Toshio Laiseni (born 19 June 1985) is a Tongan former professional
rugby league footballer who played as or er.
Early career
Laiseni was born in
Nukuʻalofa, Tonga.
Laiseni started his football at the
Otahuhu Leopards before being selected to represent the
Otahuhu-Ellerslie Leopards in the
Bartercard Cup
The Bartercard Cup (successor of the Lion Red Cup) was the top level rugby league club competition in New Zealand from 2000 until 2007. For the entire life of the tournament it was sponsored by Bartercard. The cup was administered by the New Zeala ...
. From this competition he was signed by the
New Zealand Warriors although he did not play any NRL matches for the club.
Playing career
2006
Laiseni made his first-grade debut for the
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in round 18 of the 2006 NRL season on 9 July 2006 at Toyota Park against the
Wests Tigers. On his debut, Laiseni played a part in his side's first and only try of the game, making a break and setting up
Kevin Kingston to score between the posts. Despite Cronulla losing the match 22-10, Laiseni made a solid beginning to his professional rugby league career.
2007
Laiseni signed with the North Queensland Cowboys for the 2007 season, playing mostly for the Young Guns in the
Queensland Cup.
2008
In 2008 he played for
Newtown in the
NSW Cup.
In August 2008, Laiseni 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.
Later years
In 2009 Laiseni returned to New Zealand and played for the
Papakura Sea Eagles in the
2009 Fox Memorial
The 2009 Auckland Rugby League season was the 2009 season of senior rugby league in Auckland. The Auckland Rugby League ran the various competitions. The season commenced on 14 March with the start of the Phelan Shield and ended on 5 September wit ...
. He again represented
Tonga in a Test against the
New Zealand national rugby league team. In 2010 he was part of the
Auckland Vulcans squad in the
NSW Cup. He later returned to play for his junior club, the
Ellerslie Eagles.
References
External links
Official player profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laiseni, Toshio
1985 births
New Zealand rugby league players
Tonga national rugby league team players
Tongan rugby league players
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks players
Newtown Jets NSW Cup players
Auckland rugby league team players
Otahuhu Leopards players
Papakura Sea Eagles players
Rugby league fullbacks
Tongan emigrants to New Zealand
People from Nukuʻalofa
Sportspeople from Tongatapu
Living people
Ellerslie Eagles players