Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Born
- Monday, 25th June, 1979
- Current Age
- 46 years and 278 days
- Place Of Birth
- Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Honours & Awards
Based only on data available in the RLP database. This information should be used as a guide only.
- Tri-Nations
- 2005
- Test Series
- Great Britain vs New Zealand 1998, Baskerville Shield 2002
- NRL Premiership
- 2003
Known Family Links
- Brother
- Frank Puletua
Biography
Hard-running schoolboy centre was turned into a rampaging forward by Penrith coach Royce Simmons in the late 1990s. Earning Kiwi Test selection in 1999, Tony Puletua recovered from a neck injury suffered in the Panthers’ semi-final loss to Canberra to represent NZ in the 2000 World Cup. (Interestingly, his older brother Frank played for Samoa in the same competition). After returning from another injury in early 2001 Puletua was virtually unsighted during Penrith’s poor 2001 season. He more than made up for it in 2003 though, forming a great partnership with back-rower Joe Galuvao as the Panthers won the premiership. Puletua took his Test tally to 17 at the end of 2004, enjoying a win over Australia in October 2003 and a 16-all draw a year later, but was ruled out of the Kiwis’ Tri Nation campaign because of injury. In 2006 he was named Penrith captain after halfback Craig Gower was stripped of the honour and fined for misbehaviour but the Panthers failed to return to the finals.
- ALAN WHITICKER
Playing Career Statistics
All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.
To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
| Representative Career - International | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests (Senior International Matches) | - | 31 | 6 | - | - | 24 | 15 | 13 | 3 | 48.39% | List | ||||
| Anzac Tests | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| Tri-Nations | 1 | 4 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| World Cup | - | 7 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 71.43% | List | ||||
| Tour Matches | New Zealand | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50.00% | List | |||
| Test Series | 2 | 6 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 50.00% | List | ||||
| Club Career - Australia | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Super League/NRL Premiership | 1 | 211 | 40 | - | - | 160 | 98 | 111 | 2 | 46.45% | List | ||||
| Super League/NRL Finals | - | 6 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
| Club Career - UK | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Super League | - | 158 | 42 | - | - | 168 | 94 | 57 | 7 | 59.49% | List | ||||
| Challenge Cup | - | 16 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 62.50% | List | ||||
| Super League Finals | - | 13 | 2 | - | - | 8 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 61.54% | List | ||||
| UK Top Division | - | 158 | 42 | - | - | 168 | 94 | 57 | 7 | 59.49% | List | ||||
| UK Second Division | - | 4 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Other | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| World Club Challenge | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| Overall | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||||
| First Class | 417 | 89 | - | - | 356 | 230 | 201 | 16 | 55.16% | List | |||||
Test Matches - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| New Zealand | 1998-00, 2002-07 | 22 | 4 | - | - | 16 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 40.91% | List | ||||
| Samoa | 2007-08, 2010, 2013 | 9 | 2 | - | - | 8 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| Overall | 1998-2013 | 31 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 15 | 13 | 3 | 48.39% | List | ||||
World Cup Matches - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| New Zealand | 1998-2000 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Samoa | 2007-2013 | 5 | - | - | - | - | 3 | 2 | 0 | 60.00% | List | ||||
| Overall | 2000-2013 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 71.43% | List | ||||
Super League/NRL Premiership - By Year | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Penrith | Super League 1997 | 9 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 33.33% | List | ||||
| Penrith | NRL 1998 | 18 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 33.33% | List | ||||
| Penrith | NRL 1999 | 12 | - | - | - | - | 7 | 4 | 1 | 58.33% | List | ||||
| Penrith | NRL 2000 | 25 | 7 | - | - | 28 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 52.00% | List | ||||
| Penrith | NRL 2001 | 13 | 2 | - | - | 8 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 30.77% | List | ||||
| Penrith | NRL 2002 | 17 | 6 | - | - | 24 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 29.41% | List | ||||
| Penrith | NRL 2003 | 25 | 4 | - | - | 16 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 76.00% | List | ||||
| Penrith | NRL 2004 | 23 | 7 | - | - | 28 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 56.52% | List | ||||
| Penrith | NRL 2005 | 5 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 40.00% | List | ||||
| Penrith | NRL 2006 | 20 | 4 | - | - | 16 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 45.00% | List | ||||
| Penrith | NRL 2007 | 22 | 4 | - | - | 16 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 31.82% | List | ||||
| Penrith | NRL 2008 | 22 | 3 | - | - | 12 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 45.45% | List | ||||
Super League/NRL Premiership - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Penrith | 1997-08 | 211 | 40 | - | - | 160 | 98 | 111 | 2 | 46.45% | List | ||||
English Career - By Year | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| St Helens | 2009 | 31 | 14 | - | - | 56 | 27 | 11 | 0 | 87.10% | List | ||||
| St Helens | 2010 | 31 | 13 | - | - | 52 | 29 | 9 | 0 | 93.55% | List | ||||
| St Helens | 2011 | 26 | 7 | - | - | 28 | 19 | 9 | 3 | 73.08% | List | ||||
| St Helens | 2012 | 24 | 4 | - | - | 16 | 14 | 10 | 2 | 58.33% | List | ||||
| St Helens | 2013 | 25 | 2 | - | - | 8 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 60.00% | List | ||||
| Salford | 2014 | 27 | 3 | - | - | 12 | 12 | 16 | 1 | 44.44% | List | ||||
| Hull KR | 2015 | 14 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 71.43% | List | ||||
English Career - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| St Helens | 2009-13 | 137 | 40 | - | - | 160 | 89 | 42 | 6 | 64.96% | List | ||||
| Salford | 2014 | 27 | 3 | - | - | 12 | 11 | 15 | 1 | 40.74% | List | ||||
| Hull KR | 2015 | 14 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 57.14% | List | ||||
| Overall | 2009-2015 | 178 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 176 | 108 | 63 | 7 | 60.67% | List | ||||
Contributions:
Rugby League Tables, Andrew Ferguson, AJ Lucantonio, Shawn Dollin, Greg Fiveash, Paul Carter, Alan Katzmann, Max Turner, Cymru RL, Tim Costello, Bill Bates
Sources:
David Middleton's Rugby League Yearbook (1987-88 to present), Official NRL Website , 2006 Official Rugby League Annual
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