HE was one of a handful of players offered a new deal at the Dragons last season and hard-nosed back-rower Tyrell Fuimaono is determined to repay the club's faith in 2022.
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The 25-year-old endured a frustrating 2021 campaign, spending a total of seven weeks fully healthy on the sidelines serving three seperate suspensions.
He showed enough in 17 appearances to earn a new two-year deal keeping him in Wollongong until the end of 2023 and bringing his full tenure at the club to four seasons.
It was nothing to be sneezed at in a season that saw 10 players shown the door as coach Anthony Griffin looked to reshape the club's playing list ahead of his second season in charge.
Cam McInnes, Matt Dufty, Paul Vaughanand Corey Norman were the highest profile departures, while incumbent NSW back-rower Tariq Sims was also told he was free to look elsewhere - though he'll ultimately see out 2022.
At a time when contracts are not being freely given out, Fuimaono will be out to make it count come season kickoff.
"I was grateful for the opportunity to be here from the beginning," Fuimaono said.
"Mary (Paul McGregor) was there at the time and he's not here anymore and that can sometimes be a speed hump or problem when you have a change of coach halfway through [a contract].
"I've had it happen in previous years where you may not be in the new coach's plans or fit their perspective of what he wants the team to look like.
"Last year I was playing a different position, but Hook saw something I could bring to the team and had trust in me to do so.
"I didn't want to go through the process of moving and starting again. The club gave me a chance [in 2020] and I've got a good group of mates here now.
"I live down at Shell Cove now, I'm comfortable and settled and hopefully that helps me just focus on footy and play at my best."
One thing he's focused on is not missing anymore games or spending time on the 'extras' paddock through enforced layoffs that plagued his year.
"It was definitely frustrating and it got hard at times," he said.
"I was lucky that Moose (Josh McGuire) was unlucky in the sense that he was on the sideline with me and I had someone to train with and share those hard times with.
"It was obviously never my intention. I always try and avoid getting suspended but definitely, going forward, I don't want to be missing games for no reason if I can help it."
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