Dene Halatau (born 27 January 1983) is a New Zealand former professional
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
footballer who previously played for the
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional Rugby league, rugby league football team, based in the Inner West and South West Sydney. They have competed in the National Rugby League since being formed at the end of the 1999 NRL season as a j ...
and the
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the NRL Telstra Premiership, as well as competitions facilita ...
of the
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
. Halatau was part of the Wests Tigers team that won the
2005 NRL Premiership. Halatau is
New Zealand national representative who was part of their
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since its inauguration in 1954, and the first since the 2000 tournament. The tournament was held in Australia from 26 October, culminating in the final b ...
winning squad.
Early years
Born in
Invercargill, New Zealand
Invercargill ( , mi, Waihōpai is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. The city lies in the heart of the wide expanse of t ...
, Halatau moved to Australia as a 4-year-old and played his junior rugby league for the Merrylands Rams and North Ryde Hawks before being signed by the Wests Tigers. Halatau was educated at
Westfields Sports High School
, motto_translation = Courage and Valour
, established =
, location = 406A Hamilton Road, Fairfield West, Western Sydney, New South Wales
, country = Australia
, type = Government-funded co-educational comprehensive a ...
. He is of Niuean descent.
Playing career
2003
In Round 13 of the
2003 NRL season
The 2003 NRL premiership was the 96th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the sixth run by the National Rugby League. Fifteen teams competed, with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles returning in place of their failed joint ...
, Halatau made his
NRL
The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
debut for the
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional Rugby league, rugby league football team, based in the Inner West and South West Sydney. They have competed in the National Rugby League since being formed at the end of the 1999 NRL season as a j ...
against the
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
at
Leichhardt Oval
Leichhardt Oval is a rugby league and soccer stadium in Lilyfield, New South Wales, Australia. It is currently one of three home grounds for the Wests Tigers National Rugby League (NRL) team, along with Campbelltown Stadium and Western Sydney S ...
off the interchange bench in the Tigers 38–30 loss. In Halatau's third match in Round 18 against the
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby league ...
at Leichhardt Oval, he scored his first and second tries in the 44–12 win. He finished his debut year in the NRL with him playing in 9 matches and scoring 3 tries.
![Dene Halatau](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Dene_Halatau.jpg)
2004
Halatau finished the
year
A year or annus is the orbital period of a planetary body, for example, the Earth, moving in its orbit around the Sun. Due to the Earth's axial tilt, the course of a year sees the passing of the seasons, marked by change in weather, the hou ...
with 22 matches and 4 tries. In November, he was selected for the
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team (Māori: Tīma rīki motu Aotearoa) has represented New Zealand in rugby league since 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of ...
making his test debut at against
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in the 24–20 win at
Stade d'Albert Domec. He later said, "I made my debut, had to learn the haka and was pretty nervous. I roomed with
Wairangi Koopu
Dane Wairangi Manurea Koopu (born 2 April 1980) is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played for the New Zealand Warriors and the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League. Koopu primarily played in the , and as a ...
from the Warriors and he taught me in France. His advice was don't worry about the mistakes, just do it with pride and passion. As long as you do that the mistakes don't matter."
2005
Halatau played off the interchange bench for New Zealand in the 2005 ANZAC Test at
Suncorp Stadium
Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, by the sponsored name Suncorp Stadium, and nicknamed: 'The Cauldron', is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility co ...
, as the Kiwis lost 32–16. Halatau said, "I've grown up going to Australian schools and most of my friends are Aussies, but I've always held my New Zealand passport and I've never got Australian citizenship. I don't know why, but other than my immediate family, all of my other relatives live in New Zealand."
Later in the season Halatau was moved from the interchange bench to forward for the finals campaign. Halatau was awarded the Man of the Match for his two try effort against
St George Illawarra Dragons
The St. George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint- ...
in the Preliminary Final 20–12 victory and a week later in the
2005 NRL Grand Final, he played at lock in the Wests Tigers 30–16 win over the
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest town in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL).
Sinc ...
