May 24, 2026 — 1:40pmSomething happened at Magic Round that most people probably didn’t notice.Blayke Brailey missed a rare game due to concussion and Cam McInnes was out with an ankle injury, so Cronulla needed to find a new captain for their clash with Canterbury.Addin Fonua-Blake will make his long-awaited debut for NSW on Wednesday night.Sitthixay DitthavongSharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon could have gone with senior playmaker Nicho Hynes, and gave brief thought to workhorse back-rower Teig Wilton, but after a few days knew he had a readymade captain in fearless front-rower Addin Fonua-Blake.Fitzgibbon told Fonua-Blake he would need him to play longer minutes, especially with an extra interchange required to cover the absence of Brailey, the hooker who is always good for 80 minutes.“I need a captain’s knock from you tonight, and to keep talking to the boys,” Fitzgibbon told Fonua-Blake.Fonua-Blake nodded and said: “No dramas, coach. Leave it with me.”Addin Fonua-Blake trains with the Blues.NRL PhotosMuch has been made about Fonua-Blake’s selection for NSW under the NRL’s new eligibility rules and how he will chew through plenty of metres up front in a pack that is, according to some, one middle forward short.There have been plenty of jokes about how intimidating he looks with his haircut and tattoos.Queensland and Manly legend Daly Cherry-Evans once described Blues’ back-rower Haumole Olakau’atu as the scariest man in rugby league. Olakau’atu shook his head this week and said: “I don’t know why I got that title – Addin is definitely scarier.”But what cannot be underestimated is Fonua-Blake’s leadership and calmness under pressure – and the Blues will need both on Wednesday night.Those qualities probably explain why Kristian Woolf elevated Fonua-Blake to captain of the Tongan side once Jason Taumalolo was unable to travel to England for an international series at the end of 2023.Woolf first encountered Fonua-Blake in 2017 when he came into Tonga camp for the first time. He was a rogue, according to Woolf, who was physically imposing, but the same guy who loved kicking field goals from all over the ground with giant Dragons centre Moses Suli after training sessions.When it came time to appointing Fonua-Blake captain, Woolf said on Sunday: “I like his presence in the group, and when he’s got that extra responsibility, it means he puts pressure on himself to play at his best – he wants to lead from front and not let anyone down.”Fitzgibbon says Fonua-Blake often sits in his office with a notebook scribbling down ideas and discussing all things footy. The coach loves the effort areas often overlooked by fans, including leading the kick chase and the try-saving tackles, including one against the Bulldogs at Magic Round.Addin Fonua-Blake has been recognised as Dally M prop of the year the past three seasons.Sitthixay DitthavongFonua-Blake enjoyed success at Manly when he formed a dominant front-row combination with Marty Taupau. He joined the Warriors amid rumours he needed to escape Sydney and some of the colourful company he was keeping. At the time, Fonua-Blake laughed off the suggestions, including stories “some bikies were after me, which was news to me”.He helped the Warriors become a success, only to then realise he wanted to head home to Sydney. Fitzgibbon did his due diligence, and Fonua-Blake owned up to the times he felt himself starting to wobble off the rails.Fitzgibbon still makes mention of the way Fonua-Blake celebrated a Toby Rudolf try during last year’s finals’ series as the moment the prop made it clear to everyone how much he loved the club and his teammates.It will be the same for the Blues when they go into battle with Queensland. Fonua-Blake had to wait for the international Origin eligibility rules to change this year to realise his Origin dream. A 36-minute cameo for New Zealand against Scotland nearly a decade ago meant he was previously unavailable for the Blues.Fonua-Blake spent the first five years of his life north of the border, played with Logan, and said earlier this year there was unlikely to be any photo evidence of him running out for the Brothers club.“Even if there’s still a photo from around 1999, it wouldn’t be good quality anyway,” he said with a smile.Fitzgibbon said of Fonua-Blake’s Origin inclusion: “He knows his place in the team environment. At that level, you need to know what you’re going to get, and over the course of a very, very long time, Addin has proven he’s more than reliable, and someone who just gets the job done.”Brailey, who like Fonua-Blake will get his chance to pull on the sky blue for the first time, said: “Everyone was scared of him when he first arrived at the club. He’s a pretty intimidating bloke, and we didn’t know what he was going to be like.“But he’s slotted in perfectly. Connection is a big word in rugby league, [and] he’s always there for coffees and lunches. You wouldn’t want to get on his bad side, but once you get to know him, he’s such a genuine guy. I love playing with him. I can’t wait to play with him on Wednesday.“He’s a very good ping pong player, he’s always on the tables, and if he wins, he lets you know about it. He could have had a career in ping pong had footy not worked out.”It is safe to say rugby league has more than worked out for Fonua-Blake.More:NRL 2026State of OriginCronulla SharksNSW BluesFrom our partners