Andrew Fifita facts for kids

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Andrew Fifita

Personal information
Full name	Andrew Fifita
Born	(1989-06-28) 28 June 1989 (age 36) Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia
Height	194 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight	118 kg (18 st 8 lb)
Playing information
Position	Prop
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2010–11 Wests Tigers 39 8 0 0 32 2012–22 Cronulla Sharks 213 32 0 0 128 Total 252 40 0 0 160 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2010–19 Tonga 10 0 0 0 0 2012–22 Indigenous All Stars 6 0 0 0 0 2013–15 NSW City 3 2 0 0 8 2013–17 New South Wales 10 2 0 0 8 2013–17 Australia 7 2 0 0 8 2017 Prime Minister's XIII 1 0 0 0 0
As of 16 December 2023
Education	Patrician Brothers' College, Blacktown Wyndham College
Relatives	Latu Fifita (brother) David Fifita (brother) David Fifita (cousin) Solomon Haumono (uncle)

Andrew Fifita (born 28 June 1989) is a former professional rugby league player. He played as a prop, a key position in the game. Andrew represented both Tonga and Australia in international matches.

He played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Wests Tigers in Australia's top league, the National Rugby League. Andrew also played for special teams like the Indigenous All Stars, New South Wales City Origin, and New South Wales in the famous State of Origin series.

Andrew was known for his powerful runs, breaking through tackles, and his strong fend (pushing away defenders). He was a very important player for the Cronulla Sharks when they won their first ever championship in the 2016 season. He scored a crucial try that helped them win the Grand Final.

Early Life and Rugby Beginnings

Andrew Fifita was born in Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia. He has both Indigenous Australian and Tongan heritage. Andrew has a twin brother, David Fifita, who also played professional rugby league.

The Fifita brothers started playing rugby league in the Penrith junior league. Later, they moved to Griffith, New South Wales. Andrew went to Patrician Brothers' College, Blacktown and Wyndham College. He played junior football for teams like the Doonside Roos and Griffith Waratahs.

When he was a teenager, Andrew tried out for the Sydney Roosters and North Sydney Bears. At that time, he was considered too light for the sport, playing as a winger or centre. He later gained more size and strength. Andrew eventually signed with the Wests Tigers. In 2009, he played for their Under-20s team, even playing as a prop in the Grand Final.

Andrew's twin brother David also played in the lower grades for the Tigers. Andrew's older brother, Latu Fifita, played rugby league in England.

Professional Playing Career

2010: Starting in the NRL

Fifita representing the Tigers in 2010

In 2010, Andrew made his first professional game for the Wests Tigers. He scored a try in his very first match against the Sydney Roosters. Later that season, he scored two tries in a game against the Penrith Panthers. Andrew finished his first year with 5 tries in 22 matches.

In October 2010, Andrew played his first international game for Tonga. He played as a prop against Samoa. He said it was a great experience and looked forward to playing for Tonga in the future.

2011: Moving to the Sharks

In 2011, Andrew was part of a special training squad for New South Wales. He worked hard to improve his fitness. Andrew played as a prop for the Tigers but was later moved to a lower-grade team.

On 15 July, Andrew signed a three-year contract with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. He left the Wests Tigers to join the Sharks starting in 2012. He finished his time with the Tigers having scored 3 tries in 17 matches that year.

2012: First Year with Cronulla

On 9 February 2012, Andrew played for the Indigenous All Stars team. He started as a prop in their game against the NRL All Stars. In March, Andrew played his first game for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks against his old team, the Wests Tigers.

In April, he scored his first try for the Sharks against the North Queensland Cowboys. Andrew quickly became an important player for the Sharks. He played 22 matches and scored 5 tries in his first year with the team.

2013: State of Origin and World Cup

On 9 February 2013, Andrew played for the Indigenous All Stars again, helping them win. He had a fantastic season with the Sharks. His great performance earned him spots in important representative teams.

On 21 April, he played for the NSW City Origin team and scored a try. On 5 June, Andrew made his debut for New South Wales in the State of Origin series. He helped New South Wales win their first game. Andrew was named the best prop of the year at the Dally M Awards. He was the Sharks' top try-scorer with 9 tries in 25 matches.

Andrew was also chosen to play for the Australian team in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. He made his debut for Australia on 26 October against England. He scored his first international try against Ireland. Andrew played in 6 matches for Australia during the World Cup, scoring 2 tries. He was part of the Australian team that won the World Cup final against New Zealand.

2014: Contract Changes and Injuries

In March 2014, Andrew signed a contract to play for the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs. However, the contract was later cancelled. Andrew then re-signed with the Cronulla Sharks in April.

He played for the City team against Country in May, scoring a try. Unfortunately, Andrew suffered an ankle injury in May, which meant he missed the 2014 State of Origin series. He later broke his arm in August, ending his season early. Andrew played in 12 matches during this challenging year.

2015: Rebounding and Personal Challenges

In March 2015, Andrew played his 100th career match for the Sharks. He played for City Origin again in May. His strong play earned him a spot back in the New South Wales Blues team for Game 1 of the 2015 State of Origin series.

