Faamausili: It was like playing against family

It was just meant to be ...

Ever since forward Poasa Faamausili returned to the Roosters' fold after six weeks and four games with the Warriors, he had circled the round 11 game at Gosford between those two clubs in his diary.

But then head coach Trent Robinson named his 17 for the July 25 match and Faamausili missed the cut.

"I was disappointed because I really wanted to play. I was pretty down this week to be honest," he told NRL.com

Unfortunate luck for Boyd Cordner, who received a head knock at training, turned into unbridled joy for Faamausili – he came off the reserves list and on to the bench.

"It was just yesterday that Boyd was ruled out and I don't know if it was meant to be but looks like it was.

"I wanted to play these guys and it happened. I was only with them a month ago, so when Boyd got a knock to his head, I was happy – in a nice way, I mean.

"I love 'Boydo' and we always need him in our team. But I got my chance."

Faamausili may only have played 16 minutes, made three runs and 14 tackles, but he enjoyed every second.

"It was a bit different. It was like playing against members of my family," he said.

"Walking in here today was a bit weird. This is the place we trained and played when I was with the Warriors.

"I felt this emotional connection to the place.

"But I just had to get the job. Out on the field though, I did feel this connection still to them (Warriors players)."

As NRL.com did the interview under the main grandstand, Warriors players and staff filed by more than two metres away in the "clean zone" as they headed to their bus back to Terrigal.

Every one of them stopped to give Faamausili a hug, a handshake, a kind word, a vote of thanks.

"I didn't hold back tackling them and they hit me just as hard," he said.

But he feels for his freshly ex-teammates still stranded in Australia to keep the NRL competition going. He totally agrees with allowing players to be released on compassionate grounds to visit family back in New Zealand.

Four players – David Fusitu'a, Ken Maumalo, Agnatius Paasi and King Vuniyayawa – are headed home on Monday.

"They have to do what's best for them. Ken, Fus and Kingie have little ones at home waiting for them – it's been tough for them," Faamausili said.

As for playing for two different clubs within a month, the 24-year-old isn't confused over two different sets of cultures, of set plays, of on-field calls.

"It's not too bad really because the shapes are pretty similar – it's just different names," Faamasusili said.

When he returned to the Tricolours squad three weeks ago Robinson had no fears Faamausili might have to be "re-educated" in the Roosters way.

"Po has been with us for six years so he's an SG Ball player, won that competition in 2014, won the 20s in 2016 so four weeks away over a six-year period ... he's one of us," Robinson said.

"I was really proud of what he did and I know the Warriors were very thankful too."