Blues Front-Rower Addin Fonua-Blake Eyes Big Impact in State of Origin
Blues front-rower Addin Fonua-Blake has set his sights on making a significant impact for NSW in the upcoming State of Origin series, particularly with the return of Payne Haas. Fonua-Blake has praised Haas as one of the best players ever to play the game. Haas missed the first match due to a knee injury that kept him out for six weeks, but he is set to return for Brisbane’s game against St George Illawarra at Suncorp Stadium. His return is expected to bolster the Blues’ chances in Origin II, where they could potentially clinch the series.
Fonua-Blake, who made his interstate debut in NSW’s impressive comeback win over Queensland, is eager to be alongside Haas. He believes their combination could be formidable. “That’d be an ideal situation to go out and get to play alongside him. I definitely think he’s one of the best players to ever play the game,” he said. “I’ve played against him a lot of times and obviously seen what he’s capable of. I feel like that would be a really good one-two punch.”
Performance and Challenges in the NRL
Fonua-Blake returned to action just 48 hours after the series opener for Cronulla’s match against Manly. He knows he must continue to perform at a high level to maintain his spot in the Blues team. In the recent game, he started in the front row with Warriors enforcer Mitch Barnett, while Newcastle’s Jacob Saifiti was the lone prop on the bench. If coach Laurie Daley opts for the same interchange setup, one of the trio will have to drop out for Haas.
Fonua-Blake’s run statistics at Accor Stadium were not outstanding—nine hit-ups for 89 metres during his 42 minutes on the field. However, Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon defended the 30-year-old, pointing out that the team had limited possession in the first half. “They had no ball and him and Mitch Barnett were off before they had one or two carries each,” he said. “Then [in] their second stints, both of those front-rowers got them back in the game.”
Defensive Contributions and Underrated Skills
Fitzgibbon expressed frustration when middle forwards were judged solely on their carries in such challenging circumstances. He highlighted that Fonua-Blake’s defensive skills are often underestimated. “Guys like Addin are notorious for their metres and tries and the things that everyone notices but … he saved three tries in three weeks in a row for us, like on last plays. [On] kicks down the field [he] turned up on the tryline,” the Cronulla coach said. “There’s some stuff off the ball that he’s probably not getting credit for. [For NSW] to not have the ball but still turn up and get his D done and then get back on … when they were trading set for set, I thought he got better.”
Origin Debut and Eligibility Changes
Fonua-Blake is also aware of the commentary surrounding his introduction to Origin, which came at the age of 30 due to changes in eligibility rules. Previously, he was excluded from playing for NSW because he had represented New Zealand once during the 2017 World Cup. There have been suggestions that the fast pace of Origin might be too taxing for a player of his size. However, despite being pushed to his limits during his first 18-minute stretch, he was pleased to play a role as the Blues staged a comeback.
“Obviously, I’ve seen a lot of stories about [me] not having an impact in the first 15, but I don’t think many people would have had an impact in that first 15 minutes of that game,” Fonua-Blake said. “We didn’t have the ball, we only got the ball maybe twice while I was on. But … [we] regrouped and went out there in the second half and I thought I did what I know I can do.”
