Addin Fonua-Blake

Addin Fonua-Blake (born 6 November 1995) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL). He has played for both Tonga and New Zealand at international level.

Addin Fonua Blake
Personal information
Full nameAddin Fonua-Blake
Born (1995-11-06) 6 November 1995
Meadowbank, New South Wales, Australia
Height189 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight123 kg (19 st 5 lb)
Playing information
PositionProp
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2016–20 Manly Sea Eagles 97 13 0 0 52
2021– New Zealand Warriors 62 11 0 0 44
Total 159 24 0 0 96
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2017–22 Tonga 11 0 0 0 0
2017 New Zealand 1 0 0 0 0
Source: [1]
As of 23 September 2023

He previously played for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the NRL.[1]

Background

Fonua-Blake was born in Meadowbank, New South Wales, Australia.[2] He is of New Zealand[3] and Tongan descent.[4]

He played his junior rugby league for the Mascot Jets, before being signed by the South Sydney Rabbitohs.[5][6]

Playing career

Early career

After playing lower grades with the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2011 and Parramatta Eels in 2012,[7] Fonua-Blake joined the St. George Illawarra Dragons in 2013. In 2013 and 2014, he played for St. George Illawarra's NYC team.[8]

Fonua-Blake playing for the Illawarra Cutters in 2014

In 2014, he co-captained the side.[9][10] On 2 September 2014, he was named on the interchange bench in the 2014 NYC Team of the Year.[11]

On 18 October 2014, he played for the Junior Kiwis against the Junior Kangaroos,[3] before re-signing with St. George Illawarra on a contract to the end of 2016.[12] On 19 January 2015, he was stood down by the club due to disciplinary reasons, before having his contract terminated on 30 June 2015 when he pleaded guilty to assaulting his girlfriend.[13][14] At the end of 2015, he was granted approval by the NRL to train with the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles from 1 November of the same year.[15]

2016

After playing in five Intrust Super Premiership NSW matches for the Manly-Warringah club, Fonua-Blake was cleared to be eligible to play in the NRL after satisfying the NRL Integrity Unit that he had completed a comprehensive off-field counselling and development program.[15] This allowed him to make his NRL debut for Manly-Warringah against the Parramatta Eels in Round 7 of the 2016 NRL season.[16][17]

On 7 September, following the end to Manly's season (having finished 13th), Fonua-Blake was named in the New Zealand Kiwis train-on squad for the 2016 Four Nations tournament.[18] Later on the same day, he won the Ken Arthurson Award as Manly's 2016 Rookie of the Year. He played in 14 games for Manly-Warringah in 2016, crossing for 2 tries (a double against the defending premiers North Queensland in Townsville).[19]

2017

Fonua-Blake made 22 appearances for Manly in 2017 as the club finished 6th on the table and qualified for the finals. Fonua-Blake played in the elimination final against the Penrith Panthers which Penrith controversially won 22-12 as Tyrone Peachey scored the match winning try although replays had shown the player knocked the ball forwards with his hands.[20]

2018

Fonua-Blake made 24 appearances for Manly in 2018. The club endured a horror season on and off the field narrowly avoiding the club's first wooden spoon by 2 competition points.[21]

2019

Fonua-Blake made 22 appearances for Manly in the 2019 NRL season as the club finished sixth on the table. Fonua-Blake scored a try in Manly's week one elimination final victory over Cronulla at Brookvale Oval. Fonua-Blake played in Manly's elimination final defeat against South Sydney at ANZ Stadium the following week which ended their season.[22][23][24]

2020

In round 8 of the 2020 NRL season, Fonua-Blake was sent off after full-time in the match against Newcastle after he called referee Grant Atkins a "fucking retard", and later a "spasticc". Fonua-Blake said this in response to Manly being denied a penalty try in the final moments of the match, which resulted in a 14-12 loss to the Newcastle Knights at Brookvale Oval.[25]

On 16 September, Fonua-Blake handed in a transfer request despite having two years left on his contract. Fonua-Blake cited wanting to relocate out of Sydney with his young family for the decision.[26]

Fonua-Blake warming up for Tonga at the 2021 RLWC

On 22 September, he announced via his Instagram account that he has agreed to join the New Zealand Warriors from the 2021 NRL season, with Manly having agreed to terminate the remainder of his contract.[27]

2021

Fonua-Blake played 15 games for New Zealand in the 2021 NRL season as the club missed the finals finishing 12th.[28]

