It was a play so improbable, so unlikely and it sent the NRL world ‘Leka-crazy’ for the following 48 hours.
In his first New Zealand interview of the season, Halasima admits it is still a special memory.
“I don’t know [how it happened],” Halasima told the Herald.
“Like when the ball came to me, I didn’t know what to do.”
Halasima was seemingly covered – with three defenders in the vicinity. His sharp acceleration took him away but there was still so much to do.
“Everyone was swarming and everything, I just had to back myself and run,” says Halasima.
“I just run straight and try to beat the fullback, but when I put it down, I was like, holy, I didn’t know how I would get here.”
As well as giving the Warriors a last-gasp victory, the sensational sequence only adding to the exploding hype about the 19-year-old.
Leka Halasima makes the break that leads to him scoring the winning try against Newcastle Photo: David Neilson / www.photosport.nz
It also made him off-limits to media for the rest of the season, as all requests were politely turned down, with the club keen to protect him from the spotlight, aware of the dangers.
But Halasima says the attention and fame – including being recognised on the streets all around Auckland, in Sydney and in Brisbane – hasn’t had an impact.
“To be honest, it doesn’t really get to me,” says Halasima.
“I’m still the same person who I am now. I’m just being myself.”
That has been backed up by teammates and club officials, who say Halasima has barely changed.
He’s more confident – and a bit more vocal – but otherwise the same humble kid that turned up from Māngere East Hawks five or six years ago.
That bodes well, as the expectation and pressure will only increase from here, after a stunning campaign.
Halasima had turned heads last season – going oh-so-close to a remarkable debut try against the Bulldogs – but was restricted to four interchange appearances towards the end of the season.
This year he has become a mainstay, making 25 appearances.
“From the first round, when I got picked, I just wanted to prove myself,” said Halasima.
“That I can stay in this team, staying in the main team and starting as well. I wanted to prove to myself that I could keep my spot.”
Halasima has done much more than that, becoming one of the Warriors’ greatest attacking weapons.
He scored a team high 13 tries and many were highlight reel moments – from the bullocking sideline run against the Tigers in round four to the impressive double against the Eels two weeks ago.
“Yeah it is pretty special,” laughed Halasima.
“Thirteen tries – hopefully more to come next year.”
But his favourite memories from a standout season aren’t what you might think.
“I wouldn’t say it’s about my tries or on-field stuff,” said Halasima.
“My favourite moments are playing with new players that I’ve met and playing with [the] brothers as well, having that connection and bond. They were the best moments that I had.”
Halasima has also enjoyed performing for his family, both here and in Tonga.
“They are proud,” said Halasima.
“They’re always backing me as well, every game. My mum always sends me messages for two days before the game, saying ‘good luck, son’ and ‘all the best and stay safe’. Then after the game she’ll say ‘good game’ and everything.”
Like everyone in the squad, Halasima took defeat hard last Saturday, as the season ended at the hands of Penrith.
Given little hope before the match, the Warriors fronted up but the experience and professionalism of the Panthers was ultimately the difference in the 24-8 defeat.
“The boys went after them, the way we were prepping through the week,” said Halasima. “It felt like we did good, but we didn’t get the result that we wanted.”
Publicly, Halasima was a late switch to centre, though he says coach Andrew Webster informed him last Tuesday.
“I was low key nervous but had it under my belt,” said Halasima.
“I played centres when I was young. I felt like I still had it. I wasn’t too bothered – it was just another job.”
He acquitted himself well – carrying for 128m, a constant threat on the edge and scoring an impressive try, even if there were a couple of handling lapses towards the end.
Halasima will now enjoy a couple of weeks off, likely to head to Melbourne to see his partner. She has visited Auckland “around 10 times” this year but otherwise they have maintained a long-distance relationship.
Halasima should feature for Tonga in the Pacific Championships – “I’ll see how it goes – if I get picked or not” – before another pre-season rolls round.
Halasima has a lot in front of him – and could be anything – but the 2025 season will always be remembered as the one that established the legend.
Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.