Sam Kasiano

Sam Kasiano
Personal information
Nickname Dogzilla
Born (1990-09-21) 21 September 1990
Auckland, New Zealand
Height 196 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Weight 130 kg (20 st 7 lb)
Playing information
Position Prop
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2011– Canterbury Bulldogs 117 15 0 0 60
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2012–13 New Zealand 6 0 0 0 0
2015–16 Samoa 3 1 0 0 4
Source: [1]

Sam Kasiano (born 21 September 1990) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs of the National Rugby League. A New Zealand national representative prop forward, Kasiano has played his entire NRL career to date with the Bulldogs.

Early years

Kasiano was born and raised in Auckland and is of Samoan descent.[2][3] Kasiano started playing rugby league at the age of eight for the Otahuhu Leopards but stopped once he started high school. However, in 2007 he played for the Mount Albert Grammar School's 1st XIII.[4] After moving to Brisbane as a teenager, Kasiano played for the Aspley Devils under 18s before being picked up by the Norths Devils Colts for the 2009 season.[5] Kasiano was then signed by the Bulldogs and played for their Toyota Cup side for the 2010 season, where he quickly became one of the competition standouts his form saw him rewarded with a spot in the 2010 Junior Kiwis team.[6]

Playing career

2011

In Round 1 of the 2011 NRL season, Kasiano made his NRL debut for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at prop against the Wests Tigers in the Bulldogs 24-14 win at ANZ Stadium.[7] Kasiano played 19 games in his debut season and picked up the Steve Mortimer Medal for the Bulldogs Rookie of the Year.[8]

2012

In March, it was reported that Kasiano had declared his representative allegiance to the Queensland Maroons and Australian national team, however Kasiano himself sent a letter to the NZRL indicating he wants to play for his country of birth, New Zealand.[9][10] In Round 2 match against the New Zealand Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium, Kasiano scored his first NRL career try in the Bulldogs 32-18 win.[11] At the 2012 Dally M Awards Kasiano was named the NRL's prop forward of the year.[12] In the Bulldogs 2012 NRL Grand Final match against the Melbourne Storm, Kasiano started at prop in the Bulldogs 14-4 loss.[13][14] He played in 24 matches and scored a try in the 2012. Kasiano made his New Zealand test debut in the October Test at prop in the Kiwis 20-12 loss to Australia at 1300SMILES Stadium.[15] He was last weighed in June 2012 and held the highest weight among the NRL heavyweights, of 133 kg.

Kasiano playing for New Zealand at the 2013 RLWC

2013

Kasiano missed the first 7 matches with a leg injury until returning in Round 8 in a 40-4 win over the Wests Tigers.[16] In Round 21 match against the St George Illawarra Dragons at Jubilee Oval, Kasiano scored a double in the Bulldogs 39-20 win.[17] Kasiano played in 13 matches and scored 3 tries for the Bulldogs in the 2013 NRL season. Kasiano was selected in the New Zealand 2013 World Cup squad, playing in 5 matches including playing off the interchange bench in the Kiwis 34-2 loss to Australia in the World Cup Final at Old Trafford.[18][19]

2014

Kasiano returned to the Bulldogs first grade squad in Round 7 against the South Sydney Rabbitohs off the interchange bench in the 15-14 win after missing the early round recovering from a foot injury and playing in NSW Cup.[20] In Round 22 against the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium, Kasiano suffered a season ending ankle injury in the Bulldogs 41-10 loss.[21][22] Kasiano finished the season with him playing 14 matches and scoring 3 tries.

2015

On 2 May, Kasiano represented Samoa in the Polynesian Cup against Tonga. He was named man-of-the-match in the test. He and fellow Bulldogs teammate Frank Pritchard, who was captaining the team, made headlines in the match after making a 'double-team' try-saving hit on Tonga's Jorge Taufua in 77th minute forcing him over the sideline and securing Samoa the narrow margin 18-16 victory at Cbus Super Stadium.[23] In Round 21 against the Sydney Roosters, Kasiano was on the receiving end of a shoulder charge from Roosters forward Kane Evans, making headlines as one of the biggest hits of the year.[24][25] Kasiano finished off the 2015 season having played in 24 games and scoring 2 tries.[26]

2016

On 1 February 2016, Kasiano was named in the Bulldogs 2016 Auckland Nines squad.[27] In Round 6 against the Melbourne Storm, Kasiano played his 100th NRL career match in the Bulldogs 18-12 win at AAMI Park.[28] On 7 May 2016, Kasiano played for Samoa in the 2016 Polynesian Cup against Tonga, where he started at prop in the 18-6 win at Parramatta Stadium.[29] Later in the year he represented Samoa in their historical test match against Fiji in Apia. Kasiano scored one try in Samoa's 18–20 defeat.

