General Young Umaga joins Melbourne Storm

[playdaball_old]

DJ Solomona and Zac Moi Moi (SPC) TO sTORM

 

[Jesbass_old]

Presumably, they're related to David and Fui Fui respectively?

 

[playdaball_old]

Fui Fui is his older brother. Not sure of Solomona connection as there are a few of them.

 

[Jesbass_old]

What position does Zac play? Does he have a similar build to his brother?

 

[playdaball_old]

Lock Forward

 

[Viking_old]

Fui Fui is his older brother.

Was talking to his auntie last weekend, Zac is Samoan, not Tongan and not related to Fui Fui although Moi Moi is a fairly distinctive surname and doesn't sound Tongan to me.

We were at a noisy Samoan wedding so I could've misheard things, but I'm sure she said he wasn't actually going to play for the Storm NYC over there yet as he still had a year of schooling to go so it's more of a scholarship thing but he's over there at the moment in a development camp. Probably similar type of contract to Tana's boy.

 

[2big2strong_old]

Was talking to his auntie last weekend, Zac is Samoan, not Tongan and not related to Fui Fui although Moi Moi is a fairly distinctive surname and doesn't sound Tongan to me.

We were at a noisy Samoan wedding so I could've misheard things, but I'm sure she said he wasn't actually going to play for the Storm NYC over there yet as he still had a year of schooling to go so it's more of a scholarship thing but he's over there at the moment in a development camp. Probably similar type of contract to Tana's boy.

Interesting you say that Viking.

Moi Moi (of the Fui variety) is half Tongan half American Samoan. I only found this out a couple months ago when I found out that he represented American Samoa as a teenager in the qualifiers for the 2000 world cup. Born and raised in Tonga though.

 

[playdaball_old]

My mistake re Zak Moi Moi I must have been told incorrectly.

 

[Viking_old]

My mistake re Zak Moi Moi I must have been told incorrectly.

I think we all just assumed the family connection with Fui Fui because the surname is quite distinctive. I thought the same thing until his auntie corrected me and I'd wager there is actually a family connection of some sort even if it's just by marriage.

As far as these scholarship 'contracts' go, they're good for a news story but they aren't a really guarantee of anything until the kids get a 20s contract. Until then, it's basically a loyalty contract, free training gear and the odd training camp. I know of kids 'signed' to Australian clubs for the last 3 years but still based here. They get to an age where they could play SG Ball and even that's only a for few months at the beginning of the year then clubs will look to relocate them if they think the kids have developed enough to kick on. The Warriors have always had heaps of these kids on the books.

 

[Jr Warlord_old]

Interesting you say that Viking.

Moi Moi (of the Fui variety) is half Tongan half American Samoan. I only found this out a couple months ago when I found out that he represented American Samoa as a teenager in the qualifiers for the 2000 world cup. Born and raised in Tonga though.

moimoi is also a samoan last name. robert moimoi and micheal moimoi played 1st xv rugby for mt albert grammar in the 80's and richmond bulldogs premiers after that. you do realise that the american samoan rugby league team was from the glenora rugby league club in auckland??

 

[Jr Warlord_old]

Fui Fui is his older brother. Not sure of Solomona connection as there are a few of them.

solomona is no relations to the solomona brothers from mags and richmond. i know his dad very well and hes from a rugby family in the capital of samoa apia. his dad and uncles all represent samoa in XV's and 7's. one of those uncles is the current samoa rugby league general secretary.

 

[cornelius_sulla_old]

There is poetic justice to this. If it hadn't been for Mike Umaga, Tana would have gone on to be a Kiwi. I hope his boy goes all the way. From all reports, he's a chip off the old block.