Frank Watene

Frank Watene
Personal information
Nickname Frank the Tank, Big Frank
Born 15 February 1977 (1977-02-15) (age 35)
New Zealand
Height 180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 114 kg (17 st 13 lb)
Playing information
Position Prop, Second-row
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1996 Counties Manukau 20 4 0 0 16
1998 Auckland Warriors 1 0 0 0 0
1999–2001 Wakefield Trinity 61 6 0 0 24
2002–2004 Hull Kingston Rovers
2005 Castleford Tigers 24 5 0 0 20
2006 Dewsbury Rams
2007– Halifax RLFC 56 10 0 0 40
Total 162 25 0 0 100
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1997–1999 New Zealand Māori
Source: Rugby League Project

Frank Watene is a professional rugby league footballer who at has played for the Auckland Warriors, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Castleford Tigers, Dewsbury Rams, and Halifax RLFC at club level, playing at Prop forward or Second-row forward.

Contents

Early years

Watene started his career with the Otahuhu Leopards in the Auckland Rugby League competition, before being signed by the new Auckland Warriors club in 1994.[1] He made his first grade debut in 1998. Watene toured with the New Zealand Māori rugby league team in 1998 and played for them in the 1997 Oceania Cup and against Great Britain in 1999.[2][3]

England

Watene currently plays for Halifax RLFC in the second division of English rugby league called the Championship. Is of Cook Island descent 'Frank the Tank' signed for Halifax at the start of the 2007 rugby league season after playing for Dewsbury Rams in 2006 and helping them to win their National League two promotion. Watene was named in the dream team after an impressive year. Watene's usual position is Prop Forward however due to his sheer size Watene usually starts off the matches on the substitutes bench and will come onto the field of play later in the match, when his team need a boost of energy which he provides in the form of strong running. Frank is the cousin of prop Adam Watene, who died in 2008. The two had previously played together at Castleford Tigers.

In September 2007 Frank signed a one-year extension to his current Halifax RLFC contract, after a highly impressive season.

References

  1. ^ Richard Becht. A New Breed Rising: The Warriors Winfield Cup Challenge. Auckland, HarperCollins, 1994. ISBN 1-86950-154-3. p.184
  2. ^ New Zealand Rugby League Annual '98, New Zealand Rugby Football League, 1998. p.118
  3. ^ Jessup, Peter (3 November 1999). "Rugby League: It's a different world for Maori". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=50093. Retrieved 30 September 2011. 

External links

Halifax RLFC – current squad