. Halatau finished the
year
A year or annus is the orbital period of a planetary body, for example, the Earth, moving in its orbit around the Sun. Due to the Earth's axial tilt, the course of a year sees the passing of the seasons, marked by change in weather, the hou ...
with 4 tries from 22 matches.
2006
Playing in 14 NRL matches in
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, Halatau also played 3 matches at hooker for New Zealand in the
Tri-Nations.
2007
Halatau was selected to play for New Zealand at hooker in the 2007
ANZAC Test in the Kiwis 30–6 loss at
Suncorp Stadium
Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, by the sponsored name Suncorp Stadium, and nicknamed: 'The Cauldron', is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility co ...
. Halatau finished
2007 with one try from 21 matches. He also went on the
2007 All Golds tour The 2007 All Golds Tour was a tour by the New Zealand national rugby league team, the Kiwis, of Great Britain and France. Conducted as part of the celebrations of a century of rugby league in New Zealand, it was a re-creation of the original New Ze ...
, playing at hooker in all the 5 matches.
2008
In Round 15 against the
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite com ...
at Suncorp Stadium, Halatau played his 100th NRL career match and scored a try in the Tigers 19–18 loss. Halatau finished the
2008 NRL season
The 2008 NRL season was the 101st season of professional rugby league club competition in Australia, and the eleventh run by the National Rugby League. For the second year, National Rugby League teams, sixteen teams competed for the 2008 Telstr ...
with him playing in 22 matches and scoring three tries.
Halatau was a member of the
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
team which defeated Australia 34–20 in the
2008 World Cup Final at Suncorp Stadium.
2009
Halatau played in the 2009 ANZAC Test at Suncorp Stadium in the Kiwis 38–10 loss. He finished the
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
with 18 matches and 2 tries.
Halatau signed a three-year deal with the
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the NRL Telstra Premiership, as well as competitions facilita ...
commencing in 2010. He said, "I just needed a change. I'd been at the Tigers since I was a teenager and played under
Tim Sheens
Tim Sheens (born 30 October 1950) is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. Head Coach of the Australia national team between 2009 and 2015, he has also been the head coach of National Rugby League (NRL) clubs ...
for a while. I was comfortable and but '09 I was inconsistent and didn't think I was in a good place."
2010
In Round 3 against the
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby league, Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won ...
at
ANZ Stadium
ANZ may refer to:
People
* Anz (musician), a British DJ and electronic musician
Banks
* ANZ (bank), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, the fourth-largest bank in Australia
** ANZ Bank New Zealand, the largest bank in New Zealand
...
, Halatau made his club debut for Canterbury-Bankstown in the 60–14 win. Halatau played in eight matches for Canterbury-Bankstown in an injury interrupted
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
. He later conceded, "When I moved to the Bulldogs I tore the MCL in my right knee six times. I had surgery twice and had two repairs done. That was the most frustrating, I almost gave up then and there and almost called it quits."
2011
In Round 23 against the
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby league ...
at
Remondis Stadium
Endeavour Field (also known by its commercial name PointsBet Stadium and colloquially as Shark Park during Cronulla Sharks matches) is a rugby league stadium in the southern Sydney suburb of Woolooware, New South Wales, Australia. It is the ho ...
, Halatau scored his first try as a Canterbury player before succumbing to a season ending ankle injury. He finished the
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
with one try from 19 appearances.
2012
![DENE HALATAU (5483493966)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/DENE_HALATAU_%285483493966%29.jpg)
In 2012, Halatau was playing second-row in the starting team. He injured his knee in round 19 and was unable to return to first grade. Halatau was named 18th man for Canterbury's
2012 NRL Grand Final team against the
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...
with the club losing 14–4. He finished the
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
with him playing 17 matches and scoring a try.
2013
On 28 July, it was announced that Halatau would be returning to his previous club
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional Rugby league, rugby league football team, based in the Inner West and South West Sydney. They have competed in the National Rugby League since being formed at the end of the 1999 NRL season as a j ...
on a two-year contract from 2014. CEO Grant Meyer said, "His experience and leadership as a senior player is going to be invaluable for some of our younger players. We have been very clear that we are investing very heavily in our juniors and a player like Dene will provide leadership and mentoring for the group." Halatau played exclusively from the interchange bench in 2013, but made appearances in all 25 of Canterbury's matches and scored two tries.
