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Warriors rugby league captain Steve Price said today he still held out hope rising star Sonny Fai would be found alive, despite disappearing in the surf at a west Auckland beach on Sunday evening.
Fai, 20, was trying to help his younger brother who was caught in a rip when he disappeared.
For a second day today, Warriors players, Fai's family, police and helicopters searched Bethells Beach for him, although authorities believe there is virtually no hope he would be found alive.
Talking in the present tense, Steve Price said he still hoped Fai might be found alive.
"He is very infectious, very enthusiastic. He's a fantastic athlete and trains very hard. He's got a fantastic attitude, just a guy you love being around ," he said.
Coach Ivan Cleary said Fai was a rising star destined for league greatness.
"Sonny was on fire. He was really doing well and maturing in a lot of areas. Just in terms of appreciating the game a bit more and having more confidence in his game within the group. He was trying to make some big strides," he said.
Cleary said the club wanted to help the family in any way possible, and has given a financial donation to help with the search.
" We're remaining sensitive to what they're going through.
"The team are handling it fairly well on the surface. But when they go away from here, it's hard to know how they're coping. They probably draw strength from each other while they're here, and it's probably a nice distraction just to get on with things. Each person deals with it differently.
"It's just hard to know when shock stops and it really sinks in. It's just one day at a time," he said.
- NZPA
