After nearly three years out of the game thanks to the NRL’s no-fault stand-down policy, 24-year-old Manase Fainu could be about to return to first-grade football following his upcoming day in court.
Fainu is currently awaiting trial after he was charged with wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm following a dispute outside a Mormon church dance in October 2019. It’s alleged Fainu assaulted another man with a 10cm knife.
The young rake presented himself to Liverpool police the very next day and was granted bail soon after, but thanks to the sudden onset of the COVID pandemic as well as personal issues he has had to wait this long for his day in court.
A hearing scheduled for December 2019 was adjourned after Fainu was unable to attend due to an ongoing shoulder injury. That date was rescheduled multiple times by COVID, with subsequent delays pushing him past St George Illawarra lock Jack de Belin as the player to have been stood down the longest under the NRL policy.
Manly have shown plenty of patience in the meantime, offering Fainu a train-and-trial deal while the matter has been before the court.
It’s also reported by The Daily Telegraph that the club are believed to have tabled a two-year deal to the promising youngster, should he be acquitted in the coming weeks. Fainu pleaded not guilty to the charge and has maintained his innocence throughout the wait.
It’s believed he was a big part of the club’s plans moving forward given his strong combination with Tom Trbojevic, and his prospects were a large part of the reason Manly let go of Api Koroisau so willingly.
He played 34 games for the Sea Eagles in 2018-19 – his most recent game being Manly’s enthralling contest with South Sydney in the 2019 semi-finals.
As promising as he is, it’s not the first time Fainu has been in court either – he had previously avoided conviction after pleading guilty to filming a sexual act without consent in 2018.