Fainu speaks out for Manager

Rising Manly star Manase Fainu has plenty to worry about at the moment, with his freedom - let alone his football career - in limbo. Fainu is fighting charges relating to an alleged stabbing and is now out on bail - but he reached out to Wide World of Sports this week. Not to protest his own innocence, but to plead for the reinstatement of his manager Mario Tartak. Tartak, who was instrumental in getting Fainu out of jail, has been suspended by the NRL over a bankruptcy claim and is not allowed to deal with players. But Fainu is desperate to see Tartak get his accreditation back. "Mario has helped me a lot, been through court and put his own problems aside and worked on me just to get out of jail. That's the type of person he is, putting others before himself," Fainu said. "He has helped me get my life sorted after football, because money gets chucked at us footy players and normally us Polynesian boys just go spend and buy the latest cars and shoes, but he spoke to me with my parents and told me start saving and buy properties. "He is more like a family member to me than a manager and I feel for him - he is going through hell." Meanwhile, Fainu is putting on a brave face as he fights his own legal battles. "I know a lot of the fans are asking about me," he said. "Tell them I'm coping well, surrounding myself with family and friends … I go to training at Manly to hang around the boys and get my mind off things and I am doing OK considering the circumstances."