Leka Halasima's provocative hairstyle has NZ Warriors tongues wagging
Teammates were lining up to congratulate Leka Halasima on his new haircut.
Photo:
NRL Photos/Photosport
Warriors v Dragons
Kickoff 7.30pm Saturday, 10 May
WIN Stadium, Wollongong
Live blog updates on RNZ Sport
Over the past month, NZ Warriors sensation Leka Halasima has certainly caught the eye with his barnstorming performances for a team currently occupying a top-three spot on the NRL ladder.
The teenage second-rower has become a key contributor to the side's gritty 6-2 start to their campaign,
earning promotion from the interchange bench to the starting line-up
, yet somehow that wasn't enough.
When the Warriors took the field against North Queensland Cowboys at 'Magic Round' last weekend, Halasima, 19, unveiled a peroxide blonde hairdo, complete with dark ponytail, that had tongues wagging among fans and teammates.
Leka Halasima at Warriors training.
Photo:
Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
"Young people today, mate, seriously," coach Andrew Webster rolled his eyes. "They've got to be themselves and dinosaurs like me don't judge them.
"They've just got to turn up and enjoy themselves and be themselves - that's what we try to do here. As long as they're not trying to be something they're not, that's fine.
"We certainly knew where he was for 80 minutes on the weekend, because you could spot him quite easy. He's a great kid."
Captain Mitch Barnett chuckled at the transformation.
"Young kids - I shouldn't call him a kid - young men, they go through it," he said. "I guess he wanted Webby to be able to see him on the video.
"Back in the day, we got roasted, especially when I was coming through. If I had done it, I probably wouldn't be playing NRL now.
"Young men now see people they look up to with their hairstyles and think that would look cool, but when he looks back at it, he'll probably shake his head at it."
One who knows a thing or two about experimenting with his hairdo - not so much these days - is veteran forward Marata Niukore.
"It was a bit of a laugh around the joint and we got into him about being in the kick-chase, because obviously he can't hide now," he said.
"I've had a few haircuts in my time, and it's probably something you look back a couple of years down the track and cringe.
"Hopefully, we don't see those photos again."
Niukore should be so lucky...
Marata Niukore and his dye job for Junior Warriors 2014.
Photo:
Anthony Au-Yeung/Photosport
Halasima's dye job earned the enthusiastic approval of at least one teammate.
"I was actually watching his highlight reel from 2023, he was playing against the Tigers [SG Ball Cup] and he had his hair blonde then," winger Taine Tuaupiki said.
"I was literally going to tell him that morning I thought he looked good with it, then he pulled his beanie off and had it.
Taine Tuaupiki's mohawk look, 2023 NRL pre-season.
Photo:
Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
"It was pretty funny, because I was just about to say it to him - it looks good."
Tuaupiki, 25, has previously tested new hairstyles, if not hues, but rejected any possibility of him emulating his colleague.
"You can't be doing that and playing on the wing, or you've got to be playing as good as Leka's playing to get away with that."
With even more eyes now upon him, Barnett warned the young buck needed to stay humble, despite his early success, but was confident the Warriors environment provided just the right amount of encouragement and humility to keep him grounded.
"You can see the talent he's got and he's got a really good work ethic behind it," the skipper insisted. "We've got to be good at supporting him, and showing him the right way on and off the field, which I think we're doing a good job of.
"He's just got to keep buying in, keep learning and taking the lessons, but keeping a level head as well. He's got one of them for sure, although you might not see it with his try celebrations."
