Born: March 10, 1987 – Auckland
Test record: 28 Tests (2007-10, 2012-16) – 3 tries (12 points)
Tours: 2007 tour of Britain and France, 2008 World Cup, 2009 Four Nations, 2010 Four Nations, 2013 World Cup, 2014 Four Nations, 2016 Tri Nations

A burly lock with the skills of a half, Greg Eastwood’s decade in the New Zealand team included roles in three tournament triumphs, while he played over 250 games in the top flight for Brisbane, Canterbury and Leeds.

The Manurewa Marlins junior was an 18-year-old NRL debutant for the Broncos in 2005 and played 16 games the following season, though he did not feature in the eventual premiers’ finals campaign. He subsequently featured in New Zealand A’s thrashing of an Australian Invitational line-up in Melbourne.

Showing his versatility early in his career by making appearances at centre, wing and five-eighth for the Broncos, Eastwood became a permanent first-choice option in 2007 – predominantly at lock – and made his Kiwis debut off the bench in the Anzac Test loss to the Kangaroos at Suncorp Stadium.

Eastwood toured with New Zealand at the end of the year, scoring a try in the All Golds’ exhibition match victory over Northern Union, and featuring the first two Tests of the series whitewash defeat to Great Britain.

Despite missing out on the team for the Centenary Test early in 2008, the 21-year-old featured in all five matches of the Kiwis’ triumphant World Cup campaign, scoring a try in the pool win against Papua New Guinea and playing his part in the 34-20 boilover against the Kangaroos in the final.

Eastwood signed with Leeds Rhinos on a three-year deal from 2009 but his UK visa was denied. He linked with the Bulldogs instead – helping the club to a second-place finish and a preliminary final appearance – and represented New Zealand in the Anzac Test, a one-off clash with Tonga and the Four Nations win over France in Toulouse.

Belatedly joining Leeds in 2010, he played in the club’s Challenge Cup final loss but returned to the Bulldogs after lining up in all five Tests of the Kiwis’ post-season program – again scoring a try against the Kumuls and coming off the bench in the Brisbane-hosted Four Nations final victory over Australia.

Eastwood was hampered by injury in 2011 and did not play for New Zealand. But he returned impressively in 2012, starring at lock as Canterbury took out the minor premiership and reached the grand final (a 14-4 loss to Melbourne) before turning out in the Kiwis’ loss to the Kangaroos in Townsville.

His only appearance at the 2013 World Cup was in a pool win over France – scoring a try – but the tough ball-player was superb as the Bulldogs made an unlikely charge to the 2014 grand final. He was equally valuable to the New Zealand cause that year, featuring in the Anzac Test for the first time in five years and celebrating in the twin wins over Australia in the Four Nations tournament at the end of the year.

Eastwood rounded out an underrated Kiwis tenure by enjoying a fifth career win over the Kangaroos in the drought-breaking 2015 Anzac Test victory, and lining up in four Tests in 2016 – the Anzac Test and three Four Nations fixtures. His last appearance for New Zealand was in the loss to Australia at the final in Anfield.

After playing the last of 177 NRL games for the Bulldogs in 2018, Eastwood shone in the club’s NSW Cup grand final and State Championship victories that year. He signed with Newtown Jets for 2019 and helped the club win both competitions, then joined lower-tier club Glebe and was part of its drive to a historic Ron Massey Cup grand final appearance in 2022.