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Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Latu Fainu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Guildford, New South Wales, Australia | 28 May 2005||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 88 kg (13 st 12 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Five-eighth, Halfback | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] As of 13 July 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Relatives | Manase Fainu (brother) Sione Fainu (brother) Samuela Fainu (brother) Tevita Amone (uncle) |
Latu Fainu (born 28 May 2005) is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who plays as a Five-eighth and Halfback for the Wests Tigers in the NRL. [2] [3]
Fainu was born in Guildford, New South Wales. He is of Tongan and Maori descent. His uncle, Tevita Amone, played for the Western Suburbs Magpies and the North Queensland Cowboys. [4]
He attended Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield as well as Westfields Sports High School and played his junior rugby league for the Guildford Owls.[ citation needed ]
He has three older brothers, Manase, Sione, and Samuela, who were all signed to the Manly club. [5]
Fainu played in the Harold Matthews Cup for Manly in 2021 as they went undefeated that season. In July 2023, it was reported that Fainu had signed a four-year deal worth nearly $2 million to join the Wests Tigers ahead of the 2024 NRL season. [6] [7]
In November 2023, Fainu made his début for Tonga in the third test of their 2023 tour of England. [8] In round 5 of the 2024 NRL season, Fainu made his first grade debut for the Wests Tigers against the Dolphins. [9] Fainu played nine games for the Wests Tigers throughout the 2024 NRL season as the club finished with the Wooden Spoon for a third consecutive year. [10] Fainu was one of five players that were sanctioned for coming back to November pre-season training out of shape. [11]