Auckland, NZ – Tonga international Leka Halasima produced one of the standout performances of the NRL semifinal, scoring both of the Warriors’ tries, but his heroics were not enough as Newcastle Knights escaped Eden Park with a dramatic 12-10 victory.
The defeat ended the Warriors’ 2026 premiership campaign in front of a record 48,511 spectators, but the 20-year-old Tongan-born forward emerged as one of the home side’s best performers — and was himself at the centre of a contentious refereeing decision in the dying moments.
Halasima was born in Tofoa, Tonga, on 21 September 2005, before growing up and completing his schooling in South Auckland. He came through the Māngere East Hawks and Ōtāhuhu Leopards junior systems before progressing through the Warriors development programme.
He made his NRL debut for the Warriors against Canterbury-Bankstown in July 2024 and has since established himself as one of the club’s brightest young talents.
Halasima also chose to represent Tonga internationally, despite being eligible for New Zealand, and was called into the Mate Maʻa Tonga squad for the 2025 Pacific Championships following his breakout Warriors season.
Two tries keep Warriors alive
Against Newcastle on Sunday, Halasima opened the scoring in the 13th minute, powering through three defenders after receiving the ball from Chanel Harris-Tavita.
Newcastle responded through Fletcher Sharpe before halftime and Dominic Young after the break to establish a 12-6 lead.
With the Warriors’ season slipping away, Halasima struck again in the 70th minute with an extraordinary finish in the corner, getting the ball down while his body was flying towards the sideline.
Taine Tuaupiki missed the difficult conversion, leaving Newcastle ahead 12-10 and setting up a frantic final 10 minutes.
Halasima finished with two tries, 19 runs for 167 metres and 10 tackle busts, despite returning from injury concerns. Fox Sports rated him the Warriors’ best performer of the match.
Halasima at centre of final controversy
But it was what happened to the Tongan star in the 79th minute that became one of the major talking points after the match.
As the Warriors chased a high kick in their final attempt to rescue the game, Newcastle forward Tyson Frizell crossed Halasima’s path, knocking him out of position before he could contest the ball.
Referee Ashley Klein allowed play to continue.
Had an escort infringement been ruled, the Warriors could have received a penalty within kicking range, potentially allowing them to level the scores and force extra time.
Warriors coach Andrew Webster strongly questioned the decision after the match, arguing that Frizell had gone across Halasima while appearing to contest the ball.
Webster was also frustrated by two earlier Bunker decisions but stopped short of blaming the officials for the defeat, acknowledging the Warriors had opportunities to win the match themselves. Newcastle coach Justin Holbrook, meanwhile, defended the late decisions and said he had not noticed controversy surrounding the Halasima incident during the game.
The tense finish spilled over after the final whistle, with some spectators throwing objects towards the match officials as they left the field. Eden Park chief executive Nick Sautner condemned the behaviour.
For Tonga, however, Halasima’s performance provided another indication of the young forward’s growing stature ahead of his future international appearances for Mate Maʻa Tonga.
His two tries could not save the Warriors’ season, but on one of the biggest stages of his young career, the Tofoa-born Tongan was responsible for every Warriors try and came within one contentious late decision of potentially helping send the semifinal into extra time.
