Born: May 30, 1967 – Auckland
Test record: 25 Tests (1988-90, 1995-98) – 4 tries (16 points)
Tours: 1995 World Cup, 1998 tour of Britain

Tony Iro represented New Zealand in 25 Tests across two distinct periods – the first as a giant winger, the second as a game-breaking second-rower – and played for Wigan, Leigh, Manly, Eastern Suburbs, Hunter Mariners, Adelaide and South Sydney in a 13-season professional career.

Securing a contract with Wigan during the 1987-88 season on the recommendation of star recruit and younger Kevin, who had debuted for the Kiwis that year, Iro was a relative rugby league novice but impressed enough to nail down a spot on the wing. He scored a try in the 1988 Challenge Cup final victory over Halifax in just his 11th appearance.

The 21-year-old broke into the New Zealand team for the World Cup final in 1988, with winger Tony and centre Kevin scoring the Kiwis’ tries in a bitterly disappointing 25-12 loss to Australia at Eden Park. Another Challenge Cup triumph awaited the brothers with Wigan in 1989, after which Tony featured on the wing in the first two Tests of the home series against the Kangaroos.

After missing the tour of Britain and France at the end of 1989, Iro linked with his Wigan coach, Graham Lowe, at Manly. He was an immediate success in the Winfield Cup with the Sea Eagles in 1990 and was recalled by the Kiwis, playing all three Tests at home against Great Britain and scoring a try in the series opener against Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby.

That would be Iro’s last appearance in the national side for five years, but his career gained a second wind after transitioning to the second-row under incoming Manly coach Bob Fulton in 1993. He joined the Roosters in 1994 and returned to the Kiwis set-up during the 1995 series against the Kangaroos, playing in the last two Tests.

Iro was subsequently named in New Zealand’s World Cup squad, playing all three matches and scoring a try as a major part of an unforgettable semi-final comeback against Australia, which the Kiwis ultimately lost in extra-time.

The rangy, skilful forward would piece together a run of 17 consecutive Tests. He played in all five matches as the Kiwis swept Papua New Guinea and Great Britain at home in 1996 after helping the Roosters end a nine-year absence from the finals; he lined up in both Tests against Super League Australia from the short-lived Hunter Mariners; and featured in the Anzac Test triumph over Australia, both post-season Tests against the Kangaroos and the first two Tests of the series win in Great Britain in 1998, which he spent with the doomed Adelaide Rams.

Iro’s career wound down with a solid season for South Sydney Rabbitohs, who would also be axed from the NRL at the end of 1999.

Moving into he coaching, development and high performance space, Iro was the Warriors’ inaugural NYC coach in 2008, was the club’s caretaker coach for two NRL games following the exit of Brian McClennan late in the 2012 season, and filled myriad assistant coaching and off-field roles with the Warriors and New Zealand Rugby League.