Warrior's Star presumed drowned - Sonny Fai

[Hamm.0]

Without this tragedy they were tipped to be up there anyways.

A massive forward pack this year, finished 4th last year. They have Stacey Jones back as well as having kept the other hookers and halves.

Very competitive team no doubt.

 

[Je$ter]

I think if Steve Price can lead the Warriors through this adversity, it will only solidify him as in my honest opinion the greatest captain of our generation.

This terrbile event makes us realise that footballers that are idolised and treated as Gods are mere mortals such as ourselves. Really puts things into perspective.

 

[Pumba]

 

[GCBRONCO]

I'll never forget you, Sonny

http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/il ... 89058.html

Brisbane Broncos forward Ben Te'o remembers his friend Sonny Fai, the young Warriors player believed to have drowned tragically at an Auckland beach last weekend.

I am just lost. I am shattered, and my family are all shattered because they knew him.

I expect that he's gone. I know those beaches out there on the West Coast, those beaches are notorious.

So I have prepared myself for the fact Sonny is gone.

It's just so hard to believe this is all real, it just won't sink in. It's pretty hard for me, being here in Brisbane. I feel like I should be there on the beach looking for him. I have talked to my family in New Zealand. We'll just wait and see how long it is before they find him, and then I will have to make arrangements and I'll go over.

I knew Sonny very well. We both came on the scene around the same time and made rep sides together. We played in the New Zealand under-16s side and went on a tour to Australia, then we were both in the Warriors development squad and toured with the Junior Kiwis also.

I got to know Sonny very well. Just before I went to the World Cup with Samoa, I spent a few weeks in New Zealand and I caught up with him. He was still the same Sonny, smiling and laughing as we cracked our little personal jokes.

He didn't start playing league until quite late compared to other kids. Just like me, he was 13 or 14 when he took up the game seriously but he had all the natural physical attributes for league and got picked up by the Warriors.

Even though he was younger than me, he was someone that I looked up to a lot and admired. He was also Samoan and very proud of his culture and religion.

To me, he was really charismatic, a really outgoing guy who was always smiling. He was never sad, he was always joking and laughing.

If we were in a team environment, he would never stick in one group. He always joked with everyone and was really loud.

He liked to laugh a lot, and there was never silence when he was around. He was a very good dancer and could always have everyone in fits of laughter with his stripping routine.

But on the other side, he was really dedicated to footy. He would always train hard and put in extra. At that beach, he was doing extra work, and that was Sonny.

He was a freak of nature. He was always the fastest, strongest and fittest in every group. Someone with that much potential, who was just about to play international and burst onto the scene … I just can't believe it. There has always been a lot of hype around Sonny, and I've always followed his progress, waiting for my mate to show everyone what he can do, as I have always bragged to people about how talented he is.

I have lost family members and loved ones, but I've never lost someone that young. I've lost aunties and uncles but I've never had to deal with losing someone so young, someone with so much life in them. It makes it so much worse.

I just feel for his family. Sonny was all about his family, and always wanted to make them proud, and he did just that.

He will always be a hero to me, saving his brother that day at the beach, but that's just the person he was. There is nothing he wouldn't do for his family.

I know Sonny is in a better place right now, and in his short time with us he's touched so many people. The last few days, every time I'm alone I think of Sonny and all the fun we had. And I am truly grateful that I knew him and that he was apart of my life.

I get comfort knowing he is with the Lord now, probably smiling and making everyone up there laugh.

I will never forget you Sonny.

Love you uso (brother).