Paul Whatuira
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Personal information
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| Full name | Paul Khan Whatuira | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Fatz, Cracka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
31 July 1981 Wellington, New Zealand |
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Playing information
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| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 92 kg (14 st 7 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: League Central
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Paul Whatuira (born 31 July 1981 in Wellington, New Zealand, pronounced fah-tu-ee-ra) is a former professional rugby league footballer who last played for the Parramatta Eels in the NRL in 2011. A New Zealand international centre, he won National Rugby League premierships with the Penrith Panthers and Wests Tigers and achieved success with the Huddersfield Giants in the UK Super League.
Whatuira played his junior rugby league at Wainuiomata, near Wellington, where he played with former Huddersfield teammate David Faiumu. He also played rugby union as a schoolboy. He followed the Canberra Raiders as a child and idolised Mal Meninga.
He represented Wellington in 1999.
Whatuira left Wellington at 17 to join the Auckland Warriors. He made his first grade debut for Auckland Warriors against Wests Tigers in the Leichhardt Oval on 14 February 2000, in Round 2. He played in four other first grade games for the Warriors that season, before leaving the club at the end of the year. During the 2000 season he was occasionally released to the Wainuiomata Lions and played in the Bartercard Cup.
He spent 2001 at the Melbourne Storm, playing in six first grade games.
Whatuira joined the Penrith Panthers in 2002 and became a first grade regular. He played left centre in the Panthers side that won the 2003 NRL grand final. As 2003 NRL premiers, the Panthers travelled to England to face Super League VIII champions, the Bradford Bulls in the 2004 World Club Challenge. Whatuira played at cenre in the Panthers' 22-4 loss. His 2003 premiership ring was stolen from his home along with his DVD player in 2005. Two years later the police recovered the ring when they raided a suspected criminal's home.
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