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Andrew Fifita

Personal information
Full name	ʻAnitelū Fifita
Born	(1989-06-28) 28 June 1989 (age 35) 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 (Tongan: ʻAnitelū Fifita) was a professional rugby league player. He was born on June 28, 1989. He played as a prop (prop forward). Andrew represented both Tonga and Australia in international games.

He played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League (NRL). Andrew also played for the Indigenous All Stars, New South Wales City Origin, and New South Wales in the State of Origin series.

Andrew was known for his strong runs and powerful tackles. He was a key player in the Cronulla team that won their first championship in the 2016 NRL season. He scored an important try in that final game.

Andrew Fifita's Rugby League Journey

Early Life and Start in Rugby

Andrew Fifita was born in Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia. He has Indigenous Australian and Tongan heritage. His twin brother, David Fifita, also plays rugby league.

Andrew and David started playing rugby league in Penrith. They later moved to Griffith, New South Wales. Andrew went to Patrician Brothers' College, Blacktown and Wyndham College. He played for junior teams like the Doonside Roos.

When he was younger, Andrew tried out for the Sydney Roosters and North Sydney Bears. He was considered too light then, playing as a winger or centre. He later gained weight and signed with the Wests Tigers. In 2009, he played in their NYC team. He even played in the 2009 NYC Grand Final.

Professional Playing Career

2010: Debut Season

Fifita representing the Tigers in 2010

In 2010, Andrew made his first-grade debut for the Wests Tigers. This was in Round 2 against the Sydney Roosters. He scored a try in that game. He finished his first year with 5 tries from 22 matches. In October, he played his first international game for Tonga. This was against Samoa.

2011: Moving to the Sharks

Fifita playing for the Tigers in 2011

Andrew was part of a New South Wales training squad. He started the season as a prop. In July, he signed a three-year deal with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. He left the Wests Tigers to join the Sharks in 2012. He scored 3 tries in 17 matches for the Tigers in his final year with them.

2012: First Year with Cronulla

In February, Andrew played for the Indigenous All Stars. He started at prop in their game. In Round 1, he played his first game for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. This was against his old club, the Wests Tigers. He scored his first try for the Sharks in Round 4. He played 22 matches and scored 5 tries in his first year with the Sharks.

2013: Rise to Stardom

Andrew played for the Indigenous All Stars again in 2013. He also played for NSW City Origin. In June, he made his State of Origin debut for New South Wales. He helped them win against Queensland. He had a great season with the Sharks, scoring 9 tries. He was named the Dally M Prop of the Year.

Andrew was chosen for the Australian squad for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. He made his debut for Australia against England. He scored his first international try against Ireland. He played in 6 matches for Australia during the World Cup. This included the final, where Australia won against New Zealand.

2014: Contract Changes and Injuries

In March 2014, Andrew signed a contract with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. However, this contract was later ended. In April, he re-signed with Cronulla for four more years. He played for City against Country in May. He suffered an ankle injury, which made him miss the 2014 State of Origin series. Later, he broke his arm, ending his season. He played 12 matches in 2014.

2015: Return to Form

In 2015, Andrew played his 100th career match for the Sharks. He played for City Origin again. His good form earned him a spot back in the New South Wales Blues team for State of Origin Game 1. He was later suspended for six weeks. After his suspension, he returned for the Sharks in their finals match. He played 18 matches and scored 7 tries for the Sharks that year.

2016: Premiership Glory

In February, Andrew played for the Indigenous All Stars. On October 2, Andrew played for Cronulla-Sutherland in the 2016 NRL Grand Final. They played against the Melbourne Storm. Cronulla won the game 14–12. Andrew scored the winning try with ten minutes left. He carried several defenders over the line with him. His great efforts in 2016 earned him the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Player of the Year award.

2017: State of Origin and Tonga

On May 31, 2017, Andrew played for the New South Wales Blues in Game 1 of the 2017 State of Origin series. He played a big role in their 28–4 win. He was named man of the match. During the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, Andrew chose to play for Tonga. He helped Tonga reach the semi-finals, which was their best World Cup result ever.

2018: Dally M Prop of the Year

Andrew had a strong year in 2018. He sometimes captained the Sharks. He was awarded the Dally M Prop of the Year again. In November, it was reported that Cronulla had lost some sponsors.

In the first-ever rugby league Test between the Australian Kangaroos and Tonga, Andrew led the Tongan pre-match warcry, the sipi tau. This was in front of a sold-out crowd.

2019: Focus on International Rugby

Fifita playing for the Newtown Jets in 2021

In May 2019, Andrew said he would not return to play for New South Wales. He wanted to focus on international rugby. In Round 18, he was sent off for a dangerous tackle. Cronulla finished 7th and made the finals. Andrew played in their final match against Manly.

2020-2022: Later Career and Retirement

Andrew played 12 games for Cronulla in the 2020 NRL season. The club finished 8th and reached the finals. He played in their elimination final loss.

In 2021, Andrew started the season playing for Newtown, Cronulla's feeder club. He made his first appearance for Cronulla in Round 10. In Round 22, he suffered a serious throat injury during a game. He needed surgery and was placed in an induced coma.

In 2022, Andrew was sent to the sin bin for a dangerous tackle in a game against Melbourne. On August 23, he announced he would leave Cronulla at the end of the season. He played 22 games for Cronulla in 2022. His final game for the club was a finals match against South Sydney. In November 2022, Andrew Fifita announced his retirement from rugby league.

Statistics

NRL

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

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

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

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

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