Roy Asotasi

Roy Asotasi
Asotasi in 2012
Personal information
Born (1982-01-06) 6 January 1982[1]
Auckland, New Zealand
Height 181 cm (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Weight 108 kg (17 st 0 lb)[1]
Playing information
Position Prop
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2002–06 Canterbury Bulldogs 84 8 0 0 32
2007–13 South Sydney 133 12 0 0 48
2014–15 Warrington Wolves 58 5 1 0 22
Total 275 25 1 0 102
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2004–09 New Zealand 24 0 0 0 0
2013 Samoa 1 0 0 0 0
As of 24 September 2015
Source: LP Love Rugby League

Roy Asotasi (born 6 January 1982 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a professional rugby league footballer for the Warrington Wolves of the Super League. A New Zealand international representative and also Samoan prop forward and he previously played for the Bulldogs, with whom he won the 2004 NRL Premiership and the South Sydney Rabbitohs from 2007 to 2013.

Background

Of Samoan descent,[2] Asotasi was a product of the Marist Saints junior club in Auckland. He attended Marcellin College, Auckland.[3]

Professional playing career

Bulldogs

Asotasi joined Sydney NRL club, the Bulldogs club in 2000 as a prop forward where he was a regular member of their Jersey Flegg Cup team, playing in the Premiership-winning team against the Western Suburbs Magpies. In 2001 he was again a regular member of the Jersey Flegg Cup team and played in the Premiership-winning team against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks as a second rower.

By 2002 Asotasi became a regular member of the Bulldogs' Premier League team and received the opportunity to join the highest grade of Rugby League in Australia, the NRL against Canberra, when Glen Hughes was injured. He returned to the Premier League to play in the Preliminary Final against Penrith Panthers but was injured and missed the Grand Final win.

In 2004 Asotasi started the season in the NRL premiership and played every game of the season including the 2004 NRL grand final victory over cross-town rivals, the Roosters. In that same year he was also selected to play for New Zealand. He has played 14 Tests for New Zealand from 2004 to 2006.

As 2004 NRL premiers, the Bulldogs faced Super League IX champions, the Leeds Rhinos in the 2005 World Club Challenge. Asotasi played at prop forward in the Bulldogs' 32-39 loss. In 2005 Asotasi played every match of the season before his sequence of 74 consecutive games was interrupted in 2006. He was injured just before the finals but returned to play in the Preliminary Final against Brisbane.

Rabbitohs

Asotasi with Jason Taylor

Foundation club, South Sydney Rabbitohs signed Roy Asotasi for the start of the 2007 NRL season. He was selected to captain the New Zealand national team at prop forward in the 2007 ANZAC Test loss against Australia.[4] With Souths he played a major part in helping the club to its first finals appearance in over 2 decades by finishing in seventh position. That year Asotasi was awarded the George Piggins Medal as the club's best and fairest player for the season. Asotasi was named the New Zealand national side captain, as of the 2008 Anzac Test Match. He was named in the New Zealand training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.[5] However, in the Round 25 clash against the Sydney Roosters, Roy Asotasi picked up a pectoral injury and was sidelined for the remainder of the season and subsequently, took no part in New Zealand's Rugby League World Cup success. A pectoral injury also interrupted Asotasi's 2012 season.

In April 2013, Asotasi captained Samoa in their test match against fierce pacific rivals Tonga.

Warrington Wolves

On the 2nd of July 2013, Roy signed a two-year contract to play for the English Super League club Warrington Wolves. His contract begins in 2014.[6]

On the 20th of August 2015, Tony Smith, coach of Warrington confirmed that he'd be releasing Asotasi for the 2016 season as he wants space to sign one more player to the team next season.[7] Asotasi finished his Warrington career with 58 appearances, 5 tries and one goal.

Highlights

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Roy Asotasi". http://warringtonwolves.com. Warrington Wolves. 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  2. http://www.ciherald.co.ck/articles/h432f.htm
  3. Jessup, Peter (Sep 25, 2004). "League Kiwi flavour to NRL showdown". NZ Herald. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  4. "Anzac Test Match 2007". rugbyleagueproject.org. Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson and Bill Bates. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  5. "Kiwis select Sonny Bill". Sky Sports. 2008-08-08. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
  6. "Roy Asotasi: Warrington Wolves sign ex-New Zealand skipper". BBC Sport. 2013-07-02. Retrieved 2015-09-23.
  7. "Tony Smith says Warrington Wolves to sign one more, but Roy Asotasi heading back to Australia". Warrington Guardian. 2015-08-20. Retrieved 2015-09-23.

External links

Preceded by
Ruben Wiki
New Zealand national rugby league team captain
2007-2008
Succeeded by
Nathan Cayless
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