2014
After breaking his left ankle in a pre-season trial, Halatau was ruled out for at least four months. He played his return match in Round 14 against the
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen pla ...
off the interchange bench in the Tigers 32–10 loss. In Round 18 against the
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
at
Brookvale Oval
Brookvale Oval (also known by the commercial sponsorship name 4 Pines Park) is a sporting ground located within Brookvale Park at Brookvale, New South Wales, Australia. The ground is owned by Northern Beaches Council and is primarily used by th ...
, Halatau played in his 200th NRL match in the Tigers 40–8 loss. He finished his return year to the
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional Rugby league, rugby league football team, based in the Inner West and South West Sydney. They have competed in the National Rugby League since being formed at the end of the 1999 NRL season as a j ...
with him playing in seven matches.
With the introduction of concussion rules to the NRL in 2014, Halatau saw his value as a utility rise.
Peter Mulholland said, "Every team is going to need someone on the bench who can play half a dozen positions. Dene Halatau is the perfect player- someone who can play 1, 7 or 9"
2015
Better luck with injuries saw Halatau play in 22 matches and score 4 tries in the
2015 NRL season, equaling his best season tally for the Tigers since the 2005 season. Halatau made his debut as captain in Round 11 against the
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest town in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL).
Sinc ...
in the Tigers 8–0 loss at
Campbelltown Stadium
Campbelltown Stadium, formerly Orana Park and Campbelltown Sports Ground, is a multi-use stadium in Leumeah, New South Wales, Australia, owned by Campbelltown City Council. It is the home ground of the Western Suburbs Magpies and the Wests Ti ...
. He captained the team a further 2 times while
Robbie Farah
Robert Peter Farah ( ar, روبي فرح) (born 23 January 1984) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. An Australian international, Lebanese international and captain of New South Wales Blues t ...
and
Aaron Woods
Aaron Woods (born 13 March 1991) is an Australian rugby league forward who plays for the St George Illawarra Dragons in the NRL.
He previously captained Wests Tigers and played for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Cronulla-Sutherland Sha ...
were away on State of Origin duties, including a surprise 34–6 upset victory over the
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen pla ...
in Round 14. In Round 19 against the
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite com ...
, Halatau played his 150th club match for the Tigers in the 42–16 loss at Suncorp Stadium. The Wests Tigers failed to win any of the games Halatau was absent for the season.
At season's end, Halatau signed with the Wests Tigers for a further season. Speaking of his career beyond 2016, Halatau said, "I'm 32 now and I've played longer than I thought I would have played. I feel like I'm still offering a bit to the team. I’m open ended next year, if they want to extend it another year. If they don’t want to and there’s nothing else out there, then I’m prepared to step into life after football."
2016
With
Robbie Farah
Robert Peter Farah ( ar, روبي فرح) (born 23 January 1984) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. An Australian international, Lebanese international and captain of New South Wales Blues t ...
injured, playing State of Origin, and then dropped to reserve grade, Halatau was the first choice as hooker for the majority of the season. On 18 July 2016, Halatau announced he would retire at the end of the year. He said, "I was grateful to the club,
JT and the coaching staff for giving me this year. While I'm still feeling okay I think it's the right time to hang the boots up."
Phil Gould said, "He has always been one of those quiet achievers in our game. A real team man, he has been admired by his peers. They value his toughness and his outstanding work ethic. His tremendous versatility has also been an asset." Halatau finished his last year in the NRL playing in 23 matches for the Tigers.
Post-playing career
Halatau was made an NRL ambassador in 2017.
In 2021 Halatau claimed his first wooden spoon, coming last in the Nuffies NFL fantasy league.
References
External links
2016 Wests Tigers profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Halatau, Dean
1983 births
New Zealand people of Niuean descent
New Zealand emigrants to Australia
New Zealand rugby league players
New Zealand national rugby league team players
Niue national rugby league team players
Wests Tigers players
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs players
Rugby league second-rows
Rugby league locks
Sportspeople from Invercargill
Living people