Petero Civoniceva

Civoniceva also succumbed to a torn pectoral muscle injury during the 22nd minute of the game.

Petero Civoniceva ( (Thee-vo-nee-thee-vah); born 21 April 1976), is a Fijian-Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.

He played junior football for the Redcliffe Dolphins until 1994.

After playing 39 reserve grade games he began his NRL career as a with the Brisbane Broncos.

Civoniceva played his club football for the Brisbane Broncos, with whom he won the 1998, 2000 and 2006 NRL Premierships, as well as for the Penrith Panthers, whom he captained.

He won the club's Rookie of the Year award in 1998 and went on to play from the bench in Brisbane's 1998 NRL grand final win at the end of the season.

Civoniceva missed the Broncos grand final victory in 2000 due to injury, as well as Australia's 2000 World Cup campaign.

Having won the 2000 NRL Premiership, the Broncos travelled to England to play against 2000's Super League V Champions, St Helens R.F.C. for the 2001 World Club Challenge, with Civoniceva playing at prop forward in Brisbane's loss.

Civoniceva won the Brisbane club's coveted Player of the Year award in 2004.

He was the 2006 Brisbane Broncos season's player of the year and he played at prop in the Broncos' 2006 NRL Grand Final victory.

As 2006 NRL Premiers, the Brisbane Broncos travelled to England to face 2006 Super League champions, St Helens R.F.C. in the 2007 World Club Challenge.

Civoniceva played as a prop forward in the Broncos' 14–18 loss against St Helens,

During the 2007 NRL season, at the Broncos' 20-year anniversary celebration, the club announced a list of the 20 best players to play for them to date which included Civoniceva.

In round 8 of NRL season 2007, Civoniceva played his 200th game for the Brisbane club, becoming only the eighth Broncos player to ever do so.

Civoniceva's Brisbane contract ended at the conclusion of the 2007 season.

The Broncos decision to withdraw the contract to the prop was due to salary cap restrictions.

Civoniceva signed to play for the Penrith Panthers for the 2008 season.

The deal was for 2 years with an option for a third and was believed to be worth $370,000 a year.

Civoniceva's move to New South Wales and another NRL team rather than relocating to England allowed him to continue to be available to represent both Australia and Queensland.

In January 2008, Penrith Panthers announced Civoniceva as captain of the team for 2008.

A Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative prop forward, in 2009 he broke the record for most international matches for Australia of any forward in history.

His deal with Penrith was set to expire at the end of the 2009 NRL season.

In the 2010 NRL Premiership, Civoniceva led the Panthers to second place on the ladder at the conclusion of the season, but in the penultimate round of the season he was sent off for a high tackle against the Bulldogs, which resulted in his suspension for two weeks.

As a result, he missed Penrith's first qualifying final, where, despite a brave effort, the Panthers lost by just two points against the Canberra Raiders.

In Round 5 of the 2011 NRL season, Civoniceva scored his first try since Round 8, 2008, against the Canberra Raiders in the 36–10 thrashing at Centrebet Stadium.

He was one of the stars of Queensland's victory in Origin 1, 2011, running for more than 150 m and outperforming the NSW forwards.

Civoniceva scored his second try of the season in Round 16 against the North Queensland Cowboys, which was a 30–20 victory by the Panthers.

The try involved a skilful left foot step from close range that left several Cowboys players, including Matthew Bowen, grasping at thin air.

This was the Women in League round, and also the rookie coach, Steve Georgallis' first game as coach for the Penrith Panthers.

Civoniceva's stint at Penrith ended on a low, with the Panthers failing to qualify for the semi-finals, and thrashed by the St. George Illawarra Dragons, 32–12, at Round 26.

On 26 July 2011, it was announced that the Penrith Panthers released Civoniceva from the final year of his contract, within the week, it was announced that he had signed to return to his original club, the Brisbane Broncos on a one-year deal.

He re-signed with Penrith until the end of 2012.

He went on to play in Queensland's State of Origin victories in game 1 and then game 2, but suffered a season-ending foot injury in the first half of the second match.

On 8 May 2012, Civoniceva announced his retirement effective at the conclusion of the 2012 season.

Civoniceva was selected to play for Queensland in the 2012 State of Origin series.

Late in his career whilst playing for the Redcliffe Dolphins in the Queensland Cup, Civoniceva captained the Fiji national team in their 2013 Rugby League World Cup campaign.

The Petero Civoniceva Medal is awarded to the Australian Fijian rugby league footballer of the year, while the Civoniceva Medal is awarded to the Queensland Cup player voted as the best and fairest.

Civoniceva was born in Suva, Fiji, where his father, Petero Sr, was a rugby union player.

Civoniceva's parents moved to Redcliffe, Queensland before his first birthday.

There he attended Humpybong State School, then Redcliffe State High School before finishing his senior schooling at Frawley College, now known as Southern Cross Catholic College.