Quick Facts
Biography
Samuela "Sam" Moa (born 14 August 1986) is a Tongan Born - New Zealand professional rugby league player who currently plays for the Catalans Dragons in the Super League. A Tonga and New Zealand representative front-row forward, Moa has previously played for the Cronulla Sharks and the Sydney Roosters (with whom he won the 2013 Telstra Premiership) in the National Rugby League and Hull FC in the Super League.
Playing career
Moa started his career at NRL side Wests Tigers before signing with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in 2008 and playing in one National Rugby League match.
He was signed by Hull FC in January 2009 and arrived a week before the club's fixture with Huddersfield Giants which he featured off the bench in his debut. Moa is good friends with fellow Hull F.C. and Tonga team mate Willie Manu and former Hull F.C. and Tonga team mate Epalahame Lauaki (now at Bradford Bulls). The trio were commonly known by the Hull fans as 'The Tongan Mafia'.
Sam signed for the Sydney Roosters for the 2013 NRL season, winning the premiership with them at the end of the season. Many observed that Moa's performance in the grand final was particularly memorable, flattening Manly's Glenn Stewart with an aggressive kick-off return in the 1st minute. Controversially, Moa was not the Churchill Medallist with this being awarded to the Sea Eagles' half-back Daly Cherry-Evans.
Representative career
Moa first played for Tonga in 2006 as part of the 2008 World Cup qualifying series.
Moa was subsequently picked in the 2008 World Cup squad and went on to feature in all three of Tonga's matches at the tournament. However, he has declared himself eligible for selection for New Zealand at the next world cup citing his desire to be part of a world cup winning squad. Despite playing for Tonga against Samoa in the Pacific Rugby League International in April 2013, he played for New Zealand in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.