Apisai Koroisau

Apisai Koroisau (born 7 November 1992) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League. A Fiji national representative and premiership winner with the Rabbitohs, he plays at hooker and five-eighth and previously played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Penrith Panthers.

Born in Sydney, New South Wales, Koroisau is of Fijian descent and played his junior football for the Berala Bears, before being signed by the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Koroisau played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs NYC team in 2011 and 2012, before moving on to the Rabbitohs New South Wales Cup team, the North Sydney Bears, in 2013. In October 2013, Koroisau was named in the Fijian 2013 World Cup squad. Koroisau made his debut for Fiji in Round 1 of the tournament against Ireland in the 32-14 win at Spotland Stadium. Koroisau played in 4 matches in the tournament.

2014

In Round 4 of the 2014 NRL season, Koroisau made his NRL debut for the South Sydney Rabbitohs at hooker against the Canberra Raiders in the Rabbitohs 30-18 loss at ANZ Stadium. In Round 8 ANZAC Day match against the Brisbane Broncos, Koroisau scored his first NRL career try, and the games opening try, in the Rabbitohs last minute 28-26 penalty goal win at Suncorp Stadium. On 3 June 2014, Koroisau signed a 2-year contract with the Penrith Panthers starting in 2015. In the week leading up the Rabbitohs 2014 NRL Grand Final match against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, after Rabbitohs hooker Issac Luke was ruled out from the Grand Final for his high tackle on Sydney Roosters player Sonny Bill Williams a week earlier in the Rabbitohs 32-22 Preliminary Final win, Koroisau was Luke’s replacement at hooker for the match on 5 October 2014, in the Rabbitohs 30-6 Grand Final victory. Koroisau was rated a 7 out of 10 player rating by Rugby League Week for his performance in the Grand Final. Koroisau finished his debut year in the NRL in 2014 season with him playing in 14 matches and scoring a try for the Rabbitohs.

2015

On 24 January 2015, Koroisau was named in the Panthers' 2015 Auckland Nines squad. On 2 May 2015, he played for Fiji against Papua New Guinea in the 2015 Melanesian Cup. On 2 July 2015, he signed a 3-year contract with the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles starting in 2016, after being released from the final year of his Panthers contract. He finished off his one and only season with the Panthers having playing in 16 matches, scoring 1 try and kicking 4 goals.

2016

In Round 1 of the 2016 NRL season, Koroisau made his club debut for the Sea Eagles against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, starting at hooker in the Sea Eagles' 8-26 loss at Brookvale Oval. However, he was dropped to New South Wales Cup in favour of Matt Parcell after the Sea Eagles lost 22-36 to the Wests Tigers in Round 2 at Leichhardt Oval. He was recalled to the team for their Round 5 match against his former club the Rabbitohs following an ankle injury that ruled out representative halfback Daly Cherry-Evans. Playing at halfback, Koroisau scored his first club try for the Sea Eagles in their 12-16 loss at Brookvale Oval. Despite the loss, his performance on the night won him the Man of the Match award from match broadcaster Channel 9. He backed up his performance against the Rabbitohs when he was again one of Manly's leading players in their 34-18 away win over the New Zealand Warriors in Round 6.