Fonua Pole

Fonua Pole (born 2 June 2002) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a lock or prop forward for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League (NRL).

Fonua Pole
Personal information
Full nameFonua Pole
Born (2002-06-02) 2 June 2002
Wellington, New Zealand
Height182 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight102 kg (16 st 1 lb)
Playing information
PositionLock, Prop
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2022– Wests Tigers 33 4 0 0 16
Source: [1]
As of 1 September 2023

Background

Pole was born in Wellington, New Zealand, and raised in Victoria. He was educated at Mount Ridley College, Craigieburn playing Australian rules football in his youth before his mum encouraged him to play his junior rugby league for the Sunbury Tigers. He said, "It started to become a bit of an issue because mum didn’t like that in AFL most of the games and trainings were on Sundays, when she always wanted us to go to church."[2]

Graduating through the Victorian Thunderbolts system, he was spotted by Wests Tigers playing for a Combined Affiliated States side at the Australian Schoolboys Championships.[2][3]

Career

2022

Pole made his first grade debut for the Wests Tigers against the New Zealand Warriors in round 16, becoming Wests Tigers player no. 257.[4][5] It was the Warriors' first home game in nearly 2 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in front of a sold-out crowd. Pole said, "“It was 100 percent Warriors crowd just screaming at us, I think I got slandered on the sideline a bit and someone was yelling at me that they felt sorry for me and didn’t want me to go on."[2]

The next week, he was named in the starting team after a late withdrawal from James Tamou, and ran for a game-best 167 metres and made 17 tackles without a miss.[6] He then remained in first grade for the remainder of the season, and was named the club's Rookie of the Year.[7]

2023

Pole played a total of 23 games for the Wests Tigers in the 2023 NRL season as the club finished with the Wooden Spoon for a second straight year.[8]

References
  1. Rugby League Project
  2. Corey Rosser. "Pole thriving after taking the path less travelled to NRL". nrl.com.
  3. "Pole: A dream come true". Wests Tigers. 29 June 2022.
  4. "Dias delighted ahead of 'home' debut". Wests Tigers. 2 July 2022.
  5. "Round 16 NRL Team lists". NRL.com. 28 June 2022.
  6. "ROUND 17 - SATURDAY 9TH JULY". NRL.com.
  7. "Ofahengaue claims Kelly-Barnes Medal". weststigers.com.
  8. "'Circus act' that summed up year from hell... and big call left for Benji: Wests Tigers Brutal Review". www.foxsports.com.au.
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