Jeff Lima
Encyclopedia
Jeff Lima is a professional rugby league
footballer for the Wigan Warriors
of Europe's Super League
. A New Zealand international representative front-row forward, he previously played in Australasia's NRL for Wests Tigers
and Melbourne Storm
(with whom he won the 2007
and 2009 NRL grand final
s) as well as France's Elite One Championship
for the Saint-Gaudens Bears.
heritage, Lima was educated at Auckland's De La Salle College, Mangere East
. His junior club was the Mangere East Hawks
. Lima moved to Sydney where he attended Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown
.
with Sydney's Wests Tigers
club.
as well as the New Zealand national side to play Australia on 14 October.
In August 2008, Lima was named in the New Zealand training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
, and in October 2008, he was named in the final 24-man Kiwi squad.
Lima played at prop in the Storm's loss in the 2008 NRL grand final
. He was then forced to withdraw from New Zealand's squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
through injury.
Lima played from the interchange bench in the Storm's 2009 NRL grand final
victory over Parramatta. He then played at prop for Melbourne's victory over Super League
champions Leeds Rhinos
in the 2010 World Club Challenge
. However, months later, these and all previous honours achieved by the Melbourne club during Lima's time there were stripped by the NRL when long-term systematic breaches of the salary cap
at the club were uncovered. Lima and his teammates were also prevented from playing for premiership points in the 2010 NRL season
as the club tried to offload players to bring them within the salary cap. In July 2010, Lima signed with English Super League
club Wigan Warriors
.
in the Wigan Warriors
' 28 - 18 win over Leeds Rhinos
in the Challenge Cup
Final at Wembley, becoming the first prop to win the trophy since Brian Lockwood
in 1980.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer for the Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
of Europe's Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
. A New Zealand international representative front-row forward, he previously played in Australasia's NRL for Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
and Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
(with whom he won the 2007
2007 NRL grand final
The 2007 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive, premiership-deciding match of the 2007 NRL season. Played between the first-placed Melbourne Storm and second-placed Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles at Telstra Stadium on September 30, in front of 81,392 spectators. It was the fourth NRL Grand Final played...
and 2009 NRL grand final
2009 NRL Grand Final
The 2009 NRL Grand Final was a rugby league football game played on 4 October 2009 at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney. It was the 12th annual championship game of the National Rugby League staged to decide the premiers of the 2009 NRL season....
s) as well as France's Elite One Championship
Elite One Championship
The Elite One Championship is the top tier French professional domestic rugby league competition....
for the Saint-Gaudens Bears.
Biography
Of SamoanSamoans
The Samoan people are a Polynesian ethnic group of the Samoan Islands, sharing genetics, language, history and culture. Due to colonialism, the home islands are politically and geographically divided between the country of Samoa, official name Independent State of Samoa ; and American Samoa, an...
heritage, Lima was educated at Auckland's De La Salle College, Mangere East
De La Salle College, Mangere East
De La Salle College is an integrated Catholic secondary boys' school Auckland, New Zealand. Established in 1953 by the De La Salle Brothers, it continues to educate young men in the Catholic faith and Christian values. Students are encouraged to develop every aspect of their person and a strong...
. His junior club was the Mangere East Hawks
Mangere East Hawks
The Mangere East Hawks are a rugby league based in Mangere, New Zealand. The Hawks compete in Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial competition.-History:The club was founded in 1964, before this teams from the area had been attached to the Otahuhu club...
. Lima moved to Sydney where he attended Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown
Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown
Patrician Brothers' College, Blacktown is a Roman Catholic, independent secondary, day school for boys, located in Blacktown, a western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.-History:...
.
Wests Tigers
Lima debuted in the National Rugby LeagueNational Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
with Sydney's Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
club.
Melbourne Storm
Lima was rewarded for his good form throughout the 2007 NRL season's finals with selection on the interchange bench for the Storm's victory in the 2007 NRL grand final2007 NRL grand final
The 2007 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive, premiership-deciding match of the 2007 NRL season. Played between the first-placed Melbourne Storm and second-placed Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles at Telstra Stadium on September 30, in front of 81,392 spectators. It was the fourth NRL Grand Final played...
as well as the New Zealand national side to play Australia on 14 October.
In August 2008, Lima was named in the New Zealand training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
, and in October 2008, he was named in the final 24-man Kiwi squad.
Lima played at prop in the Storm's loss in the 2008 NRL grand final
2008 NRL Grand Final
The 2008 NRL Grand Final was a rugby league football match played between the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and the Melbourne Storm, held on Sunday, 5 October at ANZ Stadium in Sydney to determine the 2008 Telstra Premiership....
. He was then forced to withdraw from New Zealand's squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
through injury.
Lima played from the interchange bench in the Storm's 2009 NRL grand final
2009 NRL Grand Final
The 2009 NRL Grand Final was a rugby league football game played on 4 October 2009 at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney. It was the 12th annual championship game of the National Rugby League staged to decide the premiers of the 2009 NRL season....
victory over Parramatta. He then played at prop for Melbourne's victory over Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
champions Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
in the 2010 World Club Challenge
2010 World Club Challenge
-Teams:-Match details:-First half:Leeds almost scored early in the first half when Brent Webb ran over but he was held up by Luke MacDougall on the last tackle. Soon after they posted the first points with a penalty goal to captain Kevin Sinfield. Soon after Melbourne drew level with a penalty goal...
. However, months later, these and all previous honours achieved by the Melbourne club during Lima's time there were stripped by the NRL when long-term systematic breaches of the salary cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
at the club were uncovered. Lima and his teammates were also prevented from playing for premiership points in the 2010 NRL season
2010 NRL season
The 2010 NRL season was the 103rd season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the thirteenth run by the National Rugby League. The season commenced on 12 March and ended with the Grand Final, played on 3 October at ANZ Stadium...
as the club tried to offload players to bring them within the salary cap. In July 2010, Lima signed with English Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
club Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
.
Wigan Warriors
In August 2011, Lima was awarded the Lance Todd TrophyLance Todd Trophy
The Lance Todd Trophy is awarded to the Man-of-the-Match in rugby league football's Challenge Cup Final.The trophy was introduced in 1946, in memory of Lance Todd, the New Zealand-born player and administrator, who was killed in a road accident during the Second World War...
in the Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
' 28 - 18 win over Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
in the Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
Final at Wembley, becoming the first prop to win the trophy since Brian Lockwood
Brian Lockwood
Brian Lockwood was a Rugby League World Cup winning footballer of the 1970s and 80s. He played for Canterbury-Bankstown, Balmain, Widnes, Hull KR, Castleford, Wakefield Trinity and for the Great Britain national side...
in 1980.