Born: June 25, 1979 – Auckland
Test record: 22 Tests (1998-2000, 2002-07) – 4 tries (16 points)
Tours: 1998 tour of Britain, 1999 Tri Nations, 2000 World Cup, 2002 tour of Britain and France, 2004 Tri Nations, 2005 Tri Nations, 2006 Tri Nations

Rampaging Penrith second-rower Tony Puletua played 22 Tests in a Kiwis tenure spanned 10 seasons.

Born in Auckland, Puletua moved to Sydney as a youngster and came through St Mary’s Saints’ ranks and represented Australian Schoolboys from John Paul II Marayong in 1996 alongside older brother (and future Penrith teammate) Frank. The following season he made his first-grade debut for the Panthers as a 17-year-old, cementing a spot in the squad and playing in both of the club’s finals matches.

A solid follow-up campaign in the NRL resulted in a Kiwis call-up, with the 19-year-old coming off the bench in both post-season Tests against Australia and all three Tests of the series win in Great Britain. He scored tries against the Kangaroos at North Harbour and Great Britain at Bolton.

Injuries stunted his progress in 1999 and his only Test appearance was against Tonga (crossing for another try) in a non-tournament match during the Tri Nations, but he was outstanding as Penrith returned to the finals in 2000. He lined up in the Anzac Test loss in Sydney and World Cup pool wins over Cook Islands – contributing his fourth four-pointer in just eight Tests – and Wales.

Puletua was again hampered by injuries in 2001-02, but he returned to the Kiwis’ first-choice side at the end of the latter year as an interchange against Wales and all three matches of the drawn series in Great Britain.

The tall, tackle-busting forward formed an outstanding second-row combination with fellow Samoan-New Zealander Joe Galuvao that was vital to the Panthers’ stunning charge to the 2003 minor premiership and 18-6 grand final upset of Sydney Roosters.

Puletua was fated to play in just one of New Zealand’s five Test wins over Australia between 1998 and 2005 – the shock 30-16 post-season victory at North Harbour Stadium in 2003, where he and Galuvao combined in the second-row. He had played in the 48-6 loss to the Kangaroos in Sydney earlier that year.

The young veteran turned out in the Kiwis’ 2004 Anzac Test loss and the 16-all draw with Australia that kicked off the Tri Nations at the end of the year, but that would be his only appearance at the tournament.

Puletua suffered a season-ending injury just five rounds into 2005, but he nevertheless gained a place in New Zealand’s Tri Nations squad – though his only Test appearance was off the bench in a non-tournament clash with France.

In 2006, he played in both of the Kiwis’ hard-fought Tri Nations round-robin losses to the Kangaroos, while he concluded a fine New Zealand Test career in the 2007 Anzac Test. Later that year he debuted for Samoa, helping the island nation qualify for the following year’s World Cup.

Puletua became just the seventh player to bring up 200 top-grade appearances for Penrith in 2008 – his last season with the club – and played all three of Samoa’s World Cup matches at the end of the year.

He spent the next five years at St Helens, playing in three Super League grand final losses, and rounded out a wonderful 19-season club career with one-year stints at Salford and Hull KR.

Puletua also represented Samoa against New Zealand and Tonga in 2010, and in World Cup matches against France and Fiji in 2013.