KEY POINTS:
There is possibly no junior Warriors player who has come on the scene carrying as much expectation as Sonny Fai.
Fai, who turned 20 on Thursday, has been in the development programme at the club for more than three years and has four years of representative football behind him.
He is big and fast, strong and an exciting runner with and user of the ball.
A product of De La Salle College in Auckland, he played as a junior at the Papatoetoe and Mangere East clubs, then for the Counties-Manukau Jetz in the Bartercard Cup against men, when still aged 17.
"Sonny has been pushing for a spot for some time now. He's ready for this chance," Warriors coach Ivan Cleary said when naming him this week. "We have put a lot of work into his game in the off-season and we had always planned to give him exposure in the NRL this season. He deserves this opportunity."
Fai is bigger and stronger than was another second row prospect, Ali Lauitiiti, at the same age. He can bench-press with the best and is also among the club's fastest forwards.
"His form in the trial [against Manly last month] was good," Cleary said in explaining Fai's elevation to the 17 ahead of the usual bench man Wairangi Koopu.
"He stood out from everyone in the under-20s game on Monday."
Fai avoided speaking to the media after his selection this week. But there should not be too many nerves, given his solid grounding in the club.
He has completed two full pre-seasons with the top squad and was in their salary cap 26 last season, frequently travelling as 18th man to Australia. His chance didn't come because the Warriors had no bad forward injuries and absences.
This season that's already changed and Fai gets his chance because of the injury to Steve Price.
Asked to rate Fai's ability against that of Lauitiiti, Epalahame Lauaki and others at the same age, the Warriors coaching staff refuse. The word they use to describe him is "potential".
They're not putting raps on him because he hasn't done anything yet. But there was complete confidence in his ability to measure up physically and athletically.
SONNY FAI
Born March 20, 1988, Auckland.
192cm, 109kg second rower.
Junior clubs Papatoetoe and Mangere East.
Junior Kiwi 2004/05/07, NZ `A' 2006.
Auckland Lions 2007, played 21 of 22 games, 14 tries.
Warriors 2007 under-20s player of the year.
