John Hopoate (born 16 January 1974 in Tonga) is a former professional rugby league player and boxer who was involved in numerous sport controversies and subsequently convicted for violent crimes. He played rugby league in the Tonga national rugby league team, Australian Rugby League team, NSW State of Origin team and in the National Rugby League (NRL) for Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (including their 1996 Premiership team), Wests Tigers and the Northern Eagles. He became the "most suspended player of the modern era". In 2018 he was banned for 10 years by the NSWRL from any involvement in its and affiliated rugby league. Hopoate was the Australian heavyweight boxing champion from 2008 to 2009. He is the father of footballers William, Jamil and Albert Hopoate. Childhood and personal life Hopoate was born in Nukualofa, Tonga on 16 January 1974. His family moved to Australia and he lived in the Manly area of Sydney before moving to the western suburbs as a teenager. Hopoate is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Rugby League career Former Australian international Bob Fulton recruited Hopoate to the Manly club after witnessing his power and skill playing as a junior for a Manly Cove team before then going on to play in the under nineteen New South Wales team. 1993-99 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Hopoate signed with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club in 1993 while nineteen years of age and made his first grade debut against the Canberra Raiders at Brookvale Oval 6 June the same year. He played in the Tonga national rugby league team in the 1994 Pacific Cup, however he was in and out of the first grade team on a regular basis, not holding down a regular position until 1995. Hopoate's early season form in 1995 was sublime as he went on to score eleven tries from his first eleven first grade appearances and subsequently lead the try scoring table. After his spectacular form and try scoring feats during the 1995 season Hopoate was called up to his first senior representative match for New South Wales in game one of the 1995 State of Origin series. After a decent performance from Hopoate he was retained for the second game but then subsequently dropped from the third game because of an injury. Over the remaining rounds of the 1995 ARL season Hopoate went on to score a total of twenty-one