Andrew faced some personal challenges this year. After a suspension, he returned to play for the Sharks in their finals match. He finished the year having played 18 matches and scoring 7 tries for the Sharks.

2016: Premiership Glory

On 13 February 2016, Andrew played for the Indigenous All Stars against the World All Stars. This was a big year for Andrew and the Sharks.

On 2 October, Andrew played in the 2016 NRL Grand Final against the Melbourne Storm. He scored the winning try with only ten minutes left in the game, carrying several defenders over the try line. The Cronulla Sharks won the Grand Final 14–12, securing their first ever championship! Andrew was recognized as a co-winner of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Player of the Year award.

2017: State of Origin Man of the Match

On 31 May 2017, Andrew played for the New South Wales Blues in Game 1 of the 2017 State of Origin series. He was a standout player in their 28–4 win over the Queensland Maroons. He made powerful runs and scored a try, earning him the Man of the Match award.

During the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, Andrew chose to play for Tonga instead of Australia. He was a key player in Tonga's most successful World Cup campaign, helping them reach the semi-finals.

2018: Dally M Prop of the Year

Andrew had another strong year in 2018. He sometimes captained the Sharks and was awarded the Dally M Prop of the Year, recognizing him as the best prop in the league.

In the historic first rugby league Test match between the Australian Kangaroos and Tonga, Andrew led the Tongan pre-match warcry, the sipi tau. This was a very special moment for him and his Tongan heritage.

2019: Continued Contributions

Fifita playing for the Newtown Jets in 2021

In May 2019, Andrew said he would focus on playing for his country, Tonga, rather than New South Wales. He believed it was important to help grow international rugby league.

He continued to play for the Sharks, helping them reach the finals. Andrew played in the club's elimination final match against Manly.

2020: Finals Appearance

Andrew played 12 games for Cronulla in the 2020 NRL season. The Sharks finished 8th and made it to the finals. He played in Cronulla's elimination final loss against Canberra.

2021: Health Scare

Andrew started the 2021 season playing for Cronulla's feeder club, the Newtown Jets. He made his first appearance for the Sharks in May.

In August, during a game against Newcastle, Andrew suffered a serious throat injury. He was taken to hospital and needed surgery. He recovered well from this difficult time.

2022: Retirement from NRL

In July 2022, Andrew was sent to the sin bin for a dangerous tackle during a game against Melbourne. On 23 August, Andrew announced that he would be leaving Cronulla at the end of the 2022 season.

He played a total of 22 games for Cronulla in 2022, including both of the club's finals matches. Andrew's final game for Cronulla was their elimination final loss to South Sydney. In November 2022, Andrew announced his retirement from professional rugby league.

After Playing Rugby League

After retiring from the NRL, Andrew Fifita continued his education. He completed a diploma in counselling.

In January 2025, it was announced that Andrew Fifita would become a coach for the Tarsha Gale Under 19s squad. This shows his continued involvement in rugby league, helping young players.

Statistics

NRL Career

Season	Team	Matches	T	G	GK %	F/G	Pts
2010	Wests Tigers	22	5	0	—	0	20
2011		17	3	0	—	0	12
2012	Cronulla-Sutherland	22	5	0	—	0	20
2013		25	9	0	—	0	36
2014		12	0	0	—	0	0
2015		18	7	0	—	0	28
2016		25	3	0	—	0	12
2017		23	1	0	—	0	4
2018		26	3	0	—	0	12
2019		21	2	0	—	0	8
2020		12	1	0	—	0	4
2021		6	0	0	—	0	0
2022		22	1	0	—	0	4
Career totals		252	40	0	—	0	160

All Star Matches

Season	Team	Matches	T	G	GK %	F/G	Pts
2012	Indigenous All Stars	1	0	0	—	0	0
2013	Indigenous All Stars	1	0	0	—	0	0
2016	Indigenous All Stars	1	0	0	—	0	0
2017	Indigenous All Stars	1	0	0	—	0	0
2019	Indigenous All Stars	1	0	0	—	0	0
2022	Indigenous All Stars	1	0	0	—	0	0
Career totals		6	0	0	—	0	0

City vs Country Matches

Season	Team	Matches	T	G	GK %	F/G	Pts
2013	NSW City	1	1	0	—	0	4
2014	NSW City	1	1	0	—	0	4
2015	NSW City	1	0	0	—	0	0
Career totals		3	2	0	—	0	8

State of Origin Matches

Season	Team	Matches	T	G	GK %	F/G	Pts
2013	New South Wales	3	0	0	—	0	0
2015	New South Wales	1	0	0	—	0	0
2016	New South Wales	3	1	0	—	0	4
2017	New South Wales	3	1	0	—	0	4
Career totals		10	2	0	—	0	8

International Matches

Season	Team	Matches	T	G	GK %	F/G	Pts
2010	Tonga	1	0	0	—	0	0
2013	Australia	6	2	0	—	0	8
2017	Australia	1	0	0	—	0	0
2017	Tonga	5	0	0	—	0	0
2018	Tonga	2	0	0	—	0	0
2019	Tonga Invitational	2	0	0	—	0	0
Career totals		17	2	0	—	0	8

Images for kids

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  Andrew Fifita playing for City in 2015.