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero,
a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
1News
2 hours ago
- 1News
Wickets galore on first day of WTC final
Australia overcame a miserable morning to rock South Africa back on its heels by the end of day one of the World Test Championship at Lord's. Ball dominated bat all day as 14 wickets fell on a slow pitch for 255 runs. South Africa's Kagiso Rabada took 5-51 and new-ball partner Marco Jansen 3-49 to brilliantly rout the defending champion for 212, the last five wickets for just 20 runs. But even in the baking sunshine, the Australia pacers were even more potent. Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and captain Pat Cummins strangled the Proteas batters to 43-4 in 22 overs by stumps. Australia's Josh Hazlewood, center, celebrates the dismissal of South Africa's Tristan Stubbs during the World Test Championship final between South Africa and Australia at Lord's cricket ground in London, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (Source: Associated Press) ADVERTISEMENT The trickle of runs made Beau Webster's 72 and Steve Smith's 66 even more remarkable. They were the only batters all day to score more than 23. "Starcy had the ball on a string," Webster told the BBC. "It's tricky for a batsman. Our bowling attack's been so strong. We know if we don't quite get it down with the bat, our bowlers will get it down. Outstanding effort from the boys." Australia's 212 total looked to be below par until its fast bowlers made it seem imperious. Starc got Aiden Markram to chop on for a duck in the first over of South Africa's reply. Starc got the other opener, Ryan Rickelton, to edge to slips on 16. Starc should have also had Wiaan Mulder on 1 but wicketkeeper Alex Carey dropped a sitter. Mulder dug in for 44 balls to make 6 when he opened up to drive at Cummins and was bowled through the gate at 25-3. In the same over, Proteas captain Temba Bavuma defended and edged Cummins but the ball dropped just short of Usman Khawaja in the slips. Bavuma would reach stumps on 3 off 37 balls but without Tristan Stubbs, who was castled on 2 by Hazlewood. ADVERTISEMENT David Bedingham finished the day with consecutive boundaries, only his team's fourth and fifth of a bleak innings. Australia is defending the WTC mace it won for the first time in 2023, while South Africa is chasing its first ICC trophy in this century. South Africa's Kagiso Rabada celebrates after his five-wicket haul during the World Test Championship final between South Africa and Australia at Lord's cricket ground in London, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (Source: Associated Press) Proteas wisely bowl first When he won the toss, Bavuma didn't hesitate to put the ball in the hands of his two biggest threats, Rabada and Jansen. They pounced on the bowler-friendly conditions: So overcast and gloomy that the stadium lights were turned on after the 10 am toss. Many of the Proteas hadn't played at Lord's but they'd done their homework; Rabada bowled up the slope looking for edges and Jansen bowled down the slope looking to nip ones in. They were disciplined and rewarded with four wickets in the first session. ADVERTISEMENT Rabada's wobble seam struck out Khawaja on a 20-ball duck for the sixth time in 11 tests, and Cameron Green on 4 in the same over. Green was batting at No. 3 in a test for the first time and edged Rabada to second slip, where Markram took a great ankle-high catch. All this time, Marnus Labuschagne, Khawaja's fifth opening partner in 17 months and opening for the first time in a test, scratched around the crease looking for rhythm amid a long, lean spell. The veteran looked as set as is possible to be after an hour and a half in hostile conditions, scoring 17 from 56 balls, until he feathered Jansen behind and slow-walked back to the pavilion at 46-3. South Africa's Marco Jansen, left, celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of Australia's Marnus Labuschagne, right, during the World Test Championship final between South Africa and Australia at Lord's cricket ground in London, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (Source: Associated Press) Smith was joined by the aggressive Travis Head. In the 2023 final, they joined at 76-3 and partnered for 285 runs. Not this time. Lunch was two minutes away when Head fell for a Jansen tickle down leg that keeper Kyle Verreynne took spectacularly with a diving one-handed catch. Australia was 67-4 at lunch, during which the sun started peeking through. Lord's lore says the sunshine makes batting easier. ADVERTISEMENT Smith made hay. His ninth boundary brought up his 50 and Australia's 100. Webster rode his luck. He struggled to handle Rabada and Jansen but once they left he accelerated. Together, old stager Smith and the novice Webster — he debuted in January — cruised to 79 together and South Africa was flagging in rising temperatures. Bavuma undermined South Africa's cause with poor review decisions: They didn't review a plumb lbw for Rabada, reviewed a lbw shout which hit the middle of the bat, and wasted a second review. The morning's headlines in 90 seconds including passengers stuck on ferry overnight, new flights to Sydney coming, and the weirdest things we leave in Ubers. (Source: 1News) When Mulder wanted to change ends, Bavuma accommodated by giving the ball to part-time spinner Markram. He tossed one up and Smith, who'd passed his Lord's average of 58, gave a thick edge behind to the 2.06-meter (6-foot-8) Jansen, who juggled the catch. Webster, with his second test fifty, and Carey got Australia to tea at a healthy 190-5. But after the break Carey gave away his wicket to Keshav Maharaj and the tail collapsed in 26 more minutes, mopped up by Rabada, who was suspended only six weeks ago, and Jansen. "He was unbelievable," Jansen said of Rabada. "I could see in the game blood in his eyes." Rabada's second five-for at Lord's earned him a standing ovation. But by the day's end, it was the Australian fans applauding.
