Finding a voice – Anthony Pettett

Above: Anthony Pettett making a telling burst for the Johnsonville Hawks in a match last year. Photo credit: David Brownlie Photography.

Anthony Pettett is a softly spoken 21-year old who admits it was a major surprise when he was approached by Johnsonville coach Logan Tauiliili to captain the Premiers.

“I am shy and don’t say a lot. I hadn’t had a lot of captaincy experience before. I struggled in my first game. Since then we have developed a leadership group which has made life easier,” he says.
Pettett is the youngest senior skipper in Wellington, but the 2.00cm, 111kg lock insists leadership is a collective responsibility at Johnsonville.

“We have half a dozen players who help made decisions so effectively I am a vice-captain. Kane Thompson has been very helpful. He brings so much experience and has taught me how to handle the referees. He seems to have a way with them,” Pettett laughs.

Thompson is a former Samoan international, one of three players in the roster with international lineage. Chris Mafi played for Tonga Under-20’s with new All Black Vaea Fifita. Chris’s brother is Amanaki Mafi who has been capped by Japan.

Johnsonville only won two games in the Swindale Shield beating Paremata-Plimmerton 25-19 and Avalon 26-17. Pettett complains Johnsonville lacked the discipline to be regular victors.

“I really believe were a different side now than what we were in round one. Our best performance in the Swindale Shield was in the last round against Ories. We should have won that game, but our discipline cost us. We got two yellow cards and were shot in the last ten minutes.”

The Hawks have won four games on the trot in the Hardham Cup, the first time they have won consecutive games since 2015. This weekend at Helston Park they host the Upper Hutt Rams in a top of the table clash which could go a long way towards deciding the championship.

“I think we will take them on in the forwards. That’s where our strength resides and they have some dangerous backs like Max Pearson so we have to shut them down,” Pettett explains.

Johnsonville have shown an aptitude for shutting down opposition in the Hardham Cup. They have the best defensive record having conceded just 53 points in four outings. In round two, Poneke, who won seven Swindale Shield games, was toppled 27-14 with Tiwi Davies scoring 22 points.

“We had four yellow cards in the Poneke game which is ridiculous. That was a great win, but if we can keep our players on the field we are capable of so much more,” Pettett warns.

Pettett is in the last of three years with the Wellington Rugby Academy. He trains at 6:45am four to five days a week. Interestingly Wellington College locks Taine Plumtree and Naitoa Ah Koi are members of the same group despite still being at school.

“The Academy has been really good for me. I have put on 25kg since leaving school. It has taught me good training and eating habits as well as technical skills,” Pettett acclaims.

Pettett was a Wellington Under-19 representative in 2015 and is a likely injury reserve for the Lions behind the likes of Sam Lousi and James Blackwell as he closes in on 50 games for Johnsonville.

Pettett’s rise to such a lofty position hasn’t always been easy. He was bitterly disappointed to miss selection for the New Zealand Under-20’s in 2016. He has suffered from four concussions and when he was 15-years old he lost his father Rhys (a former Tawa player) to cancer.

Pettett worked fulltime in an ACC call centre last year helping people resolve “money problems” which was “pretty tough.” This year he works varying hours building or in office removal. The old boy of Newlands College helps coach the First XV along with fellow Johnsonville player Fraser McLaren.

Anthony is not the only talented sportsman in his family. Older brother Josh is a pitcher for the Black Sox and is currently headed to Canada to compete in the World Series, an event New Zealand has won six times.