He made his National Rugby League (NRL) début with the New Zealand Warriors against Northern Eagles in June 2001,[6] and went on to become one of the club's most effective performers.

Before his NRL debut, he had previously played for Papatoetoe in the Auckland competition, and Hibiscus Coast Raiders in the Bartercard Cup.

He was one of the best players for Wigan Warriors in the 2006 Super League season despite damaging his calf muscle in a game against the Warrington Wolves.

Iafeta Paleaaesina played a key role in Wigan Warriors: 2007 squad making a noticeable impact to their performances.

When the player first arrived at Wigan Warriors, he was handed his playing shirt with his name on it, and he returned it, stating that the spelling was incorrect.

[9] In 2016, Paleaaesina played for Doncaster as a dual registration player before joining the club on a permanent basis at the end of the season.