Ben Murdoch-Masila
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| Personal information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 7 February 1991 Auckland, New Zealand | |||||
| Height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) | |||||
| Weight | 109 kg (17 st 2 lb) | |||||
| Playing information | ||||||
| Position | Prop, Second-row, Lock | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 2010–2013 | Wests Tigers | 52 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| 2014– | Penrith Panthers | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 58 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 | |
| Representative | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 2013–2014 | Tonga | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| As of 31 October 2013 | ||||||
| Source: RLPLeague Central | ||||||
Ben Murdoch-Masila (born 7 February 1991) is a New Zealand rugby league player for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL. His position is prop, second row and lock.
Career
Murdoch-Masila played junior football with Otahuhu Black. He undertook a scholarship with Wests Tigers at Keebra Park High and was a member of the team that won the 2009 Arrive Alive Cup.[1] Murdoch-Masila weighed 150 kg when he arrived at Keebra Park, dropping 40 kg before he joined the Wests Tigers NYC team.[2]
Murdoch-Masila made his NRL debut in the first round of the 2010 NRL semi finals against the Sydney Roosters.[3] He is one of very few players to have made his first appearance in a finals match.[4]
In 2011, Murdoch-Masila made a further seven appearances, and may have made more if not for injuries. At the end of the season he was selected for the Junior Kiwis.[5]
A regular on the bench in 2012, Murdoch-Masila played in 20 games for the season and scored five tries, including a double against the Eels. He also signed an extension to stay with the club until the end of 2015, with coach Tim Sheens saying, "There is no doubt Ben has enormous talent and potential. He is a strike weapon and can become a top line player of the game with the right kind of commitment to his training regime."[6]
Missing only one game, Murdoch-Masila was one of the most regular first grade players for Wests Tigers in 2013. He started the season playing from the reserve bench, but started in the back row in the last 5 games of the season. In April, Murdoch-Masila made his international debut, playing in the Pacific Rugby League International for the Tongan side that thrashed Samoa 36–4.[7] He was chosen to represent Tonga in the 2013 World Cup, but a leg injury in his first hit-up of the tournament saw him take no further part.[8]
References
- ↑ "Ben Murdoch-Masila". weststigers.com.au. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
- ↑ Jake Dew. "Weight loss turns Ben into big winner". goldcoast.com.au. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
- ↑ http://www.sportsnewsfirst.com.au/articles/2010/09/11/roosters-snatch-epic-finals-win/
- ↑ Glenn Jackson (13 September 2010). "Rookie proves he's worth his salt in 100-minute blockbuster". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 15 September 2010. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
- ↑ Junior Kiwis dominated by NYC Grand Finalists rleague.com, 5 October 2011
- ↑ "Ben Murdoch-Masila signs on until the end of 2015". weststigers.com.au. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
- ↑ Adrian Warren (20 April 2013). "Tonga smashes Samoa in a chaotic league Test shutout at Penrith's Centrebet Stadium". Fox Sports. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
- ↑ Steve Mascord (30 October 2013). "RLWC: Scotland upset Tonga with late try". Border Mail. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
External links
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