The Dom Harvey Podcast
From 15 Armed Robberies to Changing Lives: The Jay Pukepuke Story
26 Nov 2025
Jay Pukepuke went from a rugby league player with huge potential- he was a Warriors age-grade star and on track for a career in the NRL. Then he went off the rails and committed 15 armed robberies which saw him incarcerated for six years across some of New Zealand’s toughest prisons.Since then he has become a father, a mentor, an author, and the co-founder of an organization called “Bros for Change.”Inside this episode, Jay opens up about::The adrenaline addiction that drove him into crimeHearing another inmate being beaten to death in a neighboring cellThe shame he still carries for the victimsThe moment he finally realized he had to change and so much more!His book Inner Warrior captures this journey on the page, but hearing him speak it is something else entirely. Jay is funny, confronting, and incredibly honest about the man he used to be… and the man he’s become.If you like redemption arcs, this one is as authentic as they come. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Hello, and thank you for choosing to listen to this episode of the Dom Harvey Podcast. It means a lot. Coming up, Jay Puke Puke.
I heard a guy get beat to death. I saw the body get carried out the next morning. It was weird to me because no one came to help him. We couldn't, we were locked up. But we could hear it. And then, yeah, we stayed locked up in the morning and they just carried him out. Yeah, never saw him again.
Jay Pukepuke went from a rugby league player with huge potential, he was a Warriors age-grade star, used to play in teams with Monty Beetham and other high-profile stars, and he was on track for a career in the NRL. Then he went off the rails and committed 15 armed robberies which saw him incarcerated for six years across some of New Zealand's toughest prisons.
Since then he's become a father, a mentor, an author and the co-founder of an organisation called Bros for Change. In this episode, which is brutally honest, Jay opens up about the adrenaline addiction that drove him into crime. Hearing another inmate being beaten to death in a neighbouring cell. The shame he still carries for the victims of his crimes.
The moment he realised he had to change and so much more. His book, Inner Warrior, it's out now in bookstores. It's an incredible read. It captures this journey on the page. But hearing him speak is something else entirely. Jay is funny, he's confronting, and he's incredibly honest about the man he used to be and the man that he's become.
If you like redemption arcs, this one is as authentic as they come. This is the Dom Harvey Podcast, and here is Jay Pukepuke.
Thanks, mate. Good to be here.
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