Rugby League: Fusitu'a fizzing to shoulder centre burden

David Fusitu'a returns for the Warriors at centre after a long stint of rehab following a serious shoulder injury. Photo / Getty Images

Going hard in the paint and playing above the rim are not terms you would normally associate with the NRL, unless you're talking about David Fusitu'a.

The 20-year-old Warriors rookie would have caught the attention of the Breakers' talent scouts midweek, after a social media video emerged showcasing the full extent of his athletic ability. The footage shows Fusitu'a during a post-training hoop session at Mt Smart Stadium, basketball sat comfortably in the palm of his right hand, flying through the air and slamming it through the rim like he was Breakers hero Ekene Ibekwe.

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And while he is a devout NBA and Chicago Bulls fan, the former Kelston Boys' High School student says he has never played basketball seriously.

"I've never played it but I've always been into it and enjoy watching it," Fusitu'a said.

"If league hadn't worked out for me I would have tried my luck with basketball. I've never been a good player though."

But he is good at league. Seven tries in 12 NRL appearances last season gave us some indication.

However, a serious shoulder injury curtailed his year and robbed him of any game time through the pre-season.

But after two games and three tries in the NSW Cup over the last fortnight, Fusitu'a will take his place in the midfield for today's Anzac clash against the Gold Coast Titans at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland.

"It's been a confidence boost having come out of those games clean and playing pretty well," he said.

"I was just happy to be back out on the field a couple of weeks ago and to get my opportunity in the top side I'm pretty stoked.

"I was a bit surprised to be named at centre but if Cappy [coach Andrew McFadden] thinks I'm ready then I'll take the opportunity with both hands."

And despite a long and arduous stint of rehab, Fusitu'a returns to the field bigger, leaner and meaner than before.

"He was obviously restricted in what he could do gym-wise but he still managed to start the pre-season at 103kg and finished at 106, putting four kilos of lean muscle mass on while dropping his skin folds down to 11 per cent," explained Warriors head trainer Balin Cupples.

"Fusi, he's one of those guys who strength-wise we don't know what he's going to develop into. We don't know what his ideal playing weight might be.

"As long as he keeps putting on this lean muscle mass and his skin folds stay where they are, he could be up around 108kg long-term."

And as his basketball and try-scoring exploits suggest, he's also above the other squad members with his vertical leap and up there with the best in terms of pure speed.

"We do a counter movement jump which is basically a vertical leap and Fusi is obviously number one in that and in terms of speed he's in the top six over a 20 to 30-metre range. His jump and some of things he does at training and on the field are really special."

Lining up on the right edge beside halfback Shaun Johnson will not be familiar but Fusitu'a says he has been given an open brief to do what comes naturally for him.

"I just need to go out there and play my game and do what is good for the team. That's all I have to do, is worry about my job," he said.

"He's [Johnson] a good player and he'll draw a lot of attention to himself so hopefully he passes the ball."

Warriors fans will be hoping he does too, and eager to see Fusitu'a score more tries.