John Asiata


Atalani "John" Asiata is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a and for the North Queensland Cowboys in the NRL. He has played for both Samoa and Tonga at international level.
He was part of the Cowboys' 2015 NRL Grand Final and 2016 World Club Challenge winning sides.

Background

Asiata was born in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia to a Samoan father and a Tongan mother.
He played his junior football for the Wentworthville Magpies and attended Patrician Brothers' College, Blacktown.

Playing career

In 2009, Asiata was a member of the Parramatta Eels side that finished runners-up in the Harold Matthews Cup. In 2010, he played with the Western Sydney Academy in the S.G. Ball Cup before being signed by the Sydney Roosters. He played for the Roosters' S.G. Ball team in 2011 and played for their National Youth Competition team in 2012 and 2013. At the end of 2013, Asiata was named at lock in the 2013 NYC team of the year. In November 2013 Asiata signed a 2-year contract with the North Queensland Cowboys, starting in 2014, following his Roosters NYC coach, Paul Green, to the Cowboys.

2014

Asiata started the year playing for the Cowboys Queensland Cup affiliate, the Mackay Cutters. He would play 18 games for them in 2014, scoring 5 tries.
In round 12 of the 2014 NRL season, Asiata made his debut for the Cowboys, against the Melbourne Storm, off interchange bench in the Cowboys 22-0 win at 1300SMILES Stadium. Asiata finished his debut year in the NRL with 6 matches for the Cowboys. On 14 October 2014, Asiata was named the Cowboys' rookie of the year at their annual presentation ball.

2015

On 31 January and 1 February, Asiata played for the Cowboys in the 2015 NRL Auckland Nines. On 27 April, he was named in Samoa's 18-man squad to face Tonga in the 2015 Polynesian Cup. He was the side's 18th man and did not participate in the match. In round 9, he made his first start in the NRL, in the Cowboys' 23-16 victory over the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. On 21 May, he re-signed with the Cowboys on a 2-year contract until the end of the 2017 season. On 4 October, in the 2015 NRL Grand Final against the Brisbane Broncos, Asiata played off the interchange bench in the Cowboys' golden-point 17-16 win. He finished off his premiership winning 2015 season having played in 25 matches.

2016

On 2 February, Asiata was named in the Cowboys' 2016 NRL Auckland Nines squad. On 21 February, he was a member of the Cowboys' 2016 World Club Challenge winning side, coming off the bench in the side's 38-4 victory over the Leeds Rhinos at Headingley Stadium. On 7 May, he made his international debut for Samoa against Tonga in the 2016 Polynesian Cup. Asiata played 19 games in 2016, which included his 3rd career start, against the Canberra Raiders in Round 18.

2017

In Round 7 of the 2017 NRL season, Asiata started at halfback against the St George Illawarra Dragons, replacing the injured Johnathan Thurston. In the 26-20 loss, Asiata finished the game with two try-assists and two line-break assists. On 16 May, he re-signed with the Cowboys until the end of the 2020 season.
In the Cowboys' semi-final win over the Parramatta Eels, his 76th NRL game, Asiata scored his first ever NRL try. On 1 October, he played off the interchange bench in the Cowboys' 2017 NRL Grand Final loss to the Melbourne Storm. Asiata finished the 2017 season playing in all 28 games for the Cowboys.

2018

After playing in the first seven games of the 2018 NRL season, Asiata suffered a pectoral tear in the Cowboys' 26-14 win over the Gold Coast Titans, which saw him miss 11 weeks. He returned for the side's Round 18 game against Canberra and played the last eight games of the season. Due to the injury, he finished the season with just 15 games played, his lowest total since his rookie season.

2019

Asiata played in all 24 games for the Cowboys in 2019, scoring three tries, his highest single-season try tally. Due to injuries, he spent considerable time in the halves once again, starting 11 games at five-eighth and one at halfback. In Round 7, he played his 100th NRL game in the Cowboys' 12–24 loss to the Canterbury Bulldogs. On 22 June, he made his debut for Tonga, starting at five-eighth in their 14–34 loss to New Zealand.

Achievements and accolades

Individual

NRL

†Denotes seasons in which Asiata won an NRL Premiership

International

Personal life

Asiata and his wife, Shailah, have two children: a daughter, Eleana, and a son, John Junior.