Kulikefu Finefeuiaki (born 21 December 2003) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a second-rower for the Dolphins in the National Rugby League (NRL). He previously played for the North Queensland Cowboys.
Background
Finefeuiaki was born in Auckland and is of Tongan and Samoan descent.[2] He attended Kelston Primary School in New Zealand before moving to Ipswich, Queensland with his family at age eleven.[3]
In Ipswich, he played junior rugby league for the Redbank Plains Bears and attended Ipswich State High School before being signed by the North Queensland Cowboys.[4]
Playing career
Early career
In 2020 and 2021, Finefeuiaki played for the Ipswich Jets in the Mal Meninga Cup.[5][6][7]
In 2022, he moved to Townsville, joining the Cowboys' Young Guns squad.[8][9] That season, he played for the Townsville Blackhawks in the Queensland Cup and Hastings Deering Colts, starting at second-row in the Blackhawks' Colts Grand Final win over the Redcliffe Dolphins.[10][11] In June 2022, he represented Queensland under-19 in their loss to New South Wales.[12]
North Queensland Cowboys (2023-24)
In April, Finefeuiaki was upgraded to a development contract, joining the Cowboys NRL squad.[13]
In round 10 of the 2023 NRL season, Finefeuiaki made his first grade debut in North Queensland's 20–6 win over the Sydney Roosters at Suncorp Stadium.[14] In round 16, he scored his first try in the top grade as North Queensland defeated Penrith 27-23 in golden point extra-time.[15] He played a total of 12 games for North Queensland in the 2023 NRL season as the club finished 11th on the table.[16]
Dolphins (2025-)
In April 2024, the Dolphins signed Finefeuiaki on a three-year contract from 2025.[17]
Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Tries | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 |  North Queensland Cowboys
|
12 | 2 | 4 |
| 2024 | 25 | 3 | 12 | |
| 2025 |  Dolphins
|
|||
| Totals | 37 | 5 | 20 |
References
- ^ "Kulikefu Finefeuiaki - Career Stats & Summary". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ^ "Cowboys wrecking ball that 'gives Dearden nightmares'". Code Sports. 4 May 2023.
- ^ "Kulikefu Finefeuiaki". NQ Cowboy.
- ^ "Rising schoolboy footballer inspired after NRL contract". The Courier Mail. 10 March 2021.
- ^ "Ipswich State High's best school sport stars revealed". The Courier Mail. 13 July 2020.
- ^ "QRL U18 Mal Meninga Cup - 2021 Round 1". LeagueUnlimited. 2 March 2021.
- ^ "QRL U18 Auswide Bank Mal Meninga Cup - 2020 Round 1". LeagueUnlimited. 10 March 2020.
- ^ "Kuli 'is just a good, hard runner of the football'". QRL. 20 June 2022.
- ^ "Updated Young Guns team list: Trial v Mackay Cutters". NQ Cowboys. 26 February 2022.
- ^ "QRL U21 Hastings Deering Colts - 2022 Grand Final". LeagueUnlimited. 20 September 2022.
- ^ "How colossal Cowboys prospect Kulikefu Finefeuiaki overcame adversity for Queensland debut". Townsville Bulletin. 1 February 2023.
- ^ "QRL confirms Queensland Under 19 men's squad". QRL. 16 June 2022.
- ^ "Cowboys blood imposing Finefeuiaki for Roosters clash". Yahoo Sport. 4 May 2023.
- ^ "Cowboys team list: Round 10 v Roosters". NQ Cowboys. 2 May 2023.
- ^ "NRL ScoreCentre: North Queensland Cowboys vs Penrith Panthers — live scores, stats and results". www.abc.net.au.
- ^ "NRL 2023: North Queensland Cowboys season review". www.sportingnews.com.
- ^ "Finefeuiaki to join Dolphins from 2025". www.dolphinsnrl.com.au.