One of the best centres to grace the field during the 2000s and 2010s era, Wille Tonga has named the four players he feared the most during his 13-season career in the NRL.
A Kangaoors and Queensland representative, Willie Tonga played for the Parramatta Eels, Canterbury Bulldogs, and North Queensland Cowboys before deciding to hang up his boots at the end of the 2014 season.
Later, he had stints overseas with the Catalans Dragons, Leigh Leopards, and Bradford Bulls in the Super League competition.
Going down in the record books as one of the best outside backs in the 2000s and 2010s decades, Tonga's career would go on to include eight matches for Queensland (2004-11), 12 Tests for the Australia Kangaroos (2004-11), one match for the Indigenous All Stars and a Grand Final victory with the Bulldogs in 2004.
Speaking toย Zero Tackle, Tonga was asked about which players he feared going up against in the NRL, the State of Origin arena and on the international scene.
"There were quite a few. Where do I start?" Tonga told Zero Tackle.
"Timana Tahu. He's someone that I really looked up to. Justin Hodges, Mark Gasnier, Jamie Lyon.
"I can just keep naming them. I think that's something that I miss watching in today's footy is that you don't have those one-on-one battles like we used to in the mid-2000s.
"Maybe I'm being biased, but those were some of the centres that if you were off your game, they would make you pay."
A premiership-winner with the Newcastle Knights in 2001, Timana Tahu not only played opposite Tonga in the State of Origin arena but played alongside him during multiple games for the Kangaroos.
Mainly known for his time with the Knights and Parramatta Eels, Tahu made 196 NRL appearances throughout his career, with 12 appearances for the NSW Blues and five for the Australian Kangaroos.
A one-club player with the Dragons, Mark Gasnier made 175 first-grade appearances for them and helped guide them to a Grand Final victory in 2010 before retiring one year later.
Awarded the Dally M Centre of the Year award four times, Jamie Lyon won two NRL Grand Finals with the Manly Sea Eagles and became the fourth player - at the time - to score 100 tries and 500 goals.
Finally, the relationship between Justin Hodges and Wille Tonga normally saw them as the centres for Queensland but they had a ton of heated battles during their respective club careers.
A stalwart of the Maroons and Kangaroos team, Hodges won two Grand Finals (Roosters in 2002 and Broncos in 2006), is a former captain of the Brisbane Broncos and made 254 NRL appearances with 99 career tries.
