Tony Puletua

Hard-running schoolboy centre was turned into a rampaging forward by Penrith coach Royce Simmons in the late 1990s. Earning Kiwi Test selection in 1999, Tony Puletua recovered from a neck injury suffered in the Panthers’ semi-final loss to Canberra to represent NZ in the 2000 World Cup. (Interestingly, his older brother Frank played for Samoa in the same competition). After returning from another injury in early 2001 Puletua was virtually unsighted during Penrith’s poor 2001 season. He more than made up for it in 2003 though, forming a great partnership with back-rower Joe Galuvao as the Panthers won the premiership. Puletua took his Test tally to 17 at the end of 2004, enjoying a win over Australia in October 2003 and a 16-all draw a year later, but was ruled out of the Kiwis’ Tri Nation campaign because of injury. In 2006 he was named Penrith captain after halfback Craig Gower was stripped of the honour and fined for misbehaviour but the Panthers failed to return to the finals.