Addin Fonua-Blake says he learnt a valuable lesson in serving a two game suspension for a shoulder charge.
The hard running prop, along with NZ Test forward Martin Taupau, was suspended following a shoulder charge in the round one loss to Parramatta at Lottoland, leaving Coach Trent Barrett short on props at a time when the team was already missing Darcy Lussick and Lloyd Perrett through injury.
“I learnt how to wrap my arms in a tackle. ‘Baz’ gave me a bit of a spray for being lazy with tackles like that,’’ Fonua-Blake admitted.
“Those type of decisions come when you are under fatigue. I am training myself to not get fatigue as easy, and to make the right decisions when I am fatigue.
“I did let the team down. The boys came through and did a good job as we now have the depth in the forwards. I had complete trust in the person replacing me.
“It was good to get the suspension out of the way early. I won’t be doing that again.”
With Perrett now out with a sternum injury, Fonua-Blake says he needs to step up like the rest of the forwards if they are to match the giant Canberra Raiders pack this Friday night at GIO Stadium.
“The responsibility is on all the forwards to lead the team. Lloyd did a good job for us last week. It is a blow to lose him but we might be getting Marty (ribs) back,’’ Fonua-Blake said.
“We have been sharing the work load well in the front-row over the last couple of weeks despite the disappointment of not coming up with the wins. It is a learning process and hopefully we can turn it around this week.
“Canberra have got a really big pack and we are going to have to match them in the first 20 minutes to let our outside backs and halves do their job.”