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Auckland Grammar principal calls out Sport NZ over 'Year 14' athletes
1st XV rugby match between Nelson College and Marlborough Boys. Nelson College, Nelson. Photo: Chris Symes / Auckland Grammar principal Tim O'Connor has challenged Sport NZ to take a stand on extra-year students returning to schools on sporting grounds. The issue of 'Year 14' athletes has raised its head again, with Marlborough Boys' College admitting it has five such players in its First XV , which scored a historic - and controversial - win over Nelson College last month. That 28-26 result came after Marlborough were awarded a first-half penalty and instead of aiming for the posts, the goalkicker struck for the corner, where one of his teammates chased it down for a try that was eventually awarded. O'Connor told Checkpoint that bringing students back for an extra year for sporting purposes was a distortion of their roles as educators and openly wondered where the national sporting administrators were in this debate. "Really, our role as principals and our role as schools is to educate young people," he said. "Sport NZ talks about balance is better, but where are they in this discussion? "They haven't come out to say, 'why are we allowing this to occur?' "I'd love to see them being more proactive and having the courage to speak up on this. "Perhaps there are organisations that want to turn a blind eye to what is the pathway for young men and rugby in this country frankly. We need to get beyond that." RNZ has approached Sport NZ for reaction to O'Connor's comments. Auckland's 1A competition has put is members on notice that Year 14 players will not be permitted from next season. O'Connor admits two of the 12 teams currently have two such players each on their rosters. "We discussed that at the beginning of the year and felt the fair thing to do was give everyone 12 months' notice, and then we wouldn't be allowing that to occur again." Earlier this year, the issue led to a ban on extra-year rowers at the prestigious Maadi Cup regatta at Lake Karapiro. School Sport NZ is now considering a total ban on the Year 14 athletes . "There is no doubt there is a distinct advantage - muscle co-ordination and technical ability - in a sixth-year student," O'Connor said. "They're taking away positions from students who are coming through their natural schooling years. "For example, Rieko Ioane could have returned - we could have encouraged him to return, because he would have met all the other criteria, and he could have returned to play rugby for another year, which would have been a huge advantage to our school. "Our view was Rieko should actually carry on with his life and move to the next stage, and we'd fully support him in doing so." Now an 81-test All Black, Ioane debuted for Auckland and the NZ sevens team the year after leaving Auckland Grammar, and made his test debut aged 19. O'Connor insisted his school would not take the field against Marlborough with their Year 14 players. "I don't know why there would be a reason to play them," he told Checkpoint . "I'd rather play in a competition where we know there is a level playing field and we're treating each other with respect. "In the 1A competition, mid-season, we have about six teams who could still win it - that's a great competition, that keeps it alive across multiple schools." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
4 hours ago
- RNZ News
Calls to allow netball players to represent two countries
Netball New Zealand has called for World Netball to amend its strict eligibility criteria, which prevents players representing two different countries at consecutive world cups. Sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe spoke to Lisa Owen. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
