Dylan Walker insists there was NOTHING sinister in Manly star’s show of support for Manase Fainu
Dylan Walker has leapt to the defence of his Manly teammate Haumole Olakau’atu after the Sea Eagles star was accused of making a sinister ‘gang sign’ in support of Manase Fainu.
Manly and Warriors players are understood to have been warned about using their platform to show support to their jailed friends after Fainu was sentenced for stabbing a church leader in the back this month.
Three of the Manly players who refused to wear a rainbow-coloured jersey on religious grounds each gestured their support for Fainu during Sunday’s NRL match against Gold Coast.
Dylan Walker has leapt to the defence of his Manly teammates for supporting Manase Fainu
Olakau’atu flashed the ‘2161’ postcode for Guildford, where the pair grew up during a try celebration, while Josh Schuster enscribed the initials ‘MF’ on his wrist.
Warriors skipper Addin Fonua-Blake – a former teammate of Fainu’s at Manly – also seemingly paid tribute to him after he scored a late try against the Bulldogs last Friday.
Suggestions Olakau’atu’s gesture was a gang sign have been refuted by Walker, who insisted that people outside Manly’s inner circle ‘won’t quite’ understand the context.
The troubled hooker was convicted earlier this month for stabbing a church youth leader
Sea Eagles backrower Haumole Olakau’atu showed his support publicly for Manase Fainu with what some claim was a gang sign last Sunday
‘Haumole and Nas, they’ve been best mates since they were little kids,’ Walker said via Fox League.
‘I would interpret that (symbol) into something completely different to someone else that wouldn’t be a part of that close-knit group. I hate to say it, but an audience that doesn’t quite get it would be the right words to say.
‘I think that’s just Haumole showing his support behind him and he needs it because for the last few weeks we talk about mental health and all these kinds of things.
Josh Schuster posted his support for Fainu (left) and Fainu is seen playing for Manly (right)
However, Walker insists that outsiders ‘don’t quite get’ Fainu’s relationship with the players
‘This is a kid that was touted to be the next superstar and turns have taken the wrong way for him. I think as a playing group, we’re showing as much support as we can. Haumole, all he did was show his support. Manase is a wonderful kid, he’s happy. It sucks to see it go down that path.’
Walker also revealed that Fainu was a supportive teammate during various stages of his career and if the roles were reversed, the troubled hooker would also show similar support.
‘I think people that are not in that circle and in that close group won’t quite get that and interpret it as something way beyond that,’ Walker said.
‘For myself, moving forward, if that’s the way he wants to support that’s up to him. I think some people took it out of context because they don’t quite get it.
‘I support him in that way because Nas supported me in a lot of stuff, I’ll definitely have his back.’
