25/06/2026
Farewell to ‘Freddy’ Fa’asuamaleaui – The Forward Freak and Manu Samoa & Toa Samoa Legend
By Su’a Leilua Jerry Uesele
The rugby league world knows Tino Fa’asuamaleaui as one of the most devastating ball carriers in the game.
Both Tino and Iszac are true “chips off the block” — sons of one of Samoa’s toughest-ever players to pull on the Manu Samoa Sevens and Toa Samoa jerseys.
Yesterday, family, friends, and members of the sporting community gathered to lay to rest Fereti “Freddy” Fa’asuamaleaui, one of three brothers who proudly carried Samoa’s banner in both rugby union and rugby league.
His brothers, Vaivase and Fa’aaliga Fa’asuamaleaui, were present alongside nephews Tino and Iszac, niece Olivia, and wife Diane at Freddy’s funeral service in Nerang on the Gold Coast.
Tino’s story is intertwined with unforgettable memories at Apia Park, where his father plied his trade for Moata’a during the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s in both rugby union and rugby league.
Fereti was a naturally built wrecking machine with the ball in hand and equally formidable in defence. During his Apia Park days, he earned the nickname “Zeus” after the Greek god of the sky and thunder.
Just before State of Origin II, he succumbed to a long battle with cancer, but not before leaving Tino with one final message:
*"Son, whatever happens next, make sure you represent Queensland and play hard."*
A Manu Samoa Sevens star, Fereti was a member of the famous Middlesex Sevens Championship-winning team in the United Kingdom in 1992. It was a historic achievement, marking the first time Samoa had lifted the prestigious 100-year-old trophy.
The victory was made even sweeter as it came under the guidance of his Moata’a coach, Taufusi Salesa, and Fereti’s aunt, the late Iron Lady Marina Schaafhausen (RIP).
He also won a gold medal with Manu Samoa at the 1991 South Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea and was a key figure in Moata’a’s championship-winning Sevens and Tens campaigns in Singapore. A formidable representative in Samoa’s 10-a-side teams, his power and speed consistently set him apart.
His success opened another door when he was selected for Toa Samoa during its formative years, having been recruited from the powerful Brothers Rugby League club, a team made up largely of players from Vaiala and Moata’a.
Among his teammates were fellow national representatives Tautai Toko Tofaeono and Veli Patu, to name a few.
Fereti embarked on several Samoa Cup rugby league tours, rampaging across the Pacific with a series of commanding performances. His talents eventually caught the attention of Rugby League Immortal and Kangaroos legend Artie Beetson, who drafted him to the Sydney Roosters.
It was in Australia that he met his wife Diane and built a family that would become sporting royalty.
His son, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, has been a cornerstone of Queensland rugby league for almost a decade. His punishing defence and devastating runs have propelled the Maroons to numerous milestones while elevating his father’s legacy into the modern era of the game. It is a legacy deeply rooted in the proud brotherhood of Moata’a and Vaiala.
Tino paid tribute to his father with a supercharged performance in Queensland’s Origin II victory and now heads into the decider with immense confidence.
The looming Rugby League World Cup in October will provide another opportunity for Tino to honour the memory of his beloved father — a proud Samoan who wore the colours of Manu Samoa and Toa Samoa with passion and pride.
In the meantime, all eyes and hearts are focused on giving the legendary Freddy Fa’asuamaleaui the farewell he deserves.
A rugby league warrior.
A Samoan sporting icon.
A proud son of Moata’a.
a manuia lau malaga, Toa Samoa.
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