Esikeli Tonga (born 5 February 1988) is a former
Tonga international
rugby league footballer who last previously played for the
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the
National Rugby League. A
Tongan international representative
three-quarter or second-rower, he is the younger brother of
Parramatta Eels centre
Willie Tonga.
Background
Tonga was born in
Dubbo, New South Wales,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. He is of both
Australian Aboriginal and
Tongan descent.
In 2005 Tonga graduated from
Marsden State High School in
Logan City.
Playing career
Tonga made his first grade debut for the Gold Coast against
Cronulla-Sutherland in round 12 of 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 ...
at
Shark Park. In August 2008, Tonga was named in the
Tonga training squad for the
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 ...
,
and in October 2008 he was named in the final 24-man
Tonga squad.
In the
2009 NRL season
The 2009 NRL season was the 102nd season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the twelfth run by the National Rugby League. For the third consecutive year, sixteen teams competed for the 2009 Telstra Premiership ...
, Tonga played 16 games as the Gold Coast reached the finals for the first time but Tonga missed out through injury. Tonga missed the entire
2010 NRL season
The 2010 NRL season was the 103rd season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the thirteenth run by the National Rugby League. The season commenced on 12 March and ended with the Grand Final, played on 3 Octobe ...
but returned in 2011. Tonga played 12 games for the Gold Coast in 2011 as the club finished last and claimed the wooden spoon.
In the
2012 NRL season
The 2012 NRL season was the 105th season of professional rugby league club competition in Australia, and the first run by the newly formed Australian Rugby League Commission. The main competition, called the 2012 NRL Telstra Premiership due to spon ...
, Tonga joined Parramatta. Tonga only managed to make three appearances for the club as they finished last on the table for the first time since 1972 and claimed the wooden spoon.
In 2013, Tonga joined Manly-Warringah but only made one appearance for the club before being released.
References
External links
Gold Coast Titans profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tonga, Esi
1988 births
Living people
Australian rugby league players
Indigenous Australian rugby league players
Australian sportspeople of Tongan descent
Tonga national rugby league team players
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles players
Parramatta Eels players
Gold Coast Titans players
Wentworthville Magpies players
Rugby league centres
Rugby league players from Dubbo
Rugby league players from Logan, Queensland