Iosia Soliola

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Iosia Soliola
Soliola playing for New Zealand in 2008
Personal information
Full name Iasa Losia Soliola[1]
Nickname Sia
Born (1986-08-04) 4 August 1986
Auckland, New Zealand
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 107 kg (16 st 12 lb) [2]
Playing information
Position Centre, Second-row
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2005–2009 Sydney Roosters 92 22 0 0 88
2010– St. Helens 85 21 0 0 84
Total 177 43 0 0 172
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2006–2009 New Zealand 11 5 0 0 20
2011–2013 Exiles 4 0 0 0 0
2013 Samoa 4 0 0 0 0
As of 17 June 2013
Source: NRL Stats

Iosia Soliola (born 4 August 1986) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer for the St. Helens club of Super League. A New Zealand international representative three-quarter back, he previously played for the Sydney Roosters of Australasia's National Rugby League and has also gained selection for Super League's Exiles rugby league team.

Background

Of Samoan descent,[3]After making his debut in Jersey Flegg, Soliola moved onto Premier League in which he won a premiership with the Roosters in 2004.

Professional playing career

2000s

In 2005, Soliola made his NRL debut for the Roosters against South Sydney and went on to play 19 games for the club that season, crossing the line 6 times and making more tackles than any other centre in the game that year with 19.7 per game.[citation needed] He was chosen to make his international debut at the age of 19 for New Zealand in the Tri-nations series of 2005, however was forced to pull out due to injury.

Iosia Soliola with the Sydney Roosters
Soliola then went on to represent New Zealand in the 2006 Tri-nations tournament. In 5 games, Soliola scored 4 tries including a double against the Australians at the Telstra Dome in Melbourne.

Soliola was selected to play for the New Zealand national team at centre in the 2007 ANZAC Test loss against Australia.[4] He was dropped to premier league in the middle of the 2007 season before returning to first grade in round 14 and regained his form before he badly injured his knee in round 22 against the Wests Tigers. He missed the rest of the 2007 season.

Soliola returned from his lengthy spell on the sidelines in the off season to come off the bench in the Roosters' opening centenary clash against South Sydney in round 1. He also represented the Kiwis in the 100 year centenary test match where he scored one try.

In August, 2008 Soliola was named in the New Zealand training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup,[5] and in September, 2008 he was selected in the final 24-man New Zealand.[6] He was forced to withdraw from the squad due to a shoulder injury.[7]

The Sydney Roosters confirmed that Soliola had signed a three-year deal to play with English Super League club St. Helens midway through the 2009 NRL Season. Soliola played his last match for the tri colours against the North Queensland Cowboys, ending his 6 year stint with the famous club. Soliola also represented the Kiwis in the 2009 Four Nations tournament.

2010s

Soliola officially made his debut for St. Helens in 2010 making the 2010 engage super league championship final.

Iosia Soliola was selected for the Exiles squad for the inaugural Rugby League International Origin Match against England.

In the 2011 game Soliola was supposed to play in the 2nd Row alongside Willie Manu, but due to the birth of Warrington Wolves's Matt King's baby, Soliola was moved by coach Brian McLennan to the centre.

New Exiles coach Daniel Anderson selected Soliola at centre for Game 1 of the International Origin. However he was moved into the loose forward role for Game 2 in which the Exiles won 32-20.

He will captain Samoa in the 2013 World Cup.

References

  1. ↑ SOLIOLA, IASA LOSIA 2006 - 2009 - KIWI #729 nzleague.co.nz
  2. ↑ "Meet the Teams First Team Players". web page. Saints RFC. 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2011. 
  3. ↑ http://www.eventpolynesia.com/news&info/nz/galleryarchive/NZ2_page_gal26nov06.htm
  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. ↑ "Kiwis to wait on Webb and Matai". BBC. 2008-10-07. Retrieved 2008-10-07. 
  7. ↑ "New Zealand hit by Soliola injury". BBC. 2008-10-21. Retrieved 2008-10-22. 
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