Introduction
Francis Molo (born 3 September 1994) is a Cook Islands international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the North Queensland Cowboys in the NRL.
He previously played for the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugby League.
Background
Molo was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and moved to Australia at the age of one.
He played his junior football for the Aspley Devils and attended Wavell State High School, before being signed by the Brisbane Broncos.
Playing career
Early career
In 2010, Molo played for the Norths Devils' Cyril Connell Cup side and played for the Queensland under-16s team. In 2011, he moved up to the Devils' Mal Meninga Cup side and was selected to play for the Queensland under-18s team.From 2012 to 2014, Molo played for the Brisbane Broncos' NYC team. In 2012, he once again represented the Queensland under-18s team. On 20 April 2013, he played for the Queensland under-20s team against the New South Wales under-20s team.
2014
In Round 11 of the 2014 NRL season, Molo made his NRL debut for the Broncos against the Wests Tigers. In May, he again played for the Queensland under-20s team against the New South Wales under-20s team.
2015
On 20 June, while playing for the Broncos' feeder club, the Norths Devils against the Sunshine Coast Falcons in the Intrust Super Cup, Molo was involved in a tackle on opposition player James Ackerman, which resulted in the death of Ackerman on 22 June 2015. He received an eight-week suspension for the tackle by the QRL judiciary. On 17 September, Molo played for the Cook Islands against Tonga for the World Cup qualifier.
2016
On 8 May, Molo started at prop in the Cook Islands 30-20 win over Lebanon. In July, while playing for the Devils, Molo received a three-game suspension for a shoulder charge against the Sunshine Coast Falcons. A brawl broke out following the tackle, with Sunshine Coast players reportedly calling Molo a "killer". Two Sunshine Coast players were also suspended, for attacking Molo. It came after being suspended three weeks earlier for a similar incident.
2017
On 20 July, Molo was released from his contract with the Broncos and joined the Townsville Blackhawks mid-season.
On 24 October, Molo signed a one-year deal with the North Queensland Cowboys after training with their first grade squad while playing for the Blackhawks.
2018
In Round 11 of the 2018 NRL season, Molo made his debut for the Cowboys in their 19–20 loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs. It was his first NRL game in almost three years. On 28 June, he re-signed with the Cowboys for two more seasons.
Molo played the majority of the 2018 season with the Townsville Blackhawks, registering seven NRL games in his first season with the Cowboys.
2019
Molo enjoyed a breakout season in 2019, coming off the bench in all 24 of the Cowboys' games. In Round 13, he scored his first NRL try in the Cowboys' 20–22 loss to the Manly Sea Eagles. On 18 September, he won the Cowboys' 2019 Coach's Award at the club's presentation night.
On 2 October, Molo was nominated for Dally M Interchange Player of the Year at the 2019 Dally M Awards.
Achievements and accolades
Individual
- North Queensland Cowboys Coach's Award: 2019
Statistics
NRL
- Statistics are correct to the end of the 2019 season
| Season | Team | Matches | T | G | GK % | F/G | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career totals | 37 | 2 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |
International
| Season | Team | Matches | T | G | GK % | F/G | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Cook Islands | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | Cook Islands | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Career totals | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
Personal life
Molo is the cousin of his former Brisbane Broncos teammate, Anthony Milford.