Willie Tonga
Personal information
Full name	Willie Matika Tonga
Born	8 August 1983 (1983-08-08) (age 26)
	Canberra, ACT, Australia
Height	183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	98 kg (15 st 6 lb)
Playing information
Position	Centre
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2002–03	Parramatta Eels	8	4	0	0	16
2004–08	Bulldogs	81	37	0	0	148
2009–	North Queensland	19	12	0	0	48
	Total	108	53	0	0	212
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2004–09	Queensland	4	1	0	0	4
2004–05	Australia	6	4	0	0	16
As of 12:23, 8 September 2008 (UTC)

Willie Tonga (born 8 August 1983 in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the North Queensland Cowboys of the NRL. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative centre^[1], he previously played for the Parramatta Eels, then the Bulldogs club, with whom he won the 2004 NRL Premiership.

[edit] Early life

Born in the former Woden Valley Hospital on the 8 August 1983, Willie is short for Viliami Sione Tonga (translated William) and was the first child of Tongan immigrant John (Sione) Tonga and Wiradjuri woman, Maria Naden. Esi Tonga, also a Rugby League player, is his younger brother.

Showing a talent at a young age while living in Peak Hill, New South Wales, Tonga soon adopted Rugby League and played for the Cootamundra side while his parents attended the Bimbadeen Bible College. After leaving Cootamundra, Tonga's parents and their five children moved to La Perouse in Sydney, and Tonga played Rugby Union for the Matraville Sports High School First XV. It is claimed he did not enjoy this as much as rugby league. His parents continued to move around working for the Aboriginal Inland Missionaries and the family finally settled in Cherbourg, Queensland, an Aboriginal community in Queensland.

[edit] Sydney NRL

Scouted by Arthur Beetson, Tonga moved into the Parramatta area. Making small but sure career moves, his best known achievements were yet to be acknowledged when he moved on to the Bulldogs on 2004. His career catapulted in that one year, earning State of Origin selection, allowing him to become the 145th player to be chosen for the Queensland side since 1980.

Winning the NRL Grand Final with the Bulldogs in 2004, and the Dally M Centre of the Year award, Tonga was also picked for the Australian side for the Tri-Nations series, making his first full year in the NRL his most successful to date.

[edit] North Queensland

On 1 April, 2008, it was announced that Tonga had signed a four year deal with the North Queensland Cowboys, commencing in 2009.

In April 2009, he was named in the preliminary 25 man squad to represent Queensland in the opening State of Origin match for 2009.^[2]. In June, Willie Tonga played in Game II of the 2009 State of Origin Series to replace Justin Hodges.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• State of Origin Official website Rugby League Player Stats