Hull FC complete deal for NRL player Fa’amanu Brown as ninth new signing
Hull FC have signed Samoa international Fa’amanu Brown from Newcastle Knights for 2024.
The half-back, who had a successful spell with Featherstone Rovers two years ago and played in the World Cup last autumn, is their ninth signing for next season. He joins overseas recruits Franklin Pele and Jayden Okunbor - his former Canterbury team-mates - and ex-Samoa colleague Herman Ese’ese, as well as domestic recruits Liam Tindall, Jack Ashworth, Morgan Smith, Jack Walker plus Frenchman Damel Diakhate.
Brown, 28, has just been called up to the New Zealand squad for their fixtures against Samoa and Australia. Hull boss Tony Smith, desperate to revive the club’s fortunes after a poor 2023, said: “Simply, he is what I would call a footy player. He's got the ability to run the ball and can take control of a game and that's what I really like about him. He's smart and it's a really good pick-up for the club.
"Not only that, but he's a great human being, too. We connected well when we had a chat over the phone recently and I can tell he's going to be great for the culture we are trying to create here. He's got a great personality. Having sampled footy both in the Southern and the Northern Hemisphere is a good thing.
"I like the fact he has played in England before and that he has experience of playing in this country. I think that's going to hold him in good stead. I can just sense a real hunger about Nu and how he wants to hit the ground running for us. He'll be joining us just after being in camp with the Kiwis, which is a great achievement for him, so we hope he brings that confidence along with him and that he can make a great start to his career at Hull.”
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Brown can also play hooker but the East Yorkshire club are likely to utilise him in the halves after Jake Clifford’s return to the NRL and Jake Trueman’s ruptured Achilles. Brown, who started at hooker in Samoa's famous World Cup semi-final defeat of England, said: “I’m really privileged to be joining Hull FC. Something I have always wanted to do throughout my career is stamp my name on the Super League competition and I’m just so excited for the opportunity.
“I’ve watched a fair bit of Super League on TV whilst I’ve been in Australia and I kept up with it whilst I was at Featherstone in the Championship. The fans over in England are crazy! I’ve had a really good chat with Tony Smith and we just clicked straight away. To be honest, we didn’t chat about footy that much. It was mostly about life away from footy and he said that if everything is looking after itself off-the-field, then you’ve got a good chance of performing at your best on the field.
"I think that’s part of having a successful team. I debuted in the NRL at five-eighth (stand-off) and I’ve played a bit of hooker. But like I said to Tony, wherever you put me I will do a job and I’m willing to die for the club whose colours I wear on my back.”
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