1 Mar 2013

Fotuaika's death mourned

4:56 pm on 1 March 2013

The promising Wests Tigers front-rower Mosese Fotuaika, found dead in a Sydney townhouse, has been described as a player who had the potential to make it to the top in rugby league.

Police were called to a townhouse in the south western Sydney suburb of Merrylands at about 7 o'clock on Thursday night.

They confirmed a 20-year-old man was found dead inside the premises.

The death was not being treated as suspicious.

A member of the Tigers' premiership-winning under-20 team last year, Fotuaika had looked on course to make his senior debut after playing in several trial matches.

The New Zealand Rugby League high performance general manager Tony Kemp says it's a sad day for the sport and offered condolences on behalf of the national organisation to Fotuaika's family.

Kemp was sure the 20-year-old, who was a Junior Kiwi last year, had the goods to reach the top.

He says mental health is one area that New Zealand sport needs to spend more time on.