Born: December 4, 1962 - Auckland
Test record: 46 Tests (1986-95) - 10 tries (40 points)
Tours: 1986 tour of Australia and Papua New Guinea, 1987 tour of Papua New Guinea and Australia, 1989 tour of Britain and France, 1993 tour of Britain and France, 1994 tour of Papua New Guinea, 1995 World Cup
Northcote Tigers product Gary Freeman broke records for most Tests and most Tests as captain during a decade in the Kiwis jersey (1986-95), and was an influential halfback livewire for Sydney clubs Balmain, Eastern Suburbs, Penrith and Parramatta.
'Whiz' went on to coach New Zealand in 2001-02.
After playing junior football for Bay Roskill Vikings, Freeman was graded by Northcote in 1982 and had stints in England with Kent Invicta and Castleford during the 1983-84 English winter.
Freeman represented Central Districts against Australia in 1985 before becoming a sensation for Auckland the following season and earning a Kiwis call-up for the tour of Australia and Papua New Guinea. He made a tryscoring debut in a losing effort against Riverina and bagged two tries in a win over Wide Bay.
With star 1985 Test incumbent Clayton Friend injured on the eve of the tour, Freeman replaced Shane Cooper at halfback for the second Test of the 1986 series against Australia. He was retained for the third Test as New Zealand suffered a 3-0 whitewash, before scoring a try in the first Test win over Papua New Guinea and playing in the historic loss in the second clash.
Freeman lined up at five-eighth for the one-off Test in Papua New Guinea in 1987 but was relegated to the bench for the 13-6 upset of Australia at Lang Park, with Friend and Cooper preferred in the halves.
The 24-year-old was a spearhead of Northcote's maiden Fox Memorial triumph in 1987, before heading across the Tasman and starring in Balmain's charge to the 1988 grand final, which it lost to Canterbury-Bankstown.
After coming off the bench again at home against Papua New Guinea, a two-try effort from the pine in a crucial 12-10 win over Great Britain in Christchurch - along with his superb performances for the Tigers - helped Freeman earn a five-eighth start alongside Friend for the 25-12 World Cup final loss to Australia at Eden Park.
Back on the bench for the 1989 series opener against Australia, Freeman lined up at halfback for the remaining two Tests of another 3-0 cleansweep loss. He returned from a lengthy, contentious gouging suspension to help Balmain to a second straight grand final - a heartbreaking 19-14 extra-time loss to Canberra.
Freeman was one of the Kiwis' standouts on a patchy 1989 tour of Britain and France, playing all five Tests and scoring tries in the series openers against both nations. He also nabbed a hat-trick in a big win over Leeds.
After playing in all three matches of a 2-1 home series loss to Great Britain, Freeman captained New Zealand for the first time in two Tests in Papua New Guinea. He featured in the one-off loss to Australia in Wellington under the retiring Hugh McGahan's captaincy.
Freeman was sensationally axed by incoming Balmain coach Alan Jones in 1991, but he was nevertheless plucked from reserve grade to lead the Kiwis in two home Tests against France - scoring a try in the first - and in the three-Test series in Australia. He returned from a spell in the sin bin to help guide the Kiwis to a famous 24-8 series-opening victory in Melbourne, but his side went down heavily in the remaining two matches (Freeman shifted to five-eighth for the decider with Friend promoted to the No.7).
Along with captaining New Zealand in a one-off Test against Papua New Guinea (scoring a try) and a split two-Test series against Great Britain (dotting down in the second match), Freeman resurrected his club career with Eastern Suburbs. The 29-year-old became the first non-Australian to win the Dally M Medal in a wonderful campaign for the Roosters, in which he starred in two wins over the Tigers.
Freeman led the Kiwis in a spirited three-Test series against Australia in 1993 - scoring a try in the loss to Palmerston North in the second clash - and on the end-of-year tour of Britain and France. But after two heavy losses in the opening two Tests against Great Britain, he was one of several players dropped by coach Howie Tamati for the third encounter, ending his record run of 37 consecutive Tests since his debut. He returned to captain the side in the one-off Test in France, scoring a try in a 36-11 win.
Following an acrimonious split with Easts, Freeman was a valuable pick-up for Penrith in 1994. He toured Papua New Guinea at the end of the season and played both Tests, under the captaincy of Duane Mann.
The veteran playmaker played all five mid-season Tests against France and Australia in 1995, including as skipper in two matches of the latter series to break Mark Graham's New Zealand record for most Tests as captain and set a new mark at 19.
But Freeman was usurped by 19-year-old Warriors wunderkind halfback Stacey Jones for the Kiwis' World Cup opener against Tonga later that year. His 46th (10 ahead of former dual New Zealand record-holders Jock Butterfield and Dane O'Hara) and final Test appearance was at hooker in the subsequent pool win over Papua New Guinea.
Freeman's colourful career wound up with a sole season as big-spending Parramatta's captain in 1996.
Replacing long-serving Frank Endacott as Kiwis coach in 2001, Freeman guided his country to a win over France and a loss to Australia that season. In 2002, his charges were gallant in a post-season loss to the Kangaroos in Wellington, before drawing their series in Great Britain and winning one-off clashes with Wales and France. He was succeed by Daniel Anderson in 2003.
Freeman was inducted into the NZRL Legends of League in 2007 and was made an Auckland Rugby League Immortal during the 1990s.