8 July 2024
Teenage back rower Leka Halasima was called up to make his NRL debut in the One New Zealand Warriors’ 18th-round encounter with the in-form Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs at Accor Stadium in Sydney on Saturday.
The 18-year-olds late promotion into the game-day 19 came as a result of captain Tohu Harris being ruled out indefinitely with a chronic wrist injury.
In 37 minutes of game time, the debutante ran for 108 metres from 7 hit-ups, making 1 line break, 5 tackle breaks, and 9 tackles, falling just short of scoring his first try in the NRL.
Halasima exploded onto the scene as a 17-year-old with the SG Ball Cup (then an under-18 competition) side last year, playing six matches, scoring two tries, averaging 125 metres and making 35 tackle breaks. He was named the club’s SG Ball Cup player of the year.
Such was his potential he was quickly pushed up into the New South Wales Cup team where he played 18 matches, scored six tries, averaged 103 metres and made 56 tackle breaks.
In an injury-disrupted 2024 season he has scored three tries in seven NSW Cup outings, averaged 144 metres and made 34 tackle breaks including an exceptional 13 against the Dragons.
Prior to his journey in the Warriors’ development system Halasima was a Mangere East Hawks and Otahuhu Leopards junior impressing in local Auckland Rugby League competitions and earning representative hnours.
Halasima featured in the 2022 West Auckland team who won the inaugural Dean Bell Cup, the representative age-group competition that was launched by Auckland Rugby League and the New Zealand Warriors with the support of New Zealand Rugby League.
Later in 2022 Halasima was selected for the New Zealand Clubs 18s Boys team for the annual Clubs v Schools national representative fixtures, following a stellar campaign at the National Youth Tournament for the Auckland Vulcans.
Halasima is the fifth local talent from the Warriors’ development system to make an NRL debut in the last two seasons, following second rower Demitric Sifakula (#278), centre Ali Leiataua (#282), back rower Jacob Laban (#286) and prop Zyon Maiu’u (#287).
