Ten years, eight clubs, one dream: The story of Fa’amanu Brown, rugby league’s ultimate journeyman

Fa’amanu Brown has had loads of days to recollect although his 10-year, eight-club profession in rugby league, however the previous week was one thing new, even for him.

After securing a launch from Hull FC, he flew from England on Sunday, landed in Australia on Monday, signed with St George Illawarra on Tuesday, skilled with them on Thursday and performed within the membership’s 30-12 win over the Warriors on Friday.

“I did not suppose I would play on Friday however Flanno (coach Shane Flanagan) stated he’d throw me within the deep finish,” Brown stated.

“It was surreal to get a win in opposition to a top quality facet just like the Warriors and it was the primary time we received back-to-back in a few years, in order that’s essential.

“No one is ever going to show down a suggestion to play within the NRL, even when you’re straight off the aircraft.”

Brown’s transfer is the newest chapter of an extended, winding journey that began in Christchurch and has taken the 29-year-old from Cronulla, to Canterbury, to Featherstone Rovers within the English second division, to North Sydney Bears in NSW Cup, to Wests Tigers, again to Canterbury, then to Newcastle, Hull FC and eventually the Dragons.

That is 9 completely different stints at eight completely different golf equipment throughout two continents and 4 completely different leagues in 11 seasons, for these of you taking part in at residence. The Dragons are the fourth crew he is performed for in 18 months.

Throw in his appearances for Samoa, his belated debut for New Zealand – the place he performed in final 12 months’s document Pacific Championship last belting of Australia – and the very fact he overcame a leg damage that left docs telling him he’d by no means stroll once more not to mention play, and it is one of the crucial exceptional careers in fashionable rugby league.

Some gamers may take being described as a journeyman as disparaging. Brown makes use of it as a sign-off on Instagram and wears it as a badge of honour. Few can match his journey, on the sphere or off it.

Loads of individuals who have confronted Brown’s hardships would have retired way back. The uncertainty of life as a rugby league vagabond is not for everybody however Brown has been making the very most of what he is acquired his complete life.

“It is from my upbringing. All of us face adversity on our personal journeys however I grew up in a three-bedroom state home as certainly one of 9 youngsters. We simply needed to take care of what we had,” Brown stated.

“It is the hardships I’ve needed to undergo. I grew up in a house with home violence. I grew up in a home the place you needed to take care of what you had and I’ve carried that with me.

“Once you’re chucked within the deep finish it is swim or drown and I have been put in that place my complete life.

“That is what constructed my resilience and my character. I am so fortunate with my household and my help base, my fiance Jordan has been with me by means of every little thing. She’s been proper there on the rollercoaster with me.

“There have been loads of instances after I’ve needed to retire however I am so fortunate.”

Brown acquired his first shot on the high grade again in 2014 with Cronulla because the membership struggled within the grip of the ASADA scandal.

ABC Sport shall be stay running a blog each spherical of the AFL and NRL seasons in 2024.

The Sharks have been outscored 56-0 in his first two matches. However, as he is carried out so many instances, Brown saved at it and Cronulla, someway, received their following two video games – overturning 22-0 and 24-0 deficits within the course of.

He stayed on the Sharks till the tip of 2017 – that is the place he labored with Flanagan, who was instrumental in bringing him to the Dragons this season — earlier than he headed to Canterbury and started his wandering.

“It feels like a cliché, however I like giving again. For me, the one method out of the hood was rugby league. That was all I knew. So I’ve to symbolize individuals who do it robust,” Brown stated. 

“There’s a variety of youngsters, some youngsters who come from nothing, who could be unfortunate with accidents or they’re down and out and suppose there is no method again, that is who I symbolize. If I can do it then, bloody hell, anybody can.

“I by no means left a stone unturned. You may have all of the achievements on the planet, however you understand in your coronary heart when you gave it your all, when you by no means stopped preventing.”

That angle helped Brown essentially the most throughout the hardest stretch of his profession in 2020 when a succession of foot accidents put his profession on the brink.

5 docs informed him he’d by no means play once more. A few of them stated he’d by no means run once more. On the similar time, he was nursing his mom by means of the ultimate phases of her life as she battled lung most cancers.

Amid every little thing, he discovered a option to maintain going. He all the time does. He is realised he is greater than his soccer profession, a perspective that provides him the power to hold on within the hardest instances.

“Rugby league is part of me, but it surely’s not all of me. I nonetheless have a lot away from the sport and I am nonetheless younger in the actual world. I needed to study that rugby league is so essential to me but it surely is not me,” Brown stated.

“So while you undergo accidents, or while you’re on a string of one-year offers otherwise you lose your self attempting to coach too arduous or give it some thought an excessive amount of, it’s important to do not forget that, and also you solely study it by means of experiences.”

Brown continues to be hopeful of getting some experiences left. He’ll play for the Dragons on Anzac Day in opposition to the Roosters in entrance of a bought out crowd on the Sydney Soccer Stadium, which is certainly one of rugby league’s nice events, and with Flanagan’s teaching starting to take impact on the Pink V, who is aware of the place this season might find yourself?

“Once you take a look at the Dragons you possibly can see that after they face adversity they play for each other, they flip up. That is one thing they have not had in recent times and that is what I feel Flanno has purchased, that successful mentality,” Brown stated. 

“He is aware of what he is doing and a variety of the boys are trusting him and what he is attempting to do.”

In the intervening time, Brown’s targets are modest. He desires to earn extra minutes as he re-acclimatises to the NRL. He desires to lock down a contract for subsequent 12 months, to get just a bit little bit of safety.

He is taking his profession year-by-year at this level, however the finish is not in sight but. The person continues to be on his journey.

“Not many individuals get to do that, not many individuals get to be in our sneakers, so I used to be all the time going to take it with each palms,” Brown stated.

“It would not matter if it is one minute or 80 minutes, you get to be on the market in entrance of 20,000 followers.

“A standard particular person would not get to expertise that, so I am so grateful for every little thing, I am so grateful to be on the elite stage and I imagine that is the place I belong.

“I am a full believer that every little thing occurs for a motive. With my journey you possibly can’t actually write a narrative like this.”