Wests Tigers center Solomona Faataape has shrugged off claims of nepotism surrounding his signing, finding humor in the attention he’s received. Faataape has made a strong impression in his first two games with the Tigers, quickly transitioning from an unsigned hopeful to a starting center in just two months.
Despite the praise for his performances, Faataape’s arrival at Concord in January was met with controversy, with interim Tigers CEO Shane Richardson forced to deny allegations of a conflict of interest. Faataape is managed by Richardson’s son Brent, and Shane is a co-founder, part-owner, and shareholder of the management company. Richardson maintained that he had disclosed any conflict of interest to the Tigers board, while new coach Benji Marshall affirmed that Faataape was signed based on his merit.
Faataape, unaware of the claims at first, found the situation amusing. “I’ve gone through my whole life with people not really knowing me, so when I see my name, I’m like, ‘OK, people are talking about me’,” he said. “That gets me up. It was like, ‘Oh, what the heck? People know me?’. I read it and I laugh.”
The realization of his NRL opportunity is still sinking in for Faataape. After a pre-season with Melbourne via feeder club Brisbane Tigers, the 23-year-old was starting to lose hope of securing an NRL contract. Before receiving the call from the Tigers in January, Faataape was preparing for another season in the Queensland Cup while working as a personal trainer at a gym south of Brisbane.
“It’s tough, because you see all these debutants and they’re 18. It does play with your head,” Faataape admitted. “But I look at the likes of Cody Walker, who debuted at the age of 26 or 27, and it’s like, ‘Man, it doesn’t matter’. Benji said if you’re good enough, you can do the job. But it does play with my head a bit – this is one of the youngest teams in the comp and I am one of the oldest backs.”
Parramatta will be without Bryce Cartwright (ribs) for Monday’s clash, with Kelma Tuilagi set to start in his place in the back row.
