League: Kiwi turns out to be a good fit at Townsville

David Faiumu has really found his feet since moving to Townsville in 2004 but he's still trying to get used to the heat after a stint in Canberra and an upbringing in Wainuiomata.

The Cowboys coach Graham Murray rates Faiumu as a useful utility, a rarity in that he can play second-row, lock or hooker - anywhere in the pack but prop.

At 1.8m and 95kg, he's a big hooker but a small second-rower. Murray admits he can't make up his mind where to play the former Junior Kiwi.

"He'll go well at lock and look like a lock and then we play him at hooker and he'll have a blinder. It's useful to have someone like that in the 17 because the modern game doesn't let you run two hookers on the bench any more."

Faiumu has played 21 games for the Cowboys, mostly from the bench, since he took an opportunity to move out of the cold. Former Raiders assistant coach Neil Harvey went to Townsville to assist Murray and suggested to the Wellington-born Faiumu that he move to the Cowboys' feeder club, the Central Queensland Comets, and they'd take a look at him.

After a good season at the Comets, he was signed for two years and this week the club extended the deal by another two years, Murray obviously keen to secure Faiumu before he became a free agent.

Faiumu took heart from that.

"It's good the club showed confidence in me, it is a weight off my shoulders because I wasn't looking forward to going on the market. Now I can concentrate on playing some good football for them.

"I'm enjoying it up here. The toughest part is the heat, especially in the pre-season. Billy Johnstone [Cowboys trainer] drives us hard."

The Cowboys are stars in Townsville, where the crowd average is above 20,000 and as Faiumu says, "there's not a lot to do". "The supporters are crazy. They really know their football. The crowd lifts us a lot, they get into the ref and the other team."

Faiumu played for the Randwick club in Wellington for two years before moving to Wainuiomata and playing through their grades up to Bartercard Cup, from where he made the Junior Kiwis in 2002.

Faiumu retains a dream of representing his country. "It's in the back of my mind. As I said, I just have to concentrate on playing well for the Cowboys. I know it's a cliche but that's how it is."

GRAHAM MURRAY

* Career: Penrith reserve grade 1986-87, won title 1987; Balmain reserves 1988-89; Illawarra Steelers 1991-95; Leeds 1997-99, made grandfinal 1998; Roosters 2000-01, made grandfinal 2000; Cowboys 2002-05, made playoffs 2004 for the first time in the club's history.

* Coached 256 games, won 129, lost 120.