Petero Civoniceva
Personal information
Full name	Petero Civoniceva
Nickname	Petrol 70 cents a litre[1]
Born	21 April 1976 (1976-04-21) (age 33)
	Suva, Fiji
Height	193 cm (6 ft 4 in)[2]
Weight	110 kg (17 st 5 lb)[2]
Playing information
Position	Prop
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1998–07	Brisbane Broncos	215	22	0	0	88
2008–	Penrith Panthers	33	1	0	0	4
	Total	248	23	0	0	92
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2001–09	Queensland	23	1	0	0	4
2001–09	Australia	40	2	0	0	8
As of 23 May 2009
Source: League Central and Rugby League Project

Petero Civoniceva (born 21 April 1976 in Suva, Fiji) is a Fijian^[3] professional rugby league player, who has represented Australia since 2001. A prop-forward, he is the current captain of the Penrith Panthers of the NRL and is a Queensland State of Origin player. He previously played for the Brisbane Broncos, with whom he won the 1998, 2000 and 2006 NRL Premierships.

[edit] Broncos career

In 1998, Civoniceva won the Broncos' Rookie of the Year award and went on to play from the bench in Brisbane's grand final win at the end of the season. He missed the Broncos grand final victory in 2000 due to injury as well as Australia's 2000 World Cup campaign.

Civoniceva won the Brisbane club's Player of the Year award in 2004 and again in 2006, when he played in another grand final victory for the club. In round 8 of NRL season 2007, Civoniceva played his 200th game for the Brisbane club, ^[4] becoming only the eighth Broncos player to do so.

During the Broncos vs Tigers game on 25 June, 2007, he blew up against Tigers defenders, causing a brawl thirteen minutes from full time. In doing so he was the first Bronco to be sin binned since 2003, when he was sin-binned in a match against the Dragons.

Petero Civoniceva's Brisbane contract ended at the conclusion of the 2007 season.^[5] The Broncos decision to withdraw the contract to the prop was due to salary cap constrictions^[6]

[edit] Penrith Panthers

Civoniceva signed to play for the Penrith Panthers for the 2008 season.^[7] The deal is for 2 years with an option for a third and is believed to be worth $370,000 a year. ^[8] Civoniceva's move to New South Wales and another NRL team rather than relocating to England allowed him to continue to be available to represent both Australia and Queensland. ^[9]

In January, 2008, Penrith Panthers announced Civoniceva as captain of the team for 2008.^[10]

In August 2008, Civoniceva was named in the preliminary 46-man Kangaroos squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup,^[11][12] and in October 2008 he was selected in the final 24-man Australia squad.^[13]

His deal with Penrith was set to expire at the end of the 2009 NRL season. He re-signed with Penrith until the end of 2011.^[14]

Civoniceva was selected for Australia in the one-off test match against New Zealand on 8 May 2009.^[15]

He went on to play in Queensland's State of Origin victories in game 1 and then game 2, but suffered a season-ending foot injury in the first half of the second match.^[16] After sitting out the remainder of the NRL season, his next match was for Australia against New Zealand in the opening match of the 2009 Four Nations in London. By playing in the final, a victory against England, Ciivoniceva became the first forward in history to play forty internationals for Australia.^[17]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Penrith Panthers profile
• Petero Civoniceva at the Former Origin Greats website.
• Petero Civoniceva at the State of Origin official website.
• 2001 Ashes profile
• Big Petero up with the best, say greats - nrl.com article, Tuesday, May 1, 2007 - 4:38 PM