Dan Palmer

Dan Palmer, the son of former New South Wales hooker Peter Palmer, made a name for himself in Super Rugby as a tough front row forward whose size belied a raw and unbending strength at the scrum. Aged 18, Palmer made his provincial debut for New South Wales debut in 2008. Further opportunities proved hard to come by over the next few seasons as he competed head-to-head with Test props Benn Robinson, Sekope Kepu and Al Baxter so Palmer moved to the ACT Brumbies for the 2011 season, a decision that proved to be the turning point of his career. He established himself as one of the country's strongest tightheads and was rewarded with his sole Test cap, won against Scotland, in 2012. Palmer left the Brumbies after the 2013 Super Rugby final to join French club Grenoble only to then retire and focus his attention on a science and psychology degree. Regarded as one of Australia's best set-piece minds, Palmer turned to coaching with a return to the Brumbies in 2015 before a brief stint in Japan with Suntory Sungoliath in 2019.