Michael Vella

Big-hitting forward, a P’matta junior, represented NSW and Australia during a marvellous 1999 season. Vella made his Test debut when called in as a late replacement for the injured Gorden Tallis in Australia’s Tri-series win against NZ and Great Britain in October. After a slow start to the 2000 season, Vella was recalled into NSW’s victorious State of Origin team as a replacement for the suspended Rodney Howe, before again playing for Australia against NZ Residents in a World Cup warm-up. Vella appeared in three matches in the World Cup competition, including the semi-final win over Wales, but did not play in the final. In 2001, he put aside the disappointment of a grand final loss to Newcastle with selection on the shortened Kangaroo Tour. A member of NSW’s State of Origin squad in 2002 (interestingly, the P’matta prop came off the interchange bench in all ten State of Origin matches and in his five Test appearances) Vella overcame a battle with cancer in 2005 before leaving P’matta at the end of 2006 to see out his career in England.