Peter Tunks

Who is Peter Tunks?

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.

Tunks finished in the top 8 at the Rothmans Medal 6 times in his career. Tunks was also voted the best prop in world rugby league twice in the 80s.

Tunks is a product of Marcellin College Randwick, regarded as one of the best rugby league players to come out of this school, Tunks also represented NSW at rugby union as a schoolboy in 1976.

Graded with Souths in 1977, Tunks made his debut that year as a prop forward at 18 years of age. Tunks narrowly missed selection for the 1978 Kangaroo tour when he was voted one of the top rookies of the year. In the off season Tunks contracted glandular fever, hepatitis and a kidney disease and missed part of the 1979 season.

Tunks made his State of Origin debut in 1981, the same year he led South Sydney to victory in the Panasonic cup scoring the winning try. In 1982 Tunks was told he would be touring with the Kangaroos but was not taken due to off field indiscretions.