Thomas Mikaele Explained

Thomas Mikaele
Birth Date:11 January 1998
Birth Place:Auckland, New Zealand
Height:192cm (76inches)
Weight:115kg (254lb)
Year1start:2019
Year1end:22
Appearances1:66
Tries1:0
Goals1:0
Fieldgoals1:0
Points1:0
Year2start:2022
Year2end:23
Appearances2:18
Tries2:4
Goals2:0
Fieldgoals2:0
Points2:16
Year3start:2023
Appearances3:1
Tries3:0
Goals3:0
Fieldgoals3:0
Points3:0
Club4:Warrington Wolves
Year4start:2023
Appearances4:7
Tries4:0
Goals4:0
Fieldgoals4:0
Points4:0
Club5:Nth Qld Cowboys
Year5start:2024
Year5end:present
Appearances5:11
Tries5:0
Goals5:0
Fieldgoals5:0
Points5:0
New:yes
Source:[1]
Updated:17 August 2024

Thomas Mikaele (born 11 January 1998) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League (NRL).

He previously played for the Wests Tigers, Gold Coast Titans and Warrington Wolves.

Background

Mikaele was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and is of Samoan descent.[2]

He grew up in Ipswich, Queensland and played his junior rugby league for the Goodna Eagles. From 2015 to 2016, while attending Keebra Park State High School, he was selected twice for the Australian Schoolboys.[3]

Playing career

In 2014, Mikaele played for the Ipswich Jets in the Cyril Connell Cup, before moving up to their Mal Meninga Cup team in 2015. In 2015, he was selected in the Queensland under-18 team, scoring a try in their 22–18 win over New South Wales.[4] In 2016, he again represented the Queensland under-18 team, starting at prop in a loss to New South Wales.[5]

In 2017, Mikaele joined the Wests Tigers, playing for their NRL Under-20s and Jersey Flegg Cup sides.[6] [7]

2019

In Round 1 of the 2019 NRL season, Mikaele made his NRL debut against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles at Leichhardt Oval.[8] [9] He made 23 appearances over the course of the season, only missing one game in first grade, and re-signed with the Tigers until the end of the 2021 season.[10] Starting the season from the bench, he finished playing in the starting team at prop. He was one of the competition's leaders in attracting defenders, with 4 needed for 65% of his attacking runs.[11]

At season's end, Mikaele was diagnosed with keratoconus. He said, "I couldn't see about 15 metres in front of me so a ball coming to me was hard to catch at times or something happening further up the field. I didn't realise I had eye problems beyond just needing glasses. I started having a lot of handling errors from last year and then over the off-season. I noticed at training I couldn't see as far even with my contacts in."

2020

Mikaele played 18 games for Wests in the 2020 NRL season. The club missed the finals by finishing 11th on the table.[12]

2021

Mikaele played a total of 19 games for the Wests Tigers in the 2021 NRL season as the club finished a disappointing 13th and missed the finals.[13]

2022

On 23 May, he was granted an immediate release from his Wests Tigers contract to join English side Warrington on a two-and-a-half-year deal.[14]

2023

On 31 March, Mikaele was granted an immediate release from his Warrington contract on compassionate grounds. Mikaele then signed a contract to join the Gold Coast. Mikaele left Warrington despite the club sitting on top of the Super League table.[15] While with the Titans, Mikaele played just one game, spending the majority of his time with the Burleigh Bears in the Queensland Cup.[16]

On 2 August, Warrington re-signed Mikaele for the remainder of the season, three days after coach Daryl Powell left the club by mutual consent following a run of eight losses in nine games.[17] [18]

On 7 December, he joined the North Queensland Cowboys on a one-year development contract.[19]

2024

On 27 February, after two tries in a trial against Canberra, Mikaele was promoted to the Cowboys' Top 30 squad.[20]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/thomas-mikaele/summary.html Rugby League Project
  2. Web site: Warrington’s proud Samoan Thomas Mikaele with a World Cup ambition. 8 June 2022. Love Rugby League.
  3. News: Aussie schoolboy links with Tigers. The Courier Mail. 29 August 2016. Benwilmott. By.
  4. Web site: Queensland Under 18 team. 2 June 2015.
  5. Web site: QLD Under 18 team. 8 June 2016.
  6. Web site: Holden Cup Team Update: Round 7. 16 April 2017.
  7. Web site: DEBUTANT WATCH | Blayke Brailey gets the nod. 12 March 2019.
  8. Web site: Round 1 NRL team lists. NRL.com. 12 March 2019.
  9. Web site: Brendan Elliot's minute of madness bombs a certain try. Sporting News.
  10. Web site: Thomas Mikaele re-signs with Wests Tigers. 31 May 2019.
  11. Web site: nrl.com . 'I couldn't see 15 metres in front of me': Mikaele's rookie hurdle. Alicia Newton . 10 March 2020.
  12. Web site: Wests Tigers doomed to another finals miss in 2021, Peter Sterling predicts. wwos.nine.com.au.
  13. News: Wests Tigers fans savage the club's new-look logo. News.com.au. 6 October 2021. Conrad. Alex.
  14. Web site: Broncos extend in-demand centre; Tiger makes sudden exit for Super League — Transfer Centre. www.foxsports.com.au.
  15. Web site: Warrington confirm Mikaele short-term return. warringtonwolves.com.
  16. Web site: Affiliate wrap: Burleigh, Tweed go down in tough contests. 5 June 2023. GC Titans.
  17. Web site: Wire confirm departure of Daryl Powell. warringtonguardian.co.uk.
  18. Web site: Mikaele to join the Gold Coast Titans. warringtonguardian.co.uk.
  19. Web site: Mikaele joins Cowboys. 7 December 2023. NQ Cowboys.
  20. https://twitter.com/nthqldcowboys/status/1762373939253379323