Peter Tunks
Encyclopedia
Peter Tunks is an Australian former rugby league
player for the South Sydney Rabbitohs
, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Penrith Panthers
, New South Wales
and the Australian national side
. After that he played with a number of clubs in England.
Australia 1985-87: 6 Tests (0pts)
New South Wales
1981-87: 9 games (0pts)
South Sydney Rabbitohs
1977-83: 98 games - 27t (86pts)
Canterbury Bulldogs
1984-89: 118 games - 14t (56pts)
Penrith Panthers
1990: 12 games (0pts)
Tunks is a product of Marcellin College Randwick
, a prodigious producer of Rugby Union and Rugby League talent. Starting out as an Easts junior, Tunks trialed with both Easts and Manly before being graded by Souths in the late 1970s. A tough no-nonsense prop, Tunks toiled for seven seasons with the Rabbitohs (overcoming bouts of hepatitis
and glandular fever in 1979), before achieving success with Canterbury. A member of the Bulldogs teams that won premierships in 1984-85, Tunks played in 6 Tests for Australia (each against New Zealand), but declined to tour with the 1986 Kangaroos due to business commitments.
Tunks captained Leeds
in 1987-88 and was Phil Gould
's choice as captain of the Bulldogs following the standing down of Steve Mortimer
in 1988. After leading the club to a Grand Final win over Balmain that year, he then followed Gould to Penrith in 1990. Injuries relegated him to reserve grade with the Panthers and he decided to see out his career in English club football.
Tunks played for Salford
and Sheffield Eagles
(both 1990) before taking on a captain-coach role with Oldham
. Tunk's brief was clear: avoid relegation at all costs-but with the club languishing at the bottom of the league table he resigned in February 1994 and was replaced by Bob Lindner
.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player for the South Sydney Rabbitohs
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Penrith Panthers
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
, New South Wales
New South Wales Rugby League team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
and the Australian national side
Australian national rugby league team
The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
. After that he played with a number of clubs in England.
Australia 1985-87: 6 Tests (0pts)
New South Wales
New South Wales rugby league team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
1981-87: 9 games (0pts)
South Sydney Rabbitohs
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
1977-83: 98 games - 27t (86pts)
Canterbury Bulldogs
Canterbury Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...
1984-89: 118 games - 14t (56pts)
Penrith Panthers
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
1990: 12 games (0pts)
Tunks is a product of Marcellin College Randwick
Marcellin College Randwick
Marcellin College Randwick is a systemic Roman Catholic, secondary, day school for boys, located in Randwick, a south-eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, a prodigious producer of Rugby Union and Rugby League talent. Starting out as an Easts junior, Tunks trialed with both Easts and Manly before being graded by Souths in the late 1970s. A tough no-nonsense prop, Tunks toiled for seven seasons with the Rabbitohs (overcoming bouts of hepatitis
Hepatitis
Hepatitis is a medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The name is from the Greek hepar , the root being hepat- , meaning liver, and suffix -itis, meaning "inflammation"...
and glandular fever in 1979), before achieving success with Canterbury. A member of the Bulldogs teams that won premierships in 1984-85, Tunks played in 6 Tests for Australia (each against New Zealand), but declined to tour with the 1986 Kangaroos due to business commitments.
Tunks captained Leeds
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
in 1987-88 and was Phil Gould
Phil Gould
Phil Gould is an Australian rugby league broadcaster, journalist, administrator and former player and coach. Since the 1990s he has had a prominent role in Channel 9's coverage of rugby league, as a commentator on their match-day coverage, and appears on The Sunday Footy Show and The Sunday Roast...
's choice as captain of the Bulldogs following the standing down of Steve Mortimer
Steve Mortimer
Steve Mortimer OAM, , nicknamed Turvey after Turvey Park in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, where he hailed from, is an Australian former rugby league halfback. Mortimer played a Canterbury-Bankstown club record 272 first grade games between 1976–88. Mortimer's two younger brothers Peter and Chris...
in 1988. After leading the club to a Grand Final win over Balmain that year, he then followed Gould to Penrith in 1990. Injuries relegated him to reserve grade with the Panthers and he decided to see out his career in English club football.
Tunks played for Salford
Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...
and Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....
(both 1990) before taking on a captain-coach role with Oldham
Oldham Roughyeds
Oldham Roughyeds is an English professional rugby league club based in Oldham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Championship One. Oldham is one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895....
. Tunk's brief was clear: avoid relegation at all costs-but with the club languishing at the bottom of the league table he resigned in February 1994 and was replaced by Bob Lindner
Bob Lindner
Bob Lindner is a former Australian representative rugby league player and coach. He represented his country in the sport and is one of a handful of players to be man-of-the-match in State of Origin football more than once...
.
Sources
- Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, Canterbury-Bankstown edition by Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson