Knights hooker signs new contract, quits club
Hooker Fa’amanu Brown of the Newcastle Knights has made the decision to leave the NRL team and sign a new deal to play in the Super League.
Brown, an international player for Samoa and New Zealand, has agreed to a one-year deal with Hull FC. His management reportedly told clubs that he would be open to returning to England, and allegations surfaced that he had received offers from other Super League teams, which is another reason for his departure from Newcastle.
Brown has played in the Super League before; in 2021, he joined the Featherstone Rovers after failing to secure a contract with the NRL. He scored 88 points in 25 games during his tenure with the team.
Following his development through the junior ranks of the Cronulla Sharks, Brown joined the team in 2014 and played in 24 games over his four seasons there.
Over the course of his career, he would also play for the Knights, Wests Tigers, and Bulldogs due to a lack of playing time.
Between 2016 and 2022, Fa’amanu Brown would also make eight appearances for the Samoan national team. This included competing in the Rugby League World Cup with players like Stephen Crichton, Joseph Suaalii, and Jarome Luai last year.
“I feel really fortunate to be joining Hull FC. “I am ecstatic about the opportunity to finally put my name on the Super League competition, something I have always wanted to do throughout my career,” Brown told hullfc.com.
“I kept up with Super League while I was at Featherstone in the Championship, and I watched a good deal of it on TV while I was in Australia.” The English supporters are insane!
Tony Smith and I had a great conversation and we bonded right away. We didn’t talk about football all that much, to be honest. It was largely about life outside of football, and he emphasized that you have a decent chance of playing at your best on the field if everything is taking care of itself off the field. I believe it’s a necessary component of a successful team.
“I played a little bit of hooker after making my NRL debut at five-eighth. However, like I told Tony, I’m ready to die for the team whose colors I wear on my back and I’ll work hard wherever you put me.
With the forward pack the club has in 2024, it’s going to be fun to play behind those guys. You’ve got to expect some quick play-the-balls and it’s about playing what you see from those. It’s exciting for us guys in the halves and it’s going to be just as exciting for some of the talented outside backs at the club to play off.
“I’ve certainly done my research on all of the boys, and all of the guys coming over from Australia are people I have played with before, so I’m looking forward to linking up with them again.”
His arrival at Hull FC will see him join overseas recruits Franklin Pele, Herman Ese’ese and Jayden Okunbor, as well as domestic arrivals such as Liam Tindall, Jack Ashworth, Morgan Smith, Jack Walker and Frenchman Damel Diakhate.
Hull FC head coach Tony Smith spoke on the arrival of Brown and can’t wait til he joins the club for the upcoming 2024 Super League season.
“Simply, he is what I would call a footy player. He’s got the ability to run the ball and he can take control of a game and that’s what I really like about him. He’s smart and it’s a really good pickup for the club,” Smith said.
“Not only that, but he’s a great human being too. We connected well when we had a chat over the phone recently and I can tell he’s going to be great for the culture we are trying to create here. He’s got a great personality.
It is beneficial to have experience playing football in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. I appreciate that he has performed in England previously and has prior experience doing so. That should serve him well, in my opinion.
“Nu seems to be really hungry and eager to get started for us right away. We hope he brings that confidence with him and can have a successful start to his career at Hull. He’ll be joining us shortly after being in camp with the Kiwis, which is a wonderful accomplishment for him.
