You somehow get the impression the 15-year-old prefers to let his boots do the talking. He has scored a goal in every game HBHS first XI team have played to date in the Hawke's Bay secondary schools competition.
"Eight goals from eight games," says a softly spoken Nanumea, before fellow under-17 Samoa international Mamea takes control of the Dictaphone as one expects of a central midfielder.
Those goal-scoring skills are not lost on HBHS director of football Grant Hastings as they prepare to host the Super 8 schools in a week-long tournament from Monday.
Nanumea and Mamea will need to be at their best for HBHS to make the most of the two pools of games involving Gisborne BHS, defending champions Hamilton BHS, Lindisfarne College, Napier Boys' High School, runners-up Palmerston North BHS, New Plymouth BHS, Rotorua BHS and Tauranga Boys College at the school grounds and adjacent Akina Park fields.
The irony is the host school finished last in Super 8 last season at Palmerston North and didn't score a goal.
"When you give him the ball he's pretty fast and he hits the target more often," says Mamea, who knows Nanumea from the time they were playing for rival under-12 club sides in Upolu.
Leaving their tropical homes for an entire school year after the Fifa Oceania U17 in Tahiti in mid-February wasn't an easy decision for the Samoan teenagers.
The host families' warmth and generosity were imperative in overcoming the culture shock, although Mamea eventually made contact with cousins who billet the pair.
"We have to stay with each other so none of us get homesick so we can play for Akina [the school]."
The game's gospel also differs in that in Samoa physical fitness took precedence but at HBHS the pair are lapping up the strategic and tactical philosophy.
Academically the teenagers also bridging the gulf with the host nation's higher standard.
Mamea's mother is a former Samoa international and his inspiration.
The schoolboys have had their share of ribbing in choosing to play the round ball in their country and at HBHS.
"They are like, 'Oh, you're from the islands so why don't you play rugby?'," says Mamea of both of them who have played rugby at home.
So why didn't they stay with rugby?
"Just look at us. Our body [frames] are too small for rugby because they are big and too physical," he says with a grin.
At the Oceanias in Tahiti, their Samoa U17 side lost to champions New Zealand, Fiji and the Solomon Islands.
They beat the Cook Islands and American Samoa and drew with Tonga in the qualifying stages on their home soil.
Mamea dreams of the day when Samoa will be able to foot it at the elite level before they contemplate taking the coaching path to help those following in their footsteps.
Reflecting on last year's tourney, Hastings says HBHS just didn't have strikers who could plant the ball into the net.
Jackson Ralph was their go-to player at the coal face but "he played the first three minutes of the first game and that was his tournament".
Ralph has opted to represent the Havelock North Wanderers in the Federation League this winter after Hastings imposed a policy of school or club to ensure the teenagers weren't worn out from too much game time as well as being exposed to risks of niggly injuries against adults.
However, midfielder Ethan Ladd, who plays for Conroy Removals Napier City Rovers in the Lotto Central League, will be released to represent HBHS next week.
"He's got a youth contract with them [Rovers] so he's going to play for us in the tournament."
Hastings says bringing in a player of Nanumea's calibre is a bonus alongside Jack Parker in a team that comprises two year 13 pupils, five year 12s, six year 11s, two year 10s and a year 9 player, Isaac Becker.
"We've got more options with central strikers this year than what we had last year rather than just guys trying to fill a role," Hastings said.
Hastings said they had more depth throughout the team, although most of the other schools would have 80 per cent year 13s.
Becker has made the cut for the New Zealand Under-15 side to tour in the United Kingdom during the next school holidays.
To put the strengths of some teams in perspective, he says Hamilton BHS have about 30 teams in their school compared with two serious senior sides, a social team and two juniors teams at HBHS.
NBHS, he says, are a good team with marquee player Jorge Akers playing for the elite Rovers team, and having his father, former All White Marty Akers, at the helm as coach at a school that has close to a dozen teams.
"They have more experience and depth across the park then we have and they beat us 3-0 a couple of weeks ago but it was a good game," he says of NBHS who finished fifth at the tourney last year.
The two sides play each other at 1.30pm on Monday after HBHS open their account in a 9am kick off against New Plymouth BHS on ground one while NBHS lock horns with Hamilton BHS on the adjacent No 2 ground in the 30-minute halves.
The crossover matches will be played on Tuesday after lunch and the 1-8 playoffs on Wednesday from 9am, although No 1 and No 2 playoff will kick off at 10.45am.
HBHS TEAM: Tumua Crichton (GK), Thomas Alve, Nick Yorke, Hunter Ataputu, Ethan Ladd, Joey Field, Matthew Woodhead, Brody Lucas, Aidan Robson (c), Stanley Mamea, Luke Morgan, Falaniko Nanumea, Jack Parker, Pierce Pawha, Sean Lee, Isaac Becker.
Coach: Grant Hastings.
Manager: Kevin Atkinson.
