LAURIE HALE – Logistics Manager

PATRICK WILLIAMS – Physiotherapist

KENNY MICHALOPOULOS – Physiotherapist

LEIGH RICHARDSON – Analyst

RICHARD BECHT – Media Manager

SEAN EDWARDS – Head Trainer

DARYL HALLIGAN – Kicking Coach

STACEY JONES – Head Coach

NADENE CONLON – Kiwis & National Teams Manager

A highly valued and ultra-consistent member of Sydney Roosters’ engine-room despite lacking the profile of many of his clubmates, Isaac Liu represented Samoa before becoming a regular in the New Zealand Test team.

The Otahuhu Leopards junior arrived in Sydney via celebrated Gold Coast rugby league nursery Keebra Park State High School, playing for Wests Tigers NYC team in 2010 and the Roosters’ under-20s in 2011.

Liu made his NRL debut for the star-studded Roosters in 2013, racking up 15 rookie-season appearances. The 22-year-old came off the bench in the club’s preliminary final win over Newcastle but missed out on the final 17 that won the following week’s grand final.

The hardworking prop/back-rower became a permanent pick in Roosters coach Trent Robinson’s squad from 2014. He debuted for Toa Samoa against Fiji mid-season, before playing all three matches of their spirited Four Nations campaign against England, New Zealand and Australia.

Liu represented Samoa against Tonga midway through 2015 and played an underrated role in a third straight Roosters minor premiership. He was selected in New Zealand’s squad to tour England at the end of the year but was not called upon for any of the three Tests.

Full Kiwi honours came two years later when Liu was picked for the Rugby League World Cup. He made a tryscoring debut off the bench in the pool win over Toa Samoa and featured as an interchange in subsequent losses to Mate Ma’a Tonga and Fiji.

Liu was a non-playing member of the 19-man Kiwis squad for the 2018 Denver Test against England, but he started in the second-row in all four post-season Tests against Australia and England, scoring a try in the 34-0 victory over the latter at Elland Road. He lined up in the No.13 jersey as New Zealand defeated Tonga at Mt Smart Stadium the following season.

By now a genuine leader at the Roosters – and predominantly playing as a middle forward – ‘Ice’ collected a pair of NRL premiership rings after the club’s back-to-back grand final triumphs in 2018-19. Liu’s sixth straight season of making 22-plus first-grade appearances took him past the 150-game mark for the Tricolours in 2019.

A knee injury ruled the 28-year-old out of the Kiwis’ 2019 end-of-year campaign.

Liu played 19 of the Roosters’ 22 games in 2020, averaging 27 tackles and 106 metres as one of the injury-hit champs’ most reliable performers.

A mainstay as the Roosters battled a shocking injury toll in 2021, Liu started all 26 of his team’s matches and passed the 200-game milestone for the club – just the 11th player to do so. The Roosters’ semi-final exit, the 19th playoffs game of Liu’s career, would be his last outing for the club ahead of a move to Gold Coast Titans at the end of the year. Liu was subsequently named in the Kiwis’ wider squad for the following year’s Rugby League World Cup.

Liu cemented a starting role in the Titans’ pack from the outset in 2022 and was chosen in the Kiwis’ squad for the midyear Test against Tonga but missed out on a spot in the matchday 17.

The 31-year-old missed just one game for the Titans before receiving the call-up for his second World Cup campaign at the end of 2022. He was typically reliable in four appearances at the tournament and earned a bench spot for the quarter-final win over Fiji and the gallant semi-final loss to Australia despite stiff competition for engine-room spots.

 

Puti Tipene (Steve) Watene was a rugby league pioneer during the 1930s, becoming the first Māori to captain the Kiwis. More than 80 years later, the NZRL Legend of League’s great grandson, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, became the Kiwis’ skipper just a month after his 23rd birthday.

Born in Hamilton and spending his early years in Ngaruawahia, Watene-Zelezniak’s family moved to Sydney when he was five. The prodigiously talented outside-back joined Penrith and scored 23 tries in 25 games for the club’s under-20s side, winning an NYC grand final and representing the Junior Kiwis in 2013.

