Master coach Paul Vautin has identified Tino Fa’asuamaleaui as a crucial element for Queensland's 2025 State of Origin campaign, predicting the series will mark him as the Maroons' long-term leader. Fa’asuamaleaui's absence due to a ruptured ACL was keenly felt during Queensland’s 2024 series defeat, a loss Vautin attributes significantly to missing the Titans' skipper. Vautin expressed these views while unveiling his new AI-generated commentary app, “Fatty Says”.

Vautin holds Fa’asuamaleaui in extremely high regard, calling him "the best forward I’ve seen in 20 years." He elaborated on Tino's dynamic playing style: "He’s all action; he wants to get involved in nearly every play: he runs hard, he’s effective at the line – he normally gets halfway through the line every time he runs – and he’s got a great offload." Vautin also praised his defensive capabilities, stating, "his defence is outstanding, he’s a great tackler, and he chases from marker. No one chases from marker these days... He gets it, and he chases, and he smashes them."

Describing Fa’asuamaleaui's leadership, Vautin emphasized his "follow me-type captain" approach, where actions speak louder than words. "The great captains I’ve played under used to do that – you watch them take the ball up 100 miles an hour and think, ‘if he can do it, so can I’," Vautin remarked, confident that this style will bring Fa’asuamaleaui continued success and positions him as a prime candidate to succeed Daly Cherry-Evans as Maroons captain.

Beyond Fa’asuamaleaui, Vautin also shared insights on other players, such as Lindsay Collins. Despite Collins having limited game time since early April due to a knee injury, Vautin believes Maroons coach Billy Slater might consider starting him over Mo Fotuaika. "Last year, they left Collins on the bench, and I thought that was a mistake because Collins is a dude – like Tino – who goes, ‘I’m the alpha male, you follow me’," Vautin said, also predicting Collins "will score a try" in the series because "he loves Origin."

Current Queensland captain Daly Cherry-Evans concurred with Vautin’s assessment of Fa’asuamaleaui’s importance. "A lot of games are won and lost through the middle of the field, so if you’ve got someone like Tino out there who’s going to lay a platform both with and without the ball, they’re always going to be a better side," Cherry-Evans stated. He further affirmed Fa’asuamaleaui's leadership qualities, saying, "He’s a leader, people follow Tino."

Paul Vautin is also bringing his unique commentary style to fans through a new app called “Fatty Says.” This app will feature AI-generated commentary in Vautin's voice, using his signature sayings from 25 to 30 years ago, covering the entire Origin game. "During Origin, if it gets boring and they want to spice up their Origin a bit, you can get the app and listen to my commentary," Vautin explained. The app includes a Q&A feature, “FATGPT,” allowing users to ask Vautin questions, from his best teammates to marriage advice, unlocked by providing proof of purchase of a carton of XXXX.

The buzz around State of Origin 2025 is further amplified by other NRL personalities. Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler are featured in their show "Freddy & the Eighth," which includes an emotional return to Suncorp Stadium. The show, also joined by Ben Ikin and Danny Buderus (who shares humorous stories about Joey), revisits historical moments like "30 years on from Fatty’s Neville Nobody’s" and offers a comprehensive preview of Game 1 of the 2025 State of Origin series, highlighting the widespread anticipation for the contest.