*Crash*
16 Aug 2011, 12:35
GWS have signed another International scholarship list player. This time it's Izzy's cousin.
Penisimani Mahina is a 19 year old from Tonga, and is on the verge of becoming the face of Tongan footy. Named Captain of the Tongan Tigers for the 2011 International Cup, Peni received some publicity last year in Australia in no small part due to his father being a cousin of the father of Israel Folau.
Today, the AFL’s newest club, the Greater Western Sydney Giants reveal Peni as an International Scholarship signing (a not so well kept secret). He joins several other South Pacific youngsters – but he joins them with a little more fanfare and the obvious photo opportunities.
The links, tenuous or otherwise to Folau are there to be exploited and manipulated – and that’s understandable. However, there’s a bit of a misconception that the footy journey of Peni Mahina was instigated by the AFL signing of Izzie. And money certainly had nothing to do with it.
On Saturday, Game Day 1 of the IC11, WFN caught up with Peni Mahina as well as his father Malakai.
Source (http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/20110815221337454)
Penisimani Mahina is a 19 year old from Tonga, and is on the verge of becoming the face of Tongan footy. Named Captain of the Tongan Tigers for the 2011 International Cup, Peni received some publicity last year in Australia in no small part due to his father being a cousin of the father of Israel Folau.
Today, the AFL’s newest club, the Greater Western Sydney Giants reveal Peni as an International Scholarship signing (a not so well kept secret). He joins several other South Pacific youngsters – but he joins them with a little more fanfare and the obvious photo opportunities.
The links, tenuous or otherwise to Folau are there to be exploited and manipulated – and that’s understandable. However, there’s a bit of a misconception that the footy journey of Peni Mahina was instigated by the AFL signing of Izzie. And money certainly had nothing to do with it.
On Saturday, Game Day 1 of the IC11, WFN caught up with Peni Mahina as well as his father Malakai.
Source (http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/20110815221337454)