, Webster's not showing it.

"Whilst he's not at training, I've had heaps of conversations with Addin and I see nothing but focus," he said. "If anything, I see him more focused on wanting to leave here on a good note.

"You've got to understand, you've got a player who's not leaving because he doesn't like it here - the football environment - he actually loves it.

"He's passionate about this club, but he physically, for personal reasons, needs to go home. As a result of that, I think he's more motivated than I've seen, but we'll know when he gets back to training.

"I think he's unbelievably focused."

Fonua-Blake and fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad haven't made an appearance at pre-season training yet, given a few weeks' leeway, after their respective international duties with Tonga and New Zealand.
Click to expand...
 

NZWarriors.com

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Noitall said:
What would be the scenario if say the dragons offered him the salary they have at $1.125 mil but another Sydney team offered us a good player we wanted but only paid him the salary we currently do? Would all parties need to be appeased or does he have the ultimate say?
Click to expand...
Still up to warriors whether they release him or not so they could play hardball and say - you can either go there, or stay here. No option C as it doesn’t work for us.
That’s what I would be doing, I mean who cares if he’s salty after he’s released.
 
If he is really returning to Sydney for personal reasons then its understandable but if he is leaving because he thought he wasnt getting paid enough then fuck him. He was already on good coin.He went up another level playing for us, not Manly. We dont need him. We have some good up and coming juniors ready to take his place.
 
Hopefully he wins a premiership with us in 2024, but it will be interesting to see if he can guide the Sharks to their maiden premiership with Hynes. Not sure whether 2016 should be recognised.
 
After finally getting a world class front rower it was a real downer seeing the headlines that he wanted out. We all would of been holding out some hope that he'd stay, especially with some of the clubs pulling out of the running to sign him.

Now in saying all of that now that he has signed some where I hope that is the end of it and we can concentrate on training and the results on game day.

He's been in Sydney and has sorted out his future so hopefully no more distractions like it would have been if he was still looking for a club mid season.

He's sorted his future out. Now the club can concentrate on how they replace him.
 
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