Frank Watene

Frank Watene

Personal information
Nickname	Frank the Tank, Big Frank
Born	15 February 1977 (1977-02-15) 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.

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. 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.

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.

External links

• Halifax profile
• Frank Watene from Hull KR signs for Castleford
• Profile at thecastlefordtigers.co.uk
• A short video about rugby league starring Frank Watene
• Picture of Frank celebrating his try for Halifax against Widnes Vikings in the final game of Halifax's 2007 national league one campaign
• Picture of Frank on the charge against Whitehaven RLFC earlier on in Halifax's 2007 season
• Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org