John Hopoate

Hopoate signed with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club in 1993 while nineteen years of age and made his first grade debut against the Canberra Raiders at Brookvale Oval 6 June the same year. He played in the Tonga national rugby league team in the 1994 Pacific Cup,[5] however he was in and out of the first grade team on a regular basis, not holding down a regular position until 1995.

Hopoate's early season form in 1995 was sublime as he went on to score eleven tries from his first eleven first grade appearances and subsequently lead the try scoring table. After his spectacular form and try scoring feats during the 1995 season Hopoate was called up to his first senior representative match for New South Wales in game one of the 1995 State of Origin series. After a decent performance from Hopoate he was retained for the second game but then subsequently dropped from the third game because of an injury.

Over the remaining rounds of the 1995 ARL season Hopoate went on to score a total of twenty-one tries, finishing second in the top try-scoring table to teammate Steve Menzies. He was instrumental in Manly's good form leading into the finals series but Manly lost to the Bulldogs.

The Tongan rugby league team looked to pick Hopoate based on his nation of birth for the 1995 World Cup but the ARL selected him in the Kangaroos team under the residency rule. He played in the opening match of the cup yet failed to score and then made a vital mistake that became the turning point in a match that was eventually won by the English team. In the following match, against the South African team, Hopoate scored three times in the 86 to 6 victory.

In his fourth season at Manly, Hopoate was again instrumental in his team's fortunes. He began the season slowly in comparison to his previous year with only five tries over the first twenty rounds of the season but his defence had improved immensely; helping his team to concede less tries. He scored another six tries for the season including four in one game against the South Sydney Rabbitohs and ultimately helped his Manly team to their first premiership in over eight years.

In the 1997 season, Hopoate again started the season slowly, scoring only two tries in twelve games but in the round twelve match against the St. George Dragons he scored three tries and continued his form scoring eight tries in his next six games and a total of fifteen for the season.

Signing for the newly merged Wests Tigers in 2000 Hopoate scored just five tries in the season. He was suspended several times during the season, including being charged with 'contrary conduct' in a late season game against Melbourne resulting from over ten separate incidents in that game.

In 2001, Hopoate began the season poorly, scoring only one try in several games, before involvement in incidents of inserting his fingers into the anuses of three players resulting in his being suspended for twelve weeks and agreeing to part ways with the Tigers club.[6]

Hopoate thought his career would be over. However, his former employers in the Manly reserve grade team signed him onto their books for the remainder of the season where his good form earned him a call-up to the Northern Eagles first grade team late in the season. Hopoate ran 3,976 metres with the ball over the 2002 NRL season, more than any other player in the competition.[7] In the following year, he scored ten tries for the Eagles before the club disbanded in 2003.

With the reinstatement of the Sea Eagles for the beginning of the 2003 season, Hopoate was signed to the club where he made his debut ten years earlier. He began the season with several impressive performances but, again, his on field indiscretions were the only headlines he was achieving.

His following two seasons were poor, with several on field and off field incidents earning him both fines and suspensions. In a 2005 game against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Hopoate attempted a reckless shoulder charge, making contact to the head of forward Keith Galloway with his elbow. Hopoate was suspended for seventeen weeks by the NRL and the Manly club terminated his contract, effectively ending his career. He made a final statement on the Sea Eagles website thanking his fans and supporters and apologising to his wife Brenda and eight children.[8]

During a 2001 game with the North Queensland Cowboys, Hopoate inserted fingers in three players' buttocks and anuses. The first incident occurred during the seventh minute of play. The matter was referred to the rugby league judiciary on 28 March. Hopoate was suspended for 12 weeks for what one commissioner described as "disgusting, violent, offensive behaviour".[9]

Hopoate claimed, in front of the panel of judges, that he was just trying to give all three players a wedgie with his fingers, denying he had done anything wrong and that he was "a great believer in what happens on the field should stay there".[10] The three victims in the case, Cowboys players Glenn Morrison, Peter Jones and Paul Bowman all disagreed with Hopoate's reasoning. According to Jones, "It wasn't a wedgie. That's when your pants are pulled up your arse. I think I know the difference between a wedgie and someone sticking their finger up my bum", while Bowman said he was "disgusted" and "couldn't believe it". Hopoate was found guilty of 'unsportsmanlike interference'.[11]

