Masada Iosefa facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Born | 26 January 1988 Motoʻotua, Apia, Samoa |
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| Died | 25 January 2021 (aged 32) Herbert, Northern Territory, Australia |
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Playing information
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| Height | 179 cm (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 90 kg (14 st 2 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Hooker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 30 January 2021
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Masada Iosefa (born 26 January 1988 – died 25 January 2021) was a professional rugby league player from Samoa. He played as a hooker for teams like the Penrith Panthers and Wests Tigers in Australia's top competition, the NRL. Masada also proudly represented his home country, Samoa, in international games.
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Growing Up
Masada Iosefa was born in Motoʻotua, a town in Apia, Samoa. When he was young, his family moved to Australia. He played junior rugby league for the Blacktown City RLFC. He also went to Patrician Brothers' College in Blacktown.
Masada had many cousins who also became famous rugby league players. These included the four Mata'utia brothers: Chanel Mata'utia, Sione Mata'utia, Pat Mata'utia and Peter Mata'utia.
Rugby League Career
Starting in the NRL
In 2008, Masada Iosefa made his first appearance in the NRL. He played for the Penrith Panthers. He stayed with the Panthers for three years. During this time, he played 43 games and scored eight tries. Most of his games were played coming off the bench as a substitute.
Moving to Wests Tigers
In 2012, Masada joined the Mount Pritchard Mounties. This team played in the NSW Cup, which is a league below the NRL. The Mounties were a feeder team for the Canberra Raiders. Later that year, the Wests Tigers signed Masada. They needed him as a backup hooker for their main player, Robbie Farah.
Masada played nine games for the Wests Tigers in 2012. He could play as a hooker or come off the bench. He also played for the Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers, which was the Wests Tigers' feeder team. This team reached the NSW Cup grand final but lost.
In early 2013, there were reports that the New Zealand Warriors wanted to sign Masada. However, the Wests Tigers did not want to let him go. They still needed him as a backup for Robbie Farah.
Playing for Samoa
International Appearances
Masada Iosefa was a talented player who was considered for international teams. In 2008, he was named in the training squads for both the Samoan and New Zealand teams. This was for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. However, he did not make the final team for either country.
In 2009, Masada was chosen to play for Samoa in the 2009 Pacific Cup. This was an important tournament for Pacific Island nations.
Later International Games
In April 2013, Masada played for Samoa in a special test match. They played against their rivals, Tonga. This game took place in Penrith, Australia.
Later in 2013, Samoa selected him again. This time, it was for their team in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. Sadly, just before the tournament began, Masada got an injury. This meant he could not play in the World Cup.
Life After Rugby and Passing
After his time as a professional rugby league player, Masada Iosefa started a new career. He worked as a youth worker in Rockhampton, Queensland. In this role, he helped young people.
On 25 January 2021, Masada Iosefa passed away. He was involved in a quad bike accident. This happened in Herbert, a rural area near Darwin, Northern Territory. He died just one day before his 33rd birthday.
