24/09/2023
In 2006 I was sacked by the Warriors for numerous off-field incidents.
The incident that led to my contract being torn up, I was injured from fracturing my wrist and turned up to a game intoxicated, I verbally abused a fan and went downstairs into the changing rooms and did the same to Ivan Cleary.
I’m going to share some context, not to make excuses for what happened, but to give an insight into my mindset and way of thinking.
I was unhappy at the club, I didn’t see eye to eye with Ivan and that stemmed from him telling me I wasn’t worth the money I was on. I was an enigma.
I had asked for a release multiple times and the week that I eventually got sacked, I got wind that John Hart was going to get me dropped from first grade so my value would decline, then release me.
The fan that I abused? Was an active diehard fan on a supporters website who constantly had a dig at me online. I found out who this person was and I remembered thinking “this guy asks for an autograph from me every home game then goes and writes crap about me online”.
I was 25 at the time.
In 2018 I saw Ivan at a High Performance Rugby League coaching course and we had a good chat.
That same year I went to a Warriors old boys home game and saw that fan, I went up and apologised for what happened.
This photo is a reminder that taking ownership for your actions allows you to move forward.
I might share my own content piece.
Sione Faumuina
