Australia Manly player Fainu to be released on bail

© AAP Manly NRL player Manase Fainu. Manly NRL player Manase Fainu will be released from jail despite a court hearing he went dangerously close to killing a man in an alleged knife attack at a church dance.

Fainu is expected to return to Sea Eagles training in the coming weeks after he was released on strict bail conditions on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old will return to court next month as he faces several charges, including recklessly cause grievous bodily harm in company, relating to an alleged attack in Sydney's west last month.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Rothman said the 24-year-old victim was "millimetres" away from being killed and said of the charges that "it's as close to murder as you can get".

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A NSW school principal who has been accused of sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl has been released from custody on strict conditions.Police arrested the man, aged in his 40s, at a home in the Illawarra region at 4:45pm on Sunday, following an investigation by detectives from the State Crime Command's Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad.

Manly NRL hooker Manase Fainu has been charged over an alleged stabbing on Friday night. Fainu is the fourth player to be stood down under the rule, meaning he can still train if he is released on bail but is unable to play until court proceedings are complete.

Manly Sea Eagles hooker Manase Fainu has been charged by police after an alleged stabbing outside a church in Sydney’s south west. The 21-year-old handed himself into Liverpool Police Station on Tuesday morning and was later denied bail , following an incident at a dance festival on Friday night.

However, he released Fainu into home detention and on the condition he not leave his house without his parents.

He will be allowed to attend Sea Eagles training, medical and legal appointments.

He is also not allowed to consume alcohol or drugs, contact any witnesses and must report daily to Fairfield Police Station.

Fainu has pleaded not guilty to all charges and was supported in court by Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler, teammates Addin Fonua-Blake, Moses Suli, Jorge Taufua, former teammate Api Koroisau and a large contingent of family members.

Manly football manager John Bonasares said Fainu, who underwent a shoulder operation three weeks prior to the alleged incident, would return to training in the next week or so to continue his rehabilitation.

Manase Fainu: Manly hooker granted bail after alleged stabbing incident

Manly hooker Manase Fainu has been granted bail following an alleged stabbing incident last month. The 21-year-old has been locked up for more than a fortnight but was on Tuesday successful in his bail hearing at the NSW Supreme Court.Several members of the Sea Eagles joined Fainu's family in attendance, with coach Des Hasler in the front row, having visited Fainu in jail last week.Manly prop Addin Fonua-Blake even shared a picture from the court room to his Instagram story.

Manly hooker Manase Fainu has been stood down by the NRL after being charged over an alleged stabbing during a brawl at a Mormon church function. Fainu is the fourth player to be stood down under the rule, meaning he can still train if he is released on bail but is unable to play until court

Manly hooker Manase Fainu has been stood down by the NRL after being charged over an alleged stabbing during a brawl at a Mormon church function. Fainu is the fourth player to be stood down under the rule, meaning he can still train if he is released on bail but is unable to play until court

He has been stood down under the NRL's "no fault" rule, but can continue to train with the club.

"His family have maintained constant contact, and a lot of his friends," Bonasares said outside court.

"He's in reasonably good spirits considering the circumstances.

"We'll decide (when he returns to training) over the next few days. Get him back with his family and get him back into a normal routine is probably more important than football at the minute.

"We'll continue to work with him in his rehab but it will probably start next week sometime."

Crown prosecutors opposed Fainu's bail application, telling the court they had three witnesses who allegedly saw him stab the man in the back at the Mormon church dance at Wattle Grove on October 25.

The court heard Fainu allegedly scaled a wall before the stabbing took place, was seen collecting an arm sling from the ground and climbed the wall again on the way out.

The victim was taken to hospital with a punctured lung.

Fainu will next appear in court on December 16.

Justice Rothman said Fainu was a risk to the community given the seriousness of the charge but did not believe he was a risk of reoffending with strict bail conditions.