Born: September 26, 1979 – Nuku’alofa, Tonga
Test record: 12 Tests (2007, 2009, 2011) – 0 points
Tours: 2007 tour of Britain and France, 2009 Four Nations, 2011 Four Nations

Blockbusting front-rower and Parramatta cult hero Fuifui Moimoi played 12 Tests for New Zealand from 2007-11.

Born in Tonga, Moimoi came through the ranks at Point Chevalier Pirates and Glenora Bears. He spent a brief period at South Sydney before landing at Parramatta and making his NRL debut in 2004.

Moimoi belated forged a regular top-grade spot with the Eels in 2006, after which he played five post-season Tests for Tonga. His bulldozing charges helped the Eels to a top-four finish in 2007 and earned a Kiwis call-up for their end-of-year campaign.

The 28-year-old debuted in the record 58-0 loss to Australia in Wellington, before featuring in all four Tests on tour against Britain and France.

Moimoi missed out on the Kiwis’ 2008 World Cup squad and was ruled ineligible to turn out for Tonga, due to his recent appearances for New Zealand. But he produced a career-best season in 2009 as Parramatta embarked on an incredible run to the grand final. Moimoi played all 28 matches and scored six tries (double his next-best season tally), including an iconic, barnstorming solo effort to set up a grandstand finish in what was ultimately a 23-16 grand final loss to Melbourne.

Moimoi was duly recalled by the Kiwis and started at prop in all three 2009 Four Nations matches in England and France, and collecting the RLIF Prop of the Year honour. He was named in the 2010 Four Nations squad before withdrawing due to injury, but he returned to come off the bench in the 2011 Anzac Test and featured in New Zealand’s post-season Test against Australia in Newcastle and the Kiwis’ Four Nations matches against the Kangaroos and Wales.

After representing Tonga at the 2013 World Cup, Moimoi concluded his NRL tenure by bringing up 200 appearances for Parramatta in 2014.

The evergreen Moimoi continued playing in England’s lower divisions until well after his 40th birthday, adding to his legend with stints at Leigh (2015-16), Toronto Wolfpack (2017), Workington (2018-20) and Rochdale (2021-22).