Quick Facts
Biography
Justin Horo (born 7 September 1986) is New Zealand professional rugby league footballer of maori descent who currently plays for the Catalans Dragons in the Super League. He previously played for the Parramatta Eels and Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League. He primarily plays as a second-rower and lock, but can also fill in at hooker.
Playing career
Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Horo played his junior football for the St Clair Comets and Cambridge Park before signing with the Parramatta Eels.
In Round 3 of the 2010 NRL season he made his NRL debut for the Parramatta Eels against the Wests Tigers. Later that year he re-signed with the Eels on a 3-year contract, knocking back offers from the Newcastle Knights, North Queensland Cowboys and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. After making his debut, Horo played in all the remaining games of the 2010 season and received the 2010 Parramatta Eels season's rookie of the year award.
Horo played throughout the 2011 season but in 2012 he was dropped from the Parramatta team after a first round loss, and featured in just 6 games for the year. Horo said, "Steve (Kearney) said I had a few things to work on and I ended up getting a few injuries after that. I tore ligaments in my ankle and then I had a rotator-cuff injury in my shoulder. Once I got back to full fitness I ended up stringing a few games together at the end but that was after Mooks had gone."
After being told he was not in the Eels future plans early in the 2012 season, Horo considered playing park football in France with a friend before ending up signing a 2-year contract with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles on 12 November from the 2013 season, after being released from the final year of his Eels contract. In the 2013 season, he scored 8 tries from 18 games (to Round 20 including 2 byes), playing in the back row with representative forwards Anthony Watmough and Glenn Stewart.
On 6 August 2015, Horo signed a 2-year contract to play in the Super League for French club Catalans Dragons starting in 2016.
Representative career
In 2010, Horo played for the New Zealand Māori team against England.
Personal life
Horo is from the Tainui iwi. His father is former New Zealand international Mark Horo and he has stated his allegiance to the Kiwis. His uncle, Shane Horo, also represented New Zealand.