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Personal information
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Full name | Waisele Ligani Naiqama | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname | No Dramas, Bula, Coconut | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born |
Sutherland, New South Wales, Australia |
19 October 1982 ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 182 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 96 kg (15 st 2 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information
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Position | Centre, Fullback, Wing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 29 July 2016 Source: Rugby League Project, [3] |
Wes Naiqama (born 19 October 1982) is a Fijian Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays for and is the current captain of the London Broncos in the English Championship. He has won 14 caps for the Fiji national rugby league team. He primarily plays centre, fullback and wing, but can also fill in at second-row. He is the older brother of Wests Tigers player and fellow Fiji international, Kevin Naiqama.
Born in Sutherland, New South Wales, Naiqama played his junior football for the Arncliffe Scots and attended James Cook Boys Technology High School before being signed by the St. George Illawarra Dragons. In 2002, he scored 38 points, 5 tries and 9 goals in a Jersey Flegg game for the Dragons against the North Sydney Bears. In Round 4 of the 2005 NRL season he made his NRL debut for the Dragons against the Canberra Raiders.
In 2007, Naiqama signed a contract with the Newcastle Knights starting in 2008, to be a part of the new Brian Smith era at the Knights. In 2008, Naiqama regularly started in the centres or at fullback. He was also chosen as the replacement goal kicker after Kurt Gidley. He was frequently used as a bench utility player in 2009 and 2010 before gaining his spot back in the starting team in 2011, playing in career best form as a centre or fullback. In Round 16 of the 2011 season, Naiqama got the chance to captain the Newcastle Knights for the first time after captain Kurt Gidley and vice-captain Jarrod Mullen were both injured at the same time. He again was named captain in Round 17. In June 2011, after career best form, Naiqama re-signed with the Knights for 3-years after rejecting a contract with his former club, the St. George Illawarra Dragons. In 2012, after injuries and form loss, Naiqama was dropped to NSW Cup after Round 9 by new Knights coach Wayne Bennett.