Junior Sa'u


Tafeaga Junior Sa'u is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Leigh Centurions in the Betfred Championship. He has played for New Zealand and Samoa at international level.
He previously played for the Newcastle Knights and the Melbourne Storm in the NRL before joining Super League side Salford Red Devils in 2014. He spent time in 2019 on loan at Wakefield Trinity in the Super League.

Background

Sa'u was born in Auckland, New Zealand to Samoan parents from Lauli'i and Apolima.
He played his junior football for Logan Brothers in Queensland, Australia before being signed by the Canberra Raiders.

Playing career

He played for the Raiders' Premier League team in 2006, scoring 7 tries before signing a 4-year contract starting in 2008 to be a part of the newly cleaned out Newcastle Knights.
In Round 13 of the 2008 NRL season he made his NRL début for the Knights against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. He scored 2 tries on debut. In June 2011, Sa'u re-signed with the Knights for a further 2 years.
On 18 August 2012, Sa'u was released from the final year of his Knights contract and signed with the Melbourne Storm on a 1-year contract starting in 2013.
In June 2013, it was announced that Sa'u had signed a two-year deal with Salford Red Devils in the Super League starting in 2014.
Scoring 12 tries in his début season with Salford, Junior was voted k'Supporter's Player of the Year' for 2014.
On 14 May 2019, after five years with the Red Devils, Sau joined fellow Super League team Wakefield Trinity on an initial one month loan.

Representative career

In 2008, Sa'u was named in the Samoa training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup but did not make the final squad.
In 2009, Sa'u was selected in the New Zealand Kiwis Four Nations squad and made his international début for the Kiwis against Tonga.
In 2010, Sa'u was selected for New Zealand in the 2010 ANZAC Test. He was also again selected in the New Zealand squad for the 2010 Four Nations.
In 2013 Junior played for Samoa in the Pacific Rugby League International against Tonga. He was also called in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup squad to replace the initially selected Roy Asotasi.

Personal life

He is a cousin to Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles player Steve Matai.
In 2009, Sa'u was praised for coming to the aid of a 15-year-old girl who was being assaulted in Waratah, New South Wales.