HIS first suicide attempt happened at just the tender age of seven.

He was planning to stab himself in the chest.

Later he would try to shoot himself in the head by using a 12-gauge shotgun and then came the attempts to hang himself.

Remarkably his efforts to take his life were in the midst of his professional rugby league career and all while under the influence of drugs.

This is Solomon Haumono’s very raw and very real life story.

“Stuff was happening at home and I remember I grabbed a kitchen knife and I was going to drive it through my chest,” Haumono revealed to On The Couch With Sterlo.

“My dad saw it and stopped me and gave me a hiding.

Solomon Haumono playing for Manly. Source: News Corp Australia

“That was the first time and then leading throughout the football career — many times.

“Numerous times — I tried to hang myself and stuff. The big fella has bigger plans for me. He’s not ready for me to go yet.”

When he began his professional career with Manly in 1994, Haumono was a troubled soul.

Having started drinking alcohol at an early age, it was only a matter of time before he was experimenting with heavier substances.

“We were drinking at cemetery at 12-13 (years of age),” he revealed.

“I went from that to marijuana and that snowballed along. I was getting into speed, cocaine and eventually ice. This was all happening too during the football.

“The limited opportunity — I’m to blame for it.

“I was like a cyclone at the time.”

Former rugby league player, now boxer, Solomon Haumono. Source: News Corp Australia

Shockingly, in 2000 Haumono went from taking drugs to manufacturing them.

Having left Balmain to join St George Illawarra at the end of 2009, then Dragons coach David Waite was without his star recruit for the pre-season.

“I had missed the whole off-season and went missing for the first three months,” he explained.

“I was hanging around with friends that had a different path to me — they were notorious to the police.

“I was on bad terms because I had missed the first three months … what would any club do? But they (the Dragons) gave me the opportunity and I stayed there and I ended up playing a game against Melbourne and that was the worst defeat we’ve had in the Dragons colours — that was 70-0.”

During that time he was still using.

Haumono said it was mainly social drugs; “cocaine and ecstasy and never ending amount of marijuana” as an escape.

Solomon Haumono playing for the Dragons. Source: News Corp Australia

Soon he later escaped the spotlight of playing in the NRL by taking a two-year sabbatical to try his hand at boxing.

He fought eight times between 2000 and 2002 and won them all before returning to Manly and later London Broncos in the Super League.

Now aged 40 and a different person to aggressive forward who would self-medicate as an outlet from reality, Haumono is fighting a battle of a different kind.

The heavyweight boxer boasts a professional record of 23 wins, 21 by way of knockout, 2 losses and 2 draws — Haumono steps into the ring next on 27 April with a win catapulting him into a top 10 ranking.

“World title — it’s always been a lifelong dream,” he said of what’s next.

“I believe I can do it. I know nothing can stop me except myself.”

If you, or someone you know needs support please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or log on to www.lifeline.org.au/preventsuicide