In the 2003 season, Hopoate breached the terms of his playing contract by playing in a fifth-grade rugby union match in the Sydney competition on 9 June under a false name in an attempt to not get caught. After his Manly club found out and confronted Hopoate he admitted that he had breached his contract and was then fined $5000.[12]

During the 2004 club season, Hopoate become involved in more controversy. While leaving the field at the conclusion of a match Hopoate started a heated argument with a touch judge in which he verbally abused the official. Hopoate was given a lengthy suspension by the NRL.[13]

In the round one clash with the New Zealand Warriors, Hopoate verbally abused a 14-year-old rugby league ball boy who had placed the ball on the sideline of the field rather than throwing it infield to the Manly player. The NRL review found that the ball boy had acted within the guidelines and Hopoate was in the wrong for his verbal assault. Hopoate apologised to the young boy claiming that "he was not aware of the proper interpretation of the rule" and was in the wrong.[14]

On 19 March 2005, Hopoate was again in trouble with the NRL, this time in a match against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. During the 30th minute of the game he made a charge at Cronulla forward Keith Galloway with his elbow in a cocked position jumping and striking Galloway in the head immediately knocking him unconscious, leaving him on the field with a laceration to and bleeding from his ear.[15] After immediate review from the third official Hopoate was sent from the field for the remainder of the match while Galloway was stretchered from the field in a neck brace and took no further part in the game.

The NRL match review committee referred Hopoate's conduct to the NRL Judiciary. At the judiciary hearing on 22 March, Hopoate's lawyer and coach attempted to argue that he was doing nothing more than "trying to go for a shoulder charge"[16] and that his raised arm was just an attempt to protect his ribs. His contrition carried little weight with the panel and ultimately his defence failed to convince anyone that he had done nothing wrong and he was given a seventeen-game suspension. With his season over, the Manly club, that had stood by him through many of his career indiscretions, decided they had no other choice than to terminate his contract with immediate effect on 23 March 2005.[17]

On 9 December 2005, Hopoate was banned from NRL rugby league for 12 months after threatening a junior official at a local match.[18]

In 2016, Hopoate started coaching Manly's S. G. Ball Cup side until The NRL claimed the former international was not of fit and proper character to mentor young and impressionable men, threatening the Sea Eagles with a breach notice if they didn't stand Hopoate down. The NRL then released a statement saying "He is not registered to coach. Mr Hopoate has taken the matter to the Supreme Court. The NRL is contesting his case and has not changed its stance at all". In a social media post, Hopoate wrote "I'm back, NRL asked if we can withdraw the court proceedings cause they don't have juristriction over SG Ball, so I can coach this week Cheeho! Following up with the hashtag: “#NoHardFeelingsTimeToMoveOnAndLetThePastBeThePast#”. The NRL denied it had cleared Hopoate to coach, tweeting: "The NRL has NOT cleared John Hopoate to coach Manly’s SG Ball side". On 30 July 2016, Hopoate was forced to pay legal costs after he dropped his court case against The NRL. The NRL threatened to fine Manly $1 Million dollars and Hopoate $100,000 dollars if he continued coaching the court heard.[19][20]

In October 2017, Hopoate joined The Tongan camp for The 2017 Rugby League World Cup. In the build up to the tournament New Zealand player Adam Blair commented on Jason Taumalolo's defection to Tonga saying "You've got to be a man and own up to what you want to do, If you were man enough, you'd make the phone call and tell them". On 12 October, Hopoate responded to Blair's comments saying "Who the hell is Adam Blair to come and say that?, They don't say anything when we name him in our team and that they were meant to turn up for a camp – they name him and take him out of our team, So what are they complaining about? He wants to come play for his heritage and who the hell is Adam Blair?.I'll bash Adam Blair I don't care.[21]

On 24 July 2018, Hopoate was charged by the NSWRL for punching opposition players while playing for the Narraweena Hawks against Forestville in a local A Grade match. It was alleged that Hopoate also threatened players of the Forestville Ferrets side.[22][23] He was subsequently banned from all involvement in NSWRL rugby league for 10 years.[24][25]

On 17 November 2018, Hopoate played for Manly in the Legends of League charity event. He was allowed to participate because the event was not controlled by the NSWRL. Hopoate courted controversy as he wore a rubber glove on one hand during a match against Newcastle, referencing his 12-week suspension in 2001 for sticking his finger into the anus of opposition players. The media branded the prank "grubby" and "repulsive".[26]