Teenaged second rower Leka Halasima will make his first appearance of the season in the One New Zealand Warriors’ sixth-round New South Wales Cup match against the Sea Eagles at Go Media Stadium tomorrow (2.40pm kick-off).
Still only 18, the Tonga-born Southern Cross Campus product is one of the club’s most exciting young players, underlining his quality when he was named the One New Zealand Warriors’ 2023 SG Ball Cup player of the year.
Then 17 he played six games for the under-19 side but also made the step up to the New South Wales Cup, making 18 appearances as the Warriors went within one win of reaching the grand final.
He was forced to sit out the opening five rounds of the 2024 campaign after picking up an ankle injury in February but now returns a week ahead of schedule to partner another teenager – Eddie Ieremia (19) – in the second row.
Ieremia has played all five matches this season; he was the standout defensive player in last Saturday’s loss to South Sydney, making a game-high 42 tackles without a miss.
Match: Warriors v Sea Eagles
Round 6 -
home Team
Warriors
away Team
Sea Eagles
Team Lists
Backs
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Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Taine TuaupikiFullback for Sea Eagles is number 1 Lehi Hopoate
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Winger for Warriors is number 2 Setu TuWinger for Sea Eagles is number 2 Watson Heleta
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Centre for Warriors is number 3 Moala Graham-TaufaCentre for Sea Eagles is number 3 Clayton Faulalo
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Centre for Warriors is number 4 Ali LeiatauaCentre for Sea Eagles is number 19 Bailey Hodgson
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Winger for Warriors is number 5 Edward KosiWinger for Sea Eagles is number 20 Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega
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Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Ben FarrFive-Eighth for Sea Eagles is number 6 Jake Arthur
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Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Paul RoacheHalfback for Sea Eagles is number 7 Brandon Wakeham
Forwards
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Prop for Warriors is number 8 Zyon Maiu'uProp for Sea Eagles is number 8 Aitasi James
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Hooker for Warriors is number 9 Jacob David Jnr AuloaHooker for Sea Eagles is number 16 Gordon Chan Kum Tong
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Prop for Warriors is number 10 Tanner Stowers-SmithProp for Sea Eagles is number 10 Austin Dias
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2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Eddie Ieremia-Toeava2nd Row for Sea Eagles is number 12 Ben Condon
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2nd Row for Warriors is number 12 Leka Halasima2nd Row for Sea Eagles is number 21 Brad Parker
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Lock for Warriors is number 13 Kalani GoingLock for Sea Eagles is number 11 Jacob Sykes
Interchange
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Interchange for Warriors is number 14 Geronimo DoyleInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 9 Jamie Humphreys
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Interchange for Warriors is number 15 Harry DurbinInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 14 Kobe Rugless
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Interchange for Warriors is number 16 Toni TupouniuaInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 15 Kayne Kalache
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Interchange for Warriors is number 18 Kayliss FatialofaInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 22 James Uesele
Reserves
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Replacement for Warriors is number 20 Quinnlan TupouReplacement for Sea Eagles is number 18 Brad Abbey
Last updated:
The accent is very much on youth and the club’s future again this week with the One New Zealand Warriors fielding a number of their younger set.
As well as Halasima and Ieremia, the Warriors’ SG Ball Cup (under-19) captains are also in the frame, hooker Jaydee Auloa (19) named to start at hooker and second rower Kayliss Fatialofa (19) included on the bench.
Props Zyon Maiu’u and Tanner Stowers-Smith – both 20 – are again named meaning captain Kalani Going (27) is the only player in the starting pack who is older than 20.
NSW Cup Highlights: Comeback falls short
The Warriors and Sea Eagles take identical starts into the contest, both with two wins and three losses so far.
Both teams also lost by the same score – 20-26 – last weekend, the Warriors falling to the fifth-placed 2023 premiership-winning Rabbitohs and the Sea Eagles to competition leaders the Penrith Panthers.
