Willie Poching Name Willie Poching      Era 2001 onwards Place of Birth Auckland Previous Club Wakefield Trinity Wildcats Honours New Zealand  Debut  v Bradford 09/02/02        Leeds Career : Willie was a top class recruit for the Rhinos at the start of the 2002 season. A versatile player who provided the Rhinos with a number of options with his ability to play at loose forward, second row or hooker. His great leadership skills too were a major asset for the team, having captained Wakefield and Samoa during the career. In his first season at the club he played in 31 of the 34 games and scored seven tries. He followed that up the next season with a great attacking season with 12 tries in 32 games and collected a runners up medal in the Powergen Challenge Cup Final. In 2004 Willie made just 6 starts but made a huge impact in his 23 substitute appearances scoring 8 of his 12 tries as a replacement, including 3 in the 46-14 win over Castleford Tigers and 2 over his former club Wakefield in the 46-28 victory at Headingley Carnegie. He was also part of the side who defeated Bradford Bulls in the Grand Final that year and the following season helped the team to their first ever World Club Championship, with a try against Canterbury Bulldogs in the Final at Elland Road. 2006 was to be Willie’s final playing season with the club in which he made 13 starts and came on 11 times from the bench. His final appearance for the team came in the 14-12 win against his former club Wakefield in August. Injury prevented Willie from finishing the season and ultimately led to his retirement. Rugby Career : Willie was the Samoa captain in the World Cup in 2000, a role he went on to fulfil for Wakefield in 2001. He spent two seasons at Belle Vue before joining the Rhinos. In 2000 he played 21 games for the Wildcats, scored 5 tries and was the sides top offloader. He was rewarded with the captaincy for the game against St Helens when the Wildcats won 32-16, an honour which continued into the 2002 season. In his final season Willie played a further 24 games and scored 4 more tries. He started out with Marist, Mt Albert, Northcote in Auckland and lower grades for Brisbane Broncos. Willie represented Junior Kiwis in 1991-92 (captain in 1992) and then went onto represent Western Samoa at 1995 World Cup and Samoa at 2000 World Cup as captain. He was part of the inaugural Auckland team in 1995, before moving onto North Queensland 1996, Hunter Mariners 1997, St George 1998 and then coming to England and signing for Hunslet. He made 35 first grade appearances in Australia. One of Willies proudest moments in his career came in 2005 when he was selected to represent New Zealand when they played England at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. To return to the main squad profiles page click here.