2022

On 26 May, it was announced that Fonua-Blake would be ruled out indefinitely from playing with a foot injury.[29]

He made a total of 21 appearances for the New Zealand Warriors in the 2022 NRL season as they finished 15th on the table.[30]

In October 2022 he was named in the Tonga squad for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.[31]

2023

Fonua-Blake played 26 games for the New Zealand Warriors in the 2023 NRL season as the club finished 4th on the table and qualified for the finals. He played in all three finals games as the club reached the preliminary final stage before being knocked out by Brisbane.[32]

Statistics
Season Team Played Tries Pts
2016 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 14 2 8
2017 22
2018 24 3 12
2019 22 5 20
2020 15 3 12
2021 New Zealand Warriors 15 1 4
2022 21 1 4
2023* 21 25
Totals 143 19 76

*denotes season competing

Assault charge

In 2015 he pleaded guilty to assault charges after pushing and kicking his partner after a night out drinking. He was fined $1000, ordered to undergo counselling and given a one year suspended sentence.[33]

His contract with St. George was also terminated.[13][14]

References
  1. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. https://www.warriors.kiwi/teams/nrl-premiership/warriors/addin-fonua-blake/
  3. "2014 JUNIOR KIWIS TEAM ANNOUNCED". Rugbyleagueweek.com.au. 10 October 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  4. "Eligible players". Tonga Rugby League. 20 June 2014. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  5. "2011 Harold Matthew's Cup - Semi Final - Illawarra Steelers v South Sydney Rabbitoh's - Action Photo Gallery". Ourfootyteam.com. 28 May 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  6. "HM R1 Canterbury 22 Souths 28 (Report) - Canterbury Bankstown Junior Rugby League". Fox Sports Pulse. 19 February 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  7. "Millie and Mark Horo helping the careers of a new batch of Parramatta juniors". Dailytelegraph.com.au. 24 June 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  8. "F". Nyc Database. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  9. NRL. "Blake: Honoured To Be Captain". Dragons. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  10. NRL. "Fonua-Blake Named In Junior Kiwis". Dragons. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  11. "Holden Cup Team Of The Year Announced". Rugbyleagueweek.com.au. 2 September 2014. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  12. Brunsdon, Simon (30 June 2015). "Dragons sack Addin Fonua-Blake". Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  13. Dragons.com.au (19 January 2015). "Club Statement: Addin Fonua-Blake". Zero Tackle. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  14. Dragons.com.au (30 June 2015). "Dragons terminate Fonua-Blake contract". Zero Tackle. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  15. NRL. "Addin Fonua-Blake to make his NRL debut". Sea Eagles. Archived from the original on 5 November 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  16. "Updated team lists: Sea Eagles v Eels". NRL.com. 28 February 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  17. NRL. "NRL Late Mail". Sea Eagles. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  18. "Warriors dominate Kiwis train-on squad". National Rugby League. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  19. "Tom Trbojevic wins Manly's top award". Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  20. "The Penrith Panthers have end Manly's season in controversial circumstances after Melbourne Storm edged Parramatta 18-16". www.abc.net.au.
  21. "Manly Warringah Sea Eagles season 2018 review: They didn't know how to manage the players who 'walk to a different beat'". www.foxsports.com.au.
  22. "Rabbitohs dig deep to eliminate Sea Eagles in finals thriller". NRL.
  23. "South Sydney Rabbitohs beat Manly Sea Eagles 34-26 in NRL semi-final". ABC.
  24. "Under-strength Sea Eagles send Sharks packing". NRL.
  25. "Addin Fonua Blake what did he say". www.foxsports.com.au.
  26. "Manly Sea Eagles confirm Addin Fonua-Blake's desire to leave the club". www.sportingnews.com.
  27. Walter, Brad (22 September 2020). "'One-two punch': Betham excited by Warriors' Fonua-Blake signing". nrl.com.
  28. "NRL 2021: Why every bottom-eight side missed the finals". www.sportingnews.com.
  29. "Unexpected twist in veteran's cruel injury blow as Des confirms Turbo news: Casualty Ward". www.foxsports.com.au.
  30. "Warriors farewell 15 players after return to New Zealand". www.foxsports.com.au.
  31. Full list of every squad at the Rugby League World Cup 2021
  32. "NRL 2023: New Zealand Warriors season review". www.sportingnews.com.
  33. Lane, Daniel (6 May 2016). "Addin Fonua-Blake wants to prove he's a better man than his record". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
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