References

  1. ↑ "Sam Kasiano - Career Stats & Summary". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  2. ↑ "Sam Kasiano Seeks Advice from Mum on Whether to Play for Queensland or New Zealand". Couriermail.com.au. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  3. ↑ "Why Sam Kasiano Said He'd Felt Weird Playing for Kangaroos". Dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  4. ↑ "Vs Waitakere College: June 6, 2007. : Mount Albert Grammar School". Mags.school.nz. 2007-06-06. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  5. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20110406051854/http://www.bulldogs.com.au/default.aspx?s=player-profile-display&id=2087&name=Sam%20Kasiano&team=Bulldogs. Archived from the original on April 6, 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2012. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ↑ "Junior Kiwis train-on squad named". Stuff.co.nz. 2010-09-23. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  7. ↑ "Bulldogs Beat Tigers in NRL Round One". Dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  8. ↑ "Tolman Named Bulldogs Player of the Year". Thekennel.net.au. 2007-12-15. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  9. ↑ Aaron Lawton. "Pritchard into the trenches with Kiwis". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  10. ↑ "Queensland Increases Front Row Stocks with Sam Kasiano and Lama Tasi Declaring Allegiances to Maroons". Couriermail.com.au. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  11. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20150402090633/http://m.tvnz.co.nz/sport/related/league/4782286/?relatedId=4782143. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2015. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ↑ News Limited (4 September 2012). "All the Dally M winners plus galleries". Herald Sun. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  13. ↑ Badel, Peter (2012-09-30). "Melbourne Storm beat Canterbury Bulldogs in 2012 NRL grand final". News.com.au. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  14. ↑ Toohey, Barry (2012-09-30). "Our player ratings for the NRL grand final between Canterbury and the Melbourne Storm". News.com.au. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  15. ↑ "Live Blog Australia v New Zealand". Theaustralian.com.au. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  16. ↑ "Bulldogs Beat Tigers 40-4 in NRL Round 8". Dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  17. ↑ "Bulldogs Big Men Take Over as Dugan's Heroics in Vain". Theaustralian.com.au. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  18. ↑ Bott, Richard. "Australia 34 New Zealand 2: Kangaroos crowned world champions | Daily Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  19. ↑ "World Cup final player ratings". NRL.com. 2013-12-01. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  20. ↑ Paul Zalunardo. "South Sydney Rabbitohs v Canterbury Bulldogs". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  21. ↑ "Broncos Keep Their Finals Hopes Alive with a 41-10 Victory over Bulldogs". Couriermail.com.au. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  22. ↑ Adrian Proszenko (2014-08-20). "Sam Kasiano ruled out for rest of the NRL season". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  23. ↑ "Sam Kasiano Try Saving Tackle on Jorge Taufua Secures Pacific Test Win for Samoa Against Tonga". Foxsports.com.au. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  24. ↑ David Sygall (2015-07-31). "Sam Kasiano flattened by massive Kane Evans hit in Bulldogs v Roosters NRL match". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  25. ↑ "NRL finals: Sydney Roosters beat Canterbury Bulldogs after video referee howler". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  26. ↑ "Custom Match List". Rugby League Project. 2015-10-23. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  27. ↑ "Bulldogs name 2016 Nines squad - Rugby League Week". Rugby League Week. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  28. ↑ "Live NRL: Melbourne Storm v Canterbury Bulldogs". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  29. ↑ http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/samoa-too-good-for-tonga-in-fiery-pacific-test-clash-at-pirtek-stadium/news-story/aa55d4e66b709a32a0637457807f329e
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