Fa’manu Brown’s latest injury qualifies him as the unluckiest yet resilient Kiwi in the NRL

Fa’amanu Brown was once told to retire after suffering a foot injury and missed a World Cup final with a concussion, but the unluckiest Kiwi in the NRL is now being backed to recover from his recent injury setback.

The Christchurch-born provider made his NRL debut 10 seasons ago but was limited to 54 first-grade games with injuries stalling his progress.

Yet he has refused to give up and his name has become synonymous with resilience.

A concussion kept him out of Samoa’s first Rugby League World Cup final against the Kangaroos last November, but he started 2023 with guns blazing.

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Brown has been omnipresent for the Bulldogs this year but faces another spell on the touchline after dislocating his elbow in Sunday’s 16-14 loss to the Warriors.

While the Bulldogs mourned their narrow defeat, Brown was at the Auckland Hospital with the club’s welfare manager.

The 28-year-old, who was valued for his ability to play in halves or in a pack, was a 15-minute substitute before injuring his elbow after throwing the ball into Tohu’s tackles early in the second half Harris and Jazz Tevaga.

Brown was clearly in pain when he left the field, although Bulldogs general manager of football Phil Gould said in a social media post he was “comfortable” in the hospital.

Bulldogs head coach Cameron Ciraldo said the dislocated elbow was “not good for Nu.”

“He worked hard and got regular NRL footy,” Ciraldo said at the post-game press conference.

“It’s definitely a shame for Nu, we need to recover some troops from injuries.”

Brown, a Hornby Club junior in Christchurch, made his NRL debut for the Sharks in 2014 and played 11 games in halves in his rookie year.

After 25 appearances in Cronulla colors, he joined the Bulldogs in 2018, where he was limited to 12 games over two seasons.

He was held up in May 2019 when he broke the scaphoid in his foot and, after two surgeries, was told by surgeons he would never walk again.

At one point, he revealed that six surgeons had advised him that he would have trouble growing bone in his foot and should consider fusing it.

Refusing to give up his NRL dream, Brown consulted another surgeon who had successfully helped AFL players and continued to work on his rehab behind the scenes.

He made a comeback with English second division side Featherstone Rovers in 2021, scoring 16 tries and 12 goals in 25 league games, culminating in a Super League grand final and play-off game against French club Toulouse.

Brown was due to have a second season in West Yorkshire in 2022 but was given time off to return to Sydney for personal reasons, with the Featherstone chairman praising his “total commitment” during his stay.

After training with the Stars-stacked Roosters, Brown seemed set for a NSW Cup campaign with the North Sydney Bears.

Then Kiwis coach Michael Maguire brokered him a deal to join the Wests Tigers NRL squad.

In a fairytale NRL return, Brown scored two tries on his Tigers debut in a 36-22 win over the Bulldogs last May.

In 2023, he scored six attempts from hooker or loose forward, with Maguire a declared admirer of his attitude and tenacity.

“What Nu went through with his injuries just goes to show that if you persist, you can find your way,” Maguire said after Brown’s comeback.

But Maguire was fired midseason and Brown wasn’t retained by the Tigers’ new head coach Tim Sheens.

He did, however, have the consolation of being called up to the World Cup with Samoa, replacing fellow Kiwi hooker Danny Levi, who returned home to Australia after a round-robin thrashing of England.

Brown came from the Samoan bench to score in a 72-4 win over Greece and began the hooker for the Samoans’ historic 27-26 semi-final win over England.

But any chance of a major finals shirt vanishing with a headbutt on the English, resulting in a forced retirement.

However, Brown was back for the Bulldogs’ season opener and started easily up front against the Manly Sea Eagles.

His versatility makes him an ideal substitute option and he’s lost plenty of time off the jaw in the Dogs’ victories over the Storm (26-12) and his old club Wests Tigers (26-22).

Ciraldo clearly has full confidence in Brown’s tenacity and ability to put his latest injury challenge behind him.

“It’s not ideal, but he’ll be right,” the Bulldogs boss predicted. “It’s a long season and he’s going to come back bigger and stronger.”