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Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Frank Semu Pritchard[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1983-11-03)3 November 1983 (age 41) Sydney,New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 187 cm (6 ft 2 in)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 112–120 kg (17 st 9 lb – 18 st 13 lb)[2][3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Second-row Prop | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Relatives | Kaysa Pritchard (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Frank Semu Pritchard (born 3 November 1983), also known by the nicknames "Cranky" and "Frank the Tank",[6][3][7] is a former professionalrugby league footballer who representedNew Zealand andSamoa at international level. Asecond-row, he played in theNational Rugby League for Sydney clubs thePenrith Panthers,Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and theParramatta Eels during the 2000s and 2010s. Pritchard also played in theSuper League for English clubHull FC.
OfSamoan andPākehā (Anglo-Saxon) New Zealander descent, Pritchard was born inSydney on 3 November 1983. He played his junior rugby league for theSt Clair Comets andCampbelltown City Kangaroos, and attended Eagle Vale High School before being signed by thePenrith Panthers.[8] Pritchard's younger brother,Kaysa Pritchard, would also go on to play in the NRL.[9]
In Round 8 of the2003 NRL season, Pritchard made hisNRL début forPenrith Panthers against theManly-Warringah Sea Eagles off the interchange bench in the Panthers 30–29 win atPenrith Stadium.[10] Pritchard was named 18th man for the Panthers2003 NRL Grand Final squad playing theSydney Roosters. He finished his début year with 7 games.
In Round 15 in the2004 NRL season against theCronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Pritchard scored his first career try in the Panthers 32–12 win atRemondis Stadium.[11] Pritchard finished the season with 2 tries in 12 matches.
Pritchard played the first 5 games of the 2005 season off the interchange bench before regular starting second rowerTony Puletua was side-lined with a season-ending pectoral muscle injury.[12] Pritchard played in the 2005ANZAC Test, making his international test début forNew Zealand againstAustralia atsecond-row in the Kiwis 16–32 loss atSuncorp Stadium.[13] Pritchard played 22 matches and scored one try for the Panthers. He was selected to represent New Zealand in the end of yearTri-Nations series, playing in 3 matches.
Pritchard was selected for New Zealand in the2006 ANZAC Test, coming off the interchange bench in the Kiwis' 12–50 loss at Suncorp Stadium.[14] Pritchard finished the2006 NRL season 20 matches and scoring 3 tries for the Panthers. Pritchard was selected to represent New Zealand in the2006 Tri-Nations series, playing in 4 matches, including scoring a try in the Kiwis 12-16 golden point final loss against Australia at theSFS.[15]
On 17 February 2007, just before the NRL season, Pritchard and his brother Tom were involved in a violent confrontation in theLiverpool area. His brother reportedly received four knife wounds, including one to the pulmonary artery. Pritchard was stabbed in the hand, which led to him having an operation the next day.[16] Pritchard was selected to for New Zealand in the 2007 ANZAC Test, coming off the interchange bench in the Kiwis 6–30 loss at Suncorp Stadium.[17] In Round 23 against theNewcastle Knights, Pritchard scored a hat trick of tries in the Panthers 46–12 win atHunter Stadium.[18] Pritchard finished thePanthers2007 NRL season with 23 matches and scoring 14 tries. Pritchard was selected to represent New Zealand in the2007 All Golds Tour series, playing in 3 matches.[19]
Pritchard was selected to for New Zealand in the century Trans-Tasman test match at theSCG, playing off the interchange bench in the Kiwis 12–28 loss.[20] Pritchard finished the2008 NRL season with 20 matches and scoring 6 tries for the Panthers. Pritchard was named in the New Zealand squad for the2008 Rugby League World Cup but didn't play a match in the tournament due to shoulder problems.[2][21]
Pritchard finished the2009 NRL season with 20 matches and scoring 6 tries for the Panthers. Pritchard was selected to represent New Zealand in the2009 Four Nations series, playing in 3 matches.[22]
On 25 August 2010, Pritchard agreed to three-year deal to sign with theCanterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs from 2011 onwards.[23] In Round 26 against theCronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Pritchard scored a hat trick in Penrith's 50–12 win at Penrith Stadium.[24] Pritchard played in 20 matches and scored 5 tries in his final season with the Penrith Panthers. Pritchard was selected to represent New Zealand in the2010 Four Nations series, playing in three matches.[25]
In Round 1 of the2011 NRL season, Pritchard made his club début for theCanterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs against theWests Tigers off the interchange bench, scoring a try in Canterbury's 24–14 win atANZ Stadium.[26] Pritchard finished his first year with the club playing in all of Canterbury's 24 matches and scoring four tries.
