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Sua Fa’alogo might be the most bashful man ever put in charge of a boombox.
Melbourne’s budding NRL superstar still speaks Samoan at home as his first language. Having a recorder jammed under his nose or a camera in his face, and being asked to talk himself up by a stranger, is hardly his idea of a good time.
But everything else is.
Rugby league’s newest must-watch talent is in charge of belting Melbourne’s wheelie bin throughout every Storm victory song. He’s louder than Melbourne’s requisite stereo at each training session, emulating old club favourite Josh Addo-Carr’s ability to be heard long before he’s seen.
“And you need that type of character in a footy team,” veteran Storm football manager Frank Ponissi says. “When you’re training and slogging away for 10 months a year, Sua is the upbeat, happy-go-lucky kid with a permanent smile just painted on his face. He brings our energy every day, and every team needs that”.
Fa’alogo is the game’s newest 175-centimetre, fast-stepping, headgeared hype man, with a hat-trick in 12 minutes from his last start against the Dragons.
After an especially narcissistic NRL news cycle this week, Fa’alogo’s joyful, all-stepping, all-smiling approach to the game is what we all need. A mouthwatering, sold-out AAMI Park showdown with Brisbane’s Reece Walsh is pass the popcorn stuff this Friday night.
It’s a welcome tonic to petty mudslinging by the Roosters and Rabbitohs since the stirring scenes of Alex Johnston’s try-scoring coronation at Allianz Stadium.
So too, Gorden Tallis’s week-long bluster about how Adam Reynolds’ ribs held up while sitting on a TV panel and Bronson Xerri’s dummy-spit at being switched from one side of the field to the other.
Because, Fa’alogo says, “sometimes you’ve just got to have fun playing footy. I try and remember that.
“I’ve always been a positive kind of person. And I like to bring the energy for my teammates.
“I’m the energy man but I don’t know how to really say that, I’m just really happy to be playing footy, and I’m really grateful for the opportunity to be with Melbourne.”
Fa’alogo strikes as a personality player – in the same way Latrell Mitchell’s passion rears in physical contests, a probing Nathan Cleary kick betrays his methodical magic and Walsh’s natural showmanship shines brightest whenever a game is on the line.
Every hot-footed hop, goose step and leap for the try line from Fa’alogo is the rugby league embodiment of that permanent smile.
The “energy man” has lit up the opening two weeks of 2026 and joyfully left a slew of Eels and Dragons defenders in his wake with ducking, weaving, bouncing and bursts of running rugby league.
Fa’alogo and his teammates, coach Craig Bellamy and Storm officials are chuffed with his rapid progress on several fronts.
Not least because enthusiasm is infectious. And vital given Fa’alogo is a genuine product of Victorian rugby league.
He’s not the first. But after arriving in Melbourne from Samoa at age nine and playing Australian Rules football until he was 13, Fa’alogo is probably already Victoria’s most influential NRL export.
Melbourne have significantly increased their investment in junior pathways, bringing under-age sides in-house and playing under the Storm banner rather than linking with feeder clubs in NSW and Queensland.
Victoria’s best under 16s compete in the Sua Fa’alogo Cup while Melbourne’s under 17s, 19s and 21s aim to be predominantly filled by local players.
Last year they won the Jersey Flegg (under 21s) title against every NSW club and this year’s SG Ball (under 19s) are undefeated atop the ladder.
“Not to put too much pressure on Sua, but he’s a huge part of our local juniors program and a great example of what we’re trying to achieve with it,” Ponissi says.
“He’s the type of player who can be that inspirational figure for Victorian kids discovering league. Especially because Sua’s best attribute is probably his patience.
“A lot of young players want everything all at once. But Sua’s waited and worked for his shot, and he deserves everything he gets.”
As is Bellamy’s way, he appreciates most the significant improvement in Fa’alogo’s fitness after “I reckon I would have beat him in the [2025] pre-season.”
Skipper Harry Grant values the 23-year-old’s strides in organising Melbourne’s defence from fullback and toughness.
Look no further than the shot he shook off from Dragons winger Christian Tuipulotu on Saturday as he set up Will Warbrick’s opening try.
But even with his thousand-watt smile and mile-a-minute footwork, patience might just be Fa’alogo’s greatest virtue.
In an age when emerging players will shift clubs without a second thought to play regular NRL, Fa’alogo chose to wait behind Ryan Papenhuyzen for three years to get his crack at fullback.
Melbourne chairman Matt Tripp had a handshake agreement with Fa’alogo’s management two years ago, the rising star could go to market if Papenhuyzen remained long-term at the Storm.
Instead of rivalry, firm friendship was fostered between the two No.1s.
“Paps played a couple of games with Sua before he made his NRL debut, they lined up together at Sunshine Coast Falcons,” Ponissi recalls.
“And Paps came back to us saying, ‘You’ve got to pick him in first grade. He can seriously play’. Paps was one of his great supporters.”
And when Papenhuyzen did eventually step away from rugby league after last year’s grand final loss to Brisbane, a strong pre-season presented Fa’alogo with the grand stage he deserves.
Especially because despite his obvious ability to thrive in the NRL’s land of giants, Melbourne never really had to fear Fa’alogo taking flight.
“When Paps was here I knew I had to wait and I knew I wasn’t always going to get an opportunity to play,” he says.
“But that was OK. I just didn’t want to go anywhere else. I wanted to give back to the Storm. They gave me my first opportunity, and I want to repay that. I wouldn’t be the player I am now without them.
“I get coached by Billy Slater every week and he’s the guy I looked up to as a kid. I’m still shocked I get to work with him.
“Staying patient was important to me and the Storm culture is important to me. I love it, they’ve done so much for me and my family. Everything about the club and the coaching staff, it just feels like a bigger family for me.”
