Hailing from the village of Amaile, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui is a renowned Australian rugby league star and the captain of the Gold Coast Titans, he has returned to his roots in Samoa after a decade.

Looking ahead to the upcoming 2026 Rugby League World Cup and whether he is considering representing Toa Samoa, Fa'asuamaleaui said he is focused on recovery after a recent knee injury. "It's definitely on the mind, but for me at the moment, I hurt my knee this year."

"My priority at the moment, is to get my knee right and play a good football and the football will do the talking," said  Fa'asuamaleaui.

As part of his visit, Fa'asuamaleaui aimed to inspire the next generation of rugby league talent by attending the Christmas in the Park Youth 9's Rugby League tournament at Vaiala Fields on Friday.

"It's hard football; there are no handbrakes; they're just running hard, tackling hard, and it's awesome to see," said Fa'asuamaleaui.

"You can see them working hard today and doing what they love. If you love the game of rugby league or whatever you do in your life, you know, work, study, then just work hard and just enjoy what you're doing."

When reminiscing about his last visit to Samoa at age 14, he said that he never would have thought he would play league at a professional level.

"I never thought I'd play in a role or any of that, but I'm so grateful that I've achieved that, and now I can hopefully give back to these boys and just be here and hopefully support them in a way where they can be motivated to strive for the NRL or play rugby league- Not just that, even studying," said Fa'asuamaleaui.

Fa'asuamaleaui shared advice with young aspiring league stars while reflecting on his journey and the importance of hard work.

"Just keep working hard and keep sticking at it. I know it's a bit tough at times with a lot of the outside stuff, but there's a lot of talent here," he said.

As he continues to support the aspirations of young players, Fa'asuamaleaui said that he hopes to inspire those players to do something special with their lives.

With the festive season approaching, Fa'asuamaleaui plans to spend Christmas in Samoa with his three daughters, partner, parents, and other family members. 

"It’s going to be exciting. We’re celebrating Christmas with my family and have umu and do all that type of stuff."