39 Facts About Suaia Matagi

Suaia Matagi is both a New Zealand and Samoan international.

Suaia Matagi previously played for the New Zealand Warriors, the Sydney Roosters, the Penrith Panthers and the Parramatta Eels in the NRL, and the Huddersfield Giants and the Castleford Tigers in the Super League.

Suaia Matagi has spent time on dual registration from Castleford at Halifax Panthers in the Championship.

Suaia Matagi attended Kelston Boys' High School before dropping out at age 14, having become involved in gang violence, and heavy alcohol abuse.

In 2006, at the age of 17, Suaia Matagi was sentenced to three years in prison for assaulting two boys during a drunken rage that occurred when he was 15.

Suaia Matagi served his sentence at Mount Eden Prison, and later Manawatu Prison; his participation in rehabilitation courses saw him granted parole after one year.

Suaia Matagi played for the Te Atatu Roosters, and later the Mount Albert Lions in the Auckland Rugby League competition.

Suaia Matagi was selected to play for the Auckland representative team, and the New Zealand Residents for four consecutive years between 2009 and 2012.

Suaia Matagi made his debut for the Auckland Vulcans, the New Zealand Warriors' feeder team, in the New South Wales Cup on 3 April 2010.

Suaia Matagi played regularly for the Vulcans in 2012, and was named 2012 New Zealand domestic player of the year.

Suaia Matagi trialed with the Warriors during the 2013 pre-season, impressing coach Matthew Elliott enough to earn an NRL contract.

Suaia Matagi made his NRL debut for the Warriors on 11 May 2013 against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at Westpac Stadium.

Suaia Matagi played 11 games for the Warriors in 2013, scoring a try in their match against the Penrith Panthers in round 23.

On 22 September 2013, Suaia Matagi was named at prop in the 2013 New South Wales Cup Team of the Year.

Suaia Matagi was a member of the Warriors' squad that played in the 2014 and 2015 Auckland Nines pre-season tournaments.

On 2 March 2014, Suaia Matagi re-signed with the Warriors until the end of 2016.

Suaia Matagi played in all 24 of the Warriors' regular season games in 2014, but played in only 1 game during the first half of 2015 before being dropped to the Warriors' New South Wales Cup team.

In May 2015, Suaia Matagi requested, and was granted, a release from his contract with the Warriors in order to sign with the Sydney Roosters effective immediately.

On 4 November 2015, Suaia Matagi signed a one-year contract with the Penrith Panthers, with an option for a second year.

Suaia Matagi was a late addition to the Panthers' 2016 Auckland Nines squad following an injury to Reagan Campbell-Gillard.

Suaia Matagi was a regular for the Panthers' in 2016, playing a total of 23 games.

In November 2016, Suaia Matagi signed a two-year contract with the Parramatta Eels.

Suaia Matagi was part of the Parramatta side which finished fourth on the table and made the finals for the first time since 2009.

In 2018, Suaia Matagi started the first two games of the season from the interchange bench.

Suaia Matagi played a total of nine games for Parramatta in the 2018 NRL season as the club endured a horrid campaign finishing last on the table.

In June 2018, Suaia Matagi was selected to play for NSW residents against the QLD residents side.

On 1 July 2018, Suaia Matagi signed a two-year deal to join English side Huddersfield beginning in 2019.

Suaia Matagi said of the move "I am extremely excited to take my football to the next level under the leadership of coach Simon Woolford and I'm looking forward to the challenge of playing in the English Super League, joining a proud club like the Huddersfield Giants is a privilege and I will represent our fans to the best of my ability".

On 25 November 2020, it was reported that Suaia Matagi had signed for the Castleford Tigers in the Super League on a season-long loan from Huddersfield.

Suaia Matagi sustained a calf injury during pre-season training which forced him to miss the start of the season.

On 10 October 2021, it was announced that Suaia Matagi had signed a deal to remain at Castleford on a permanent basis, joining the Tigers on a two-year contract.

Suaia Matagi scored his first try for the Tigers against Wakefield Trinity on 14 April 2022.

Suaia Matagi played a total of 15 matches for Castleford in the 2023 season as the club finished 11th on the table narrowly avoiding relegation.

Suaia Matagi made his international debut for Samoa at the 2013 World Cup, playing in all four of their matches, scoring tries against New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

In May 2014, Suaia Matagi played for Samoa in the 2014 Pacific Rugby League test against Fiji to qualify for the 2014 Four Nations.

In October 2014, Suaia Matagi was named in both the New Zealand and Samoan Four Nations squads.

Suaia Matagi opted to represent New Zealand, playing in one of their four matches, against Samoa.

Suaia Matagi was named in New Zealand's train-on squad for the 2016 Four Nations, but was not included in the final team.

Suaia Matagi is a father of four children with his partner Fai.