Viliami Vailea 2023 crop.png

Player Viliami Vailea

Date of Birth
Nov 17, 2002
Birth Location
Vaini, Tongatapu, Tonga
Nationality
  1. 🇹🇴 Tonga
Height (cm)
185 cm
Weight (kg)
98 kg
Position/s
  1. Centre
Warrior #
264
Warriors Debut Date
Jul 30, 2021
Warriors Debut Details
July 30 2021, Round 20 vs Wests Tigers at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Warriors Years Active
  1. 2021
  2. 2022
  3. 2023
Signed To
North Queensland Cowboys
Signed From
Aorere College RU
Current Club
North Queensland Cowboys
Status
Active
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viliami_Vailea
Rugby League Project
https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/viliami-vailea/summary.html
NameViliami Vailea
Born17 November 2002 (Vaini, Tonga)
Height185cm
Weight98kg
PositionCentre, Winger
Warriors Player Number#264
Warriors DebutRound 20 vs. Wests Tigers, 30 July 2021
Warriors Career2021-
Representative-
Junior ClubAorere College (Rugby Union)

Viliami Vailea (born 17 November 2002) is a Tongan professional rugby league footballer who plays as a centre for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL).

In round 20 of the 2021 NRL season, Vailea made his debut for the Warriors against the Wests Tigers at Suncorp Stadium in a 18–16 win.

He made a total of ten appearances for the New Zealand Warriors in the 2022 NRL season as they finished 15th on the table.


Viliami couldn't help but capture attention with his deeds for Aorere College in Auckland's highly-regarded First XV rugby union competition. Rated among New Zealand's best players at secondary school level, he won his school's top individual sporting award.

Signed by the Vodafone Warriors, he not only played First XV rugby union for Aorere College last year but he also featured for the Vodafone Warriors in the New South Wales Rugby League's S G Ball Cup (under-18). While the club's debut in the renowned S G Ball was cut short by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Vailea made three appearances, scoring two tries.

He joined the Vodafone Warriors' NRL squad for preseason training last November and was among the club's promising young players taken to Australia with the wider squad in the New Year to prepare for the 2021 season.

Viliami joined the squad's non-playing first graders and other players appearing for feeder club Redcliffe in the Queensland Rugby League's Intrust Super Cup. The competition was disrupted by another Covid outbreak in July but up to that point Viliami had impressed, scoring six tries in eight games, averaging 104 metres a game and making 30 tackle breaks and five line breaks.

He was initially named as 18th man for the Vodafone Warriors' 20th-round NRL contest against the Wests Tigers but was elevated to the game day squad at right centre to become Warrior #264.



Screenshot 2023-10-17 7.25.04 AM.png
Screenshot from the official Warriors site of Viliami Vailea bio as of 17/10/2023...
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Vailea leaving One New Zealand Warriors at end of season​

Richard Becht & photosport.nz
Wed 26 Jul 2023, 12:00 PM

Centre Viliami Vailea will leave the One New Zealand Warriors at the end of the 2023 season to continue his career with another NRL club.
The 20-year-old has played five times for the NRL side so far this season to lift his career tally to 17 appearances since his debut in 2021.

“It was an extremely difficult decision to release Vili,” said One New Zealand Warriors general manager recruitment, development and pathways Andrew McFadden.

“We really appreciate his contribution in his time with our club and wish him all the best with his move but first he has a job to do for us for the rest of this season.”

Signed by the One New Zealand Warriors from a rugby union background, Vailea played for the club in the SG Ball Cup (under-18) in 2020 before going on make his NRL debut against the Wests Tigers in round 20 in 2021.

 

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