Leka Halasima
 Halasima playing for the New Zealand Warriors in the 2023 NSW Cup. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Salumiela Halasima | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 21 September 2005 Tofoa, Tonga | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 100 kg (15 st 10 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Second-row | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: [1] As of 15 August 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Salumiela "Leka" Halasima (born 21 September 2005) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Background
Halasima was born in Tofoa, Tonga in 2005. He was educated at Southern Cross Campus in Auckland, New Zealand. He played junior football for the Māngere East Hawks and the Otahuhu Leopards.[2]
Halasima was also part of the Blues junior pathway in rugby union, being selected for their Under 18's Development Squad in 2022.[3] In January 2022, Halasima played in the Rugby World Sevens with the New Zealand Warriors.[4]
Playing career
Early career
In May 2023, Halasima played for the Warriors SG Ball side, being named Player of the Year.[5] On 18 May 2023, he was signed to a three-year deal with the Warriors.[6]
New Zealand Warriors: 2024–present
On 6 July 2024, in round 18 of the regular season, Halasima made his NRL debut for the Warriors against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at Accor Stadium in a 13–12 loss.[7][8] During the game, Halasima came onto the field as one of the forwards, but due to injuries to other players was forced to play as a centre. He finished the game with 108 run metres and five tackle breaks.
On 8 July 2024, the Warriors announced that they had re-signed Halasima until the end of 2027 and promoted him into the top 30 squad.[9]
In round 4 of 2025, Halasima scored his first career try against the Wests Tigers, running 70 metres and beating three defenders to score in the 69th minute.[10] His try allowed Luke Metcalf to kick a conversion to tie the match 24–24, before shortly afterwards kicking a successful penalty goal to win the match.[11][12]
On 21 May 2025, the Warriors announced that Halasima had re-signed with the club until the end of the 2029 season, alongside 21-year-old Jacob Laban.[13][14]
In round 20, Halasima scored the match-winning try for the Warriors in a 20–15 win against the Newcastle Knights. Tanah Boyd attempted a field goal but was charged down — Halasima then picked up the ball and ran 45 metres to score, earning the win for the Warriors.[15][2][16]
Statistics
As of 1 August 2025.[1]
NRL
| Season | Team | Matches | Tries | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 |  New Zealand Warriors
|
4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 19 | 10 | 40 | |
| Career totals | 23 | 10 | 40 | |
Honours
Individual
- New Zealand Warriors S. G. Ball Cup Team Player of the Year: 2023.[2]
References
- ^ a b "Selumiela 'Leka' Halasima". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ a b c Voerman, Andrew (21 July 2025). "Warriors' match-winner Leka Halasima 'rolls out of bed and does special stuff in the NRL'". Stuff. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ "Blues U18 Development Squad". Blues (Super Rugby). 14 September 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ "Warriors switch codes to play World Schools Sevens". Warriors. 20 January 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ "Halasima crowned SG Ball Cup player of the year". Warriors. 2 May 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ "Several players signed for club's pathways rosters". Warriors. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ "Confirmed Lineup: Halasima called up for debut". Warriors. 6 July 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ Uhila, Carmel (8 July 2024). "South Auckland Product Leka Halasima Makes NRL Debut - New Zealand Rugby League". Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ Chalk, Ethan Lee (7 July 2024). "New Zealand Warriors extend contract of local talent". Zero Tackle. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ Voerman, Andrew (30 March 2025). "Teenager Leka Halasima's 70m solo try lifts Warriors to win over Wests Tigers". Stuff. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ "What we learnt from another late Warriors victory over Wests Tigers". RNZ. 31 March 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ Tiernan, Eamonn (30 March 2025). "Tigers' last-second howler stuns Benji as Warriors win cliffhanger after long-range penalty at death". Fox Sports (Australia). Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ "Young guns Halasima and Laban signed until 2029". Warriors. 20 May 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ Francis, Ben (21 May 2025). "Warriors re-sign Leka Halasima, Jacob Laban on long-term deals". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ "'Leka Magic' saves Warriors with miracle last-second try to beat Knights". ABC News. 20 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ "Did the Warriors produce their most dramatic NRL victory against Knights?". Stuff. 21 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
External links