Keenan Palasia
Keenan Palasia (born 24 January 1997) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward for the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL.
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Keenan Palasia | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 24 January 1997 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 192 cm (6 ft 4 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 110 kg (17 st 5 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Second-row, Lock | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
As of 11 October 2020 Source: [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Background
Palasia was born in the Logan area of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia & raised on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. He is of Maori & Samoan descent, his mother being Maori & his father is Samoan. Palasia is also the eldest nephew of former NRL player and Cronulla Sharks 2016 premiership winning centre, Ricky Leutele (the youngest brother of Keenan's father) who now plays in the English Superleague for Toronto Wolfpack. Palasia has a younger brother, Saiah who was born in 2001 on the Gold Coast.
Keenan was born in Logan, Brisbane but he & his family moved to the Gold Coast in 1997 when he was just 2 weeks old & he was raised on the Gold Coast for over 17 years until he graduated from Palm Beach-Currumbin High School in 2014 then moved to Brisbane to commence his 1st preseason with Brisbane Broncos Under 20s.
He played his 1st rugby league game at age 10 for Parkwood Sharks Junior Rugby League club & later played his teenage years for Nerang Roosters Junior Rugby League.
Keenan played schoolboy Rugby League for Palm Beach-Currumbin High School (PBC) from 2010-2014 and was also a part of the 2014 PBC Reds team playing 2nd Row in the GIO Cup Open Schoolboys QLD final winning against Wavell High School alongside Keegan Hipgrave
Career
On 7 July 2019 Palasia made his NRL debut for the Broncos against the Cronulla Sharks.
Early career
In 2012, Palasia who was in the Gold Coast Titans development system since age 13, played in the under-16s Gold Coast Titans Cyril Connell Cup side as a 15-year-old.
In 2012, he represented the Queensland under-15 Schoolboys rugby league team alongside Jaydn Su'a & Keegan Hipgrave in Darwin.
Also in 2012, he represented the QLD Samoa under-16 rugby league team as a 15 year old in the annual QLD Pacific Island Cultural Rugby League game winning against QLD Maori alongside George Fai & JJ Collins.
In 2013, he captained the under-16 Gold Coast Green rugby league team in the Cyril Connell Cup competition.
That same year, he was a part of the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) Rugby League team which toured New Zealand and won both games against New Zealand residents playing second row.
Also in 2013, Palasia represented QLD Samoa under-16 Rugby League team in the annual QLD Pacific Island Cultural Rugby League Carnival winning the competition alongside Jaydn Su'A &Phillip Sami
In November 2013, Palasia signed with the Brisbane Broncos.
In 2014, he played for Gold Coast White under-18 team as a 17 year old in the Mal Meninga Cup competition.
Also in 2014, Palasia represented the Queensland under-18 Open Schoolboys rugby league team as a 17 year old.
In 2015, Palasia represented the Queensland 18yrs State of Origin rugby league team, under coach Anthony Seibold, in Melbourne at the State of Origin opener at the MCG winning against NSW alongside Keegan Hipgrave, Jaydn Su'a & Gehamat Shibasaki.
In 2017, Keenan represented the Queensland under-20 rugby league team under coach Justin Hodges at Suncorp Stadium alongside Brodie Croft, Phillip Sami & AJ Brimson
In 2019, Palasia represented the Queensland Residents rugby league team in second row winning against NSW at Dolphin Stadium, Redcliffe alongside fellow ISC Wynnum Manly Seagulls team mates Mitch Cronin, Delouise Hoeter, Richie Kennar & Sam Scarlett.