Viliami Vailea
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Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Viliami Vailea | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 17 November 2002 Vaini, Tonga | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 98 kg (15 st 6 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby league | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby union | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre, Wing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] As of 28 September 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Viliami Vailea (born 17 November 2002)[2] is a Tongan professional rugby league footballer who previously played as a centre for the North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League (NRL). He is currently signed with Hanazono Kintetsu Liners.
Background
[edit]Before turning to rugby league, Vailea was a prominent rugby union player at Aorere College.
Playing career
[edit]2021
[edit]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.[3]
2022
[edit]He made a total of ten appearances for the New Zealand Warriors in the 2022 NRL season as they finished 15th on the table.[4]
2023
[edit]Vailea signed a two-year contract with the North Queensland Cowboys.[5]
2024
[edit]In round 9 of the 2024 NRL season, Vailea made his debut for the North Queensland Cowboys against the Dolphins (NRL) at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in a 26-28 loss.[6]
He scored his first North Queensland Cowboys try in round 11 of the 2024 NRL season in round 11 in a 22-28 win against the South Sydney Rabbitohs during Magic Round at Suncorp Stadium.
2025
[edit]On 4 June, the Cowboys announced that Vailea and Zac Laybutt had re-signed with the club until the end of 2027.[7]
Statistics
[edit]| Year | Team | Games | Tries | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 |  New Zealand Warriors |
2 | ||
| 2022 | 10 | 7 | 28 | |
| 2023 | 5 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2024 |  North Queensland Cowboys |
18 | 2 | 8 |
| 2025 | 14 | 2 | 8 | |
| 2026 | ||||
| Totals | 49 | 12 | 48 |
References
[edit]- ↑ Rugby League Project
- ↑ "Viliami Vailea". Warriors. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ↑ "Big four back to face Sharks". Warriors. 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ↑ "Warriors farewell 15 players after return to New Zealand". www.foxsports.com.au.
- ↑ "Cowboys sign Vailea". North Queensland Cowboys. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ↑ "Cowboys v Dolphins". National Rugby League. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ↑ "Cowboys re-sign Vailea and Laybutt". North Queensland Cowboys. 4 June 2025. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
External links
[edit] | This Tongan rugby league football biography is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
- 2002 births
- Living people
- 21st-century Tongan sportsmen
- Mackay Cutters players
- New Zealand Warriors players
- North Queensland Cowboys players
- Redcliffe Dolphins players
- Rugby league centres
- Rugby league players from Tongatapu
- Tongan rugby league players
- Townsville Blackhawks players
- Tongan sportspeople stubs
- Oceanian rugby league biography stubs