With four tries to his name from the opening couple of matches of the NRL season, New Zealand Warriors flyer David Fusitu'a has every reason to be smiling.
The winger again bagged a athletic double as his team secured back to back triumphs, beating the Gold Coast Titans 20-8 at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday.
"It was a scrappy win, the Titans really came at us, but it just shows the resilience this side has," he said.
Fusitu'a has hit the ground running in 2018 following his World Cup success with Tonga, where he produced a number of athletic finishes.
However the 23-year-old was quick to credit the work of teammates Tohu Harris and Peta Hiku for his try-scoring feats against the Titans.
"They draw in so many defenders, they have good footwork, so all I have to do most of the time is just put the ball down,'' he said.
Fusitua's second effort of the afternoon required a bit more effort than just "putting the ball down".
Halfback Shaun Johnson lofted a high kick across to the south east corner of Mt Smart Stadium where Fusitu'a soared above Phillip Sami to seal the result for the hosts.
Fusitu'a flies high
Fusitu'a revealed his eye-catching finishes are not something he particularly works on, but rather tend to happen naturally.
"I don't work on it a lot to be honest it is more instinctive I guess,'' he said.
If people are coming from the inside my first thought is to just jump and reach out and hope for the best."
The game was especially meaningful for Fusitu'a, with the Warriors donating $5 from every ticket sale towards the Cyclone Gita relief efforts in his native Tonga.
With more than 14,000 fans in attendance, Fusitu'a says the money raised will go a long way to helping the people of Tonga, many of who are still struggling.
"It's awesome. They were hit pretty bad over there obviously and even now they are still trying to rebuild their lives so just to be able to lend a little hand is great," he said.
Coach Stephen Kearney was pleased with the overall performance, but said there was still room for improvement.
"Anytime you get the win you are happy but I felt we could have been a lot more direct," he said.
"The defence I was happy with. To only concede one try in the final minutes off a kick, that's a pretty good effort."
Match Highlights: Warriors v Titans - Round 2; 2018