On 6 February 2012, Pritchard was chosen to play for theNRL All Stars off the interchange bench in the 28–12 win over theIndigenous All Stars atRobina Stadium.[27]Pritchard was selected to for New Zealand in the2012 ANZAC Test atsecond-row in the Kiwis 12–20 loss atEden Park.[28] On 30 September 2012, In Canterbury's2012 NRL Grand Final against theMelbourne Storm, Pritchard started atsecond-row in the club's 4–14 loss.[29][30] Pritchard finished the2012 NRL season with 26 matches and scoring four tries for the Canterbury club.
Pritchard was selected to for New Zealand in the October 2012 test against Australia at second-row in the Kiwis 10–18 loss at1300SMILES Stadium.[31]
For the2013 Anzac Test, Pritchard was selected to play for New Zealand at second-row, scoring a try in the 12–32 loss.[32] Pritchard finished the Bulldogs2013 NRL season playing 19 matches and scoring three tries. Pritchard was selected in New Zealand's2013 World Cup squad, playing in three matches.[33]
On 23 January 2014, Pritchard was appointed as a co-captain of Canterbury's team for the2014 NRL season, alongsideMichael Ennis.[34][35] In Round 6, against theNew Zealand Warriors atEden Park, Pritchard suffered a pectoral muscle tear injury.[36] This sidelined Pritchard until Round 26 where he played off the interchange bench in Canterbury's golden point extra time 18–19 loss to theGold Coast Titans atRobina Stadium.[37] On 5 October 2014, in Canterbury's2014 NRL Grand Final against theSouth Sydney Rabbitohs, Pritchard played off the interchange bench in the club's 6–30 loss.[38][39] Pritchard finished the2014 NRL season with 10 matches and scoring a try for the Canterbury side. On 7 October 2014, Pritchard was selected in theSamoan 24-man squad for the2014 Four Nations series.[40][41] Pritchard played in all 3 matches for Samoa, making his début againstEngland in Samoa's 26–32 loss at Suncorp Stadium.[42]
On 23 January 2015, Pritchard was named in theCanterbury2015 Auckland Nines squad.[43] On 2 May 2015, Pritchard captainedSamoa in theirPolynesian Cup battle withTonga. Pritchard played at second-row, scored a try and was involved in a try saving tackle with Samoa and Canterbury teammateSam Kasiano on Tonga wingerJorge Taufua, forcing him over the sideline and securing Samoa the narrow 18–16 victory atCbus Super Stadium.[44] In Round 24 againstSouth Sydney Rabbitohs, Pritchard played his 100th club match for the Canterbury-Bankstown club in the 32–18 win atANZ Stadium.[45][46] In the Bulldogs Semi-final match against theSydney Roosters, Pritchard played his last club match for the Canterbury club in the 38–12 season ending loss at theSFS.[47] Pritchard finished his last year in the NRL with 25 matches and scoring eight tries for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the2015 NRL season.
Pritchard joinedHull F.C. for the 2016Super League season, replacingMose Masoe as the heaviest player in the competition.[3] On 7 May 2016, Pritchard travelled down fromHull to Sydney to captainSamoa in the 2016Polynesian Cup[48] againstTonga, where he started in the second row in the 18–6 win atParramatta Stadium.[49]
On 27 August 2016, Pritchard would go on to make history as he played in theChallenge Cup Final forHull F.C. against theWarrington Wolves. Hull, having never won atWembley Stadium in 7 attempts had to come back from 10-0 down with 20 minutes to go to win the game 12–10, giving him his first major Trophy and going down in the history books as the first Hull team to win at Wembley.[50][51]
Pritchard returned to Australia to play for theParramatta Eels in the2017 NRL season. At the end of the season was selected to captain theSamoa national rugby league team for their2017 World Cup campaign. On 5 January 2018, Pritchard announced his retirement from rugby league.[52]
Frank has pursued several coaching roles, notably serving as Assistant Coach for theSamoa national rugby league team. Additionally, he has taken on head coaching positions with theSt. George Dragons Harold Matts team[53] and the A Grade rugby league team atPatrician Brothers' College, Fairfield. Under Frank's leadership, the Fairfield Pats team clinched the 2022NRL Schoolboy Cup defeating Hills Sport 20–16 and ending a 30-year championship drought.[54]
