‘Only the start’: How Billy Slater helped create Storm’s most important star in years

It’s been a turbulent few months for the Melbourne Storm since their second-straight grand final defeat, with stars leaving left, right and centre.

But there’s one silver lining with one of the most exciting young players ready to take off in 2026.

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Fans have seen glimpses of Sua Fa’alogo since he made a dazzling debut with two tries against the Broncos in 2023.

And after a few false starts, he has been locked in as the man to replace Ryan Papenhuyzen after his shock decision to quit rugby league, with the Samoan speedster heralding a new era at the club with a strong focus on local talent.

He has big shoes to fill given the quality of fullbacks to have worn the purple jersey over the years, but don’t even think about comparing him to Billy Slater.

“I can’t be like Billy Slater because he’s the best, he’s the GOAT,” Fa’alogo told the NewsWire.

FULLBACK TO THE FUTURE

It’s been a long journey for Fa’alogo to get here, with his path to the Storm starting in Samoa before he moved to Victoria.

Like many local kids, he started playing Aussie rules but switched to rugby league with the Northern Thunder when he was 13 because the other sport was on Sundays and that clashed with church.

Fa’alogo joined the Storm academy when he was 18 and is now the poster boy of their new pathways system, which has been designed to ensure more Victorians wear the purple jersey.

It’s a huge honour for the 22-year-old to be the face of it all, but the spotlight isn’t something he loves just yet.

“To be honest, I’m really shy and I’m not really good with talking. I’m not really good with it (but I’ll have to get used to it),” he said.

“Seeing all the younger kids come through is awesome and I love seeing heaps of Victorian kids coming through now.

“Having the Storm system is cool to see.”

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In a state where kids dreamt of being the next Slater, the man himself says Fa’alogo can be the new inspiration for the next generation of Storm hopefuls.

“He’s the one flying the flag at the top level, and that’s really important,” the Maroons coach said.

“I guarantee you there will be a lot more guys like Sua Fa’alogo coming through over the next five or 10 years because I’ve seen first hand the pathways program and the professionalism that’s been put into it.

“To see Sua Fa’alogo fly the flag for Victorian kids at the top level (is perfect) because there’s probably no better young man to do that.

“This is only the start.”

STEPPING UP

The sudden departures of Papenhuyzen, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Jonah Pezet – coupled with Eli Katoa’s season-ending injury and the club’s fight to sign Zac Lomax – have put more pressure on Fa’alogo to deliver.

He beat out youngster Hugo Peel for the No.1 jersey and has shown in his seven games at fullback for the club that he has the raw talent to be a generational star in the position.

“But he’s got to make that happen,” Slater said.

“He’s certainly given himself plenty of time to be prepared for it. He’s been at the club for a while now and came through the pathways system.

“He’s been able to learn from Ryan Papenhuyzen while Paps went through his prime, and I think that’s put him in good stead to start his journey in his jersey.”

While he’s not the biggest player in the world, Fa’alogo is blessed with exceptional footwork and a confidence to do anything with ball in hand.

That sounds a lot like another emerging talent who claimed the fullback spot at the Storm and turned that chance into an incredible career that lasted more than 300 games.

“He’s a very exciting player and one that we love watching,” Slater said.

“Every time that he lines up for the Melbourne Storm, he’s certainly going to be on the preview card and have the attention of the opposition and the people watching at home.

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“He can do some special things on the field, but I’m looking forward to him building his career and his game.

“There are going to be some brilliant things he does this year, and there are going to be some things that he learns from. It’s all part and parcel of starting your career in a particular position, especially a key position like fullback.”

DEFENCE NEVER RESTS

The flashy things come naturally to Fa’alogo, but that’s not why he will play fullback in 2026 after he earnt coach Craig Bellamy’s trust over the past few months.

A training session in Officer in the outskirts of Melbourne last year with all of the Storm’s pathways teams showed a new side to his game, with Fa’alogo barking orders in defence and running tirelessly after working on his fitness.

Those are the things that made Slater so special even if they didn’t feature on highlight reels, and it’s those subtle lessons that will make their new fullback ready to rock against the Eels on Thursday night.

“He was my favourite player,” Fa’alogo said after only playing seven games last year before a nasty hamstring injury derailed his season.

“I loved the way that he played the game. He’s been helping me a lot now as a fullback. He’s helped me with my defence and my positioning at the back. I still have a lot of stuff to learn so he’s been telling me a lot.

“My goal for this year is to work on my defence. I’m not the biggest player in the team, but working under Craig, that’s his mindset, so you’ve got to have a good defensive mindset if you want to be a good player.”

For all the doom and gloom around the Storm this off-season, they still have the best spine in the competition and now have a 22-gamer ready to prove to the world that he belongs at this level.

His kick returns will be electric, and he has worked hard on his passing game, but the biggest test will be without the ball.

Defence can be a boring word for fans who love to see the scoreboard tick over, but it’s a non-negotiable at the Storm if you want to play NRL.

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“If you don’t have it, then you won’t be there,” Slater said.

“You’ve got a huge responsibility back there. Even though you don’t make many tackles, you’re nearly the captain of the defensive line.

“Those are two areas of his game that he has put a whole heap of work into over the off-season. He’s worked really hard this pre-season to get himself as fit as I’ve seen him for a number of years after a few hurdles with injuries.

“He’s nice and fit now and he’s put a lot of energy into the defensive side of the game. He’s willing to learn and work hard.

“I’m looking forward to helping him on that journey.”