Lehi Hopoate (born 26 January 2005) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a winger or fullback for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League (NRL) and for Tonga at international level.
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 26 January 2005 Manly, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 82 kg (12 st 13 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Wing, Fullback, Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | St Augustine's College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Father | John Hopoate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | William Hopoate (brother) Jamil Hopoate (brother) Albert Hopoate (brother) Albert Hopoate (uncle) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Background
editHopoate is of Tongan descent through his father John Hopoate who was an Australian, Tongan, and New South Wales State of Origin representative.[2] His older brothers William Hopoate, Jamil Hopoate, and Albert Hopoate also played rugby league professionally.
Hopoate attended St Augustine's College at Brookvale and played his junior rugby league for the Beacon Hill Bears, before being signed by the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles.
Playing career
editEarly years
editHopoate rose through the grades at the Manly Sea Eagles, playing for their Harold Matthews Cup and S. G. Ball Cup sides, also appearing for the New South Wales under-16s side in 2021.
2024
editHopoate made his first grade debut at fullback in place of the injured Tom Trbojevic in his side's 26–20 victory over the Melbourne Storm at Brookvale Oval in round 12 of the 2024 NRL season.[3] In round 19, Hopoate scored two tries for Manly in their 44-6 win over Newcastle.[4] He played a total of 14 games for Manly in the 2024 NRL season, mostly on the wing, as they finished 7th on the table and qualified for the finals. Manly would be eliminated in the second week of the finals by the Sydney Roosters.[5]
Lehi Hopoate's form was such that at the 2024 Manly awards night he won the Ken Arthurson Rising Star Award as the clubs Rookie of the Year.[6] Hopoate was then one of four Manly players named in the Tongan squad (along with Tolu Koula, Haumole Olakau'atu and Taniela Paseka) for the 2024 Pacific Championships.[7] Playing at fullback, Hopoate made his test debut for Tonga on 18 October against Australia at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The Kangaroos won the game 18–0.[8]
Statistics
edit| Year | Team | Games | Tries | Goals | FG | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 |  Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
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14 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | 14 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 36 | |
References
edit- ^ "Lehi Hopoate - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org.
- ^ "Seibold's big hint on huge Turbo position switch amid young gun's record-breaking selection". www.foxsports.com.au.
- ^ "Who is Lehi Hopoate? Manly Sea Eagles rookie from famous family set to make NRL debut". The Sporting News.
- ^ "NRL updates: Manly Sea Eagles defeat Newcastle Knights 44-6 at Brookvale Oval". www.abc.net.au.
- ^ "The Mole's season review: Luke Brooks 'revels' at Manly Sea Eagles but 30 seconds of horror luck ends season". www.nine.com.au.
- ^ Manly Awards night
- ^ Manly Players to Represent Tonga
- ^ Launch New Era with Win over Tonga