The 18-year-old was drafted into the Panthers’ NRL line-up the following season. He scored seven tries in 10 games on the wing and starred in the Ivan Cleary-coached outfit’s finals campaign. A strong follow-up season at wing, centre and fullback in 2015 was cut short by injury in July, ruling out a likely Kiwis call-up for the end-of-year tour to England.

But ‘DWZ’ did not have long to wait for a Test debut, featuring on the wing in New Zealand’s 16-0 Anzac Test loss in 2016. After being at forefront of the Panthers’ semi-final charge that season – scoring 12 tries in 26 games – he made just one appearance during the Four Nations, starting at fullback in the shock draw with Scotland.

The freakish flyer played on the wing in the 2017 Anzac Test and was named in the Kiwis’ World Cup squad at the end of the year. Watene-Zelezniak scored his first Test try in the pool match against Mate Ma’a Tonga – fittingly, in Hamilton – but he endured a torrid afternoon at the hands of his opposing winger, Tonga’s hat-trick hero David Fustiu’a, in the historic 28-22 loss.

With Roger Tuivasa-Sheck unavailable, Watene-Zelezniak scored two tries from fullback in a superb display as New Zealand went down to England in Denver midway through 2018. He retained the No.1 jumper for the Kiwis’ post-season schedule thanks to ‘RTS’s’ knee injury and was coach Michael Maguire’s surprise choice to take over as captain.

The role inspired Watene-Zelezniak to new heights, leading by example as New Zealand scored a 26-24 upset over Australia in Auckland – including a brilliant through-the-legs pass to set up his side’s first try for Ken Maumalo. He then led the Kiwis in all three Tests of the 2-1 series defeat in England, scoring tries in losing efforts in the first two encounters.

Watene-Zelezniak bounced around the struggling Panthers’ team sheet early in 2019, before being dropped to reserve grade and seeking a release to link with Canterbury. But after just one game for the Bulldogs, he joined a select group of players who have captained a Test team from the wing as Tuivasa-Sheck returned for the mid-season showdown with Tonga. The 23-year-old helmed another momentous win as the Kiwis powered to a 34-14 result.

‘DWZ’ was magnificent at fullback for the improving Bulldogs during the second half of the season but a knee injury ended his campaign prematurely and ruled the incumbent skipper out of the Kiwis’ end-of-year schedule.

Watene-Zelezniak returned to co-captain Māori All Stars in their 30-16 win over Indigenous All Stars during the 2020 pre-season, before playing 18 games at fullback, wing and centre for the Bulldogs at club level.

After scoring a try in Māori All Stars’ 10-all draw with their Indigenous counterparts in Townsville – again as co-captain – the young veteran left Canterbury midway through the 2021 season to take up a deal with the Warriors. Watene-Zelezniak’s nine appearances for his new club took him past 150 games in the NRL, while he was named in the Kiwis’ wider squad for the 2022 World Cup at the end of the year.

Watene-Zelezniak was one of the Warriors’ more consistent performers during the 2022 premiership, scoring a team-high nine tries in 18 games. The 27-year-old was also the only player from the club to earn a place in the Kiwis’ squad for the midyear clash against Tonga (though the former Test skipper ultimately missed a spot in the game-day 17) and the World Cup. He made only one appearance at the tournament but it was one to remember, becoming just the fourth player to score four tries in a Test match – as well as producing three try-assists and adding two goals – in the group-stage victory over Jamaica.

Given Brandon Smith was called into the New Zealand squad before he had played an NRL game, his rapid rise to Test honours after he became a Melbourne Storm regular was hardly surprising.

Waiheke Island born-and-bred, Smith moved to Townsville after older brother Dylan secured an under-20s contract with North Queensland. Brandon attended Kirwan State High School and eventually progressed to the Cowboys’ NYC ranks himself, scoring 30 tries in 44 games in 2015-16. He represented the Junior Kiwis and was named at hooker in the NYC Team of the Year in 2016.

Smith was snapped up by the Storm, who earmarked him as a potential successor to legendary No.9 Cameron Smith. The 20-year-old caused a stir by being selected in the Kiwis’ 20-man Anzac Test squad in 2017, though he was not named in the final 17. An NRL debut soon followed, coming off the bench three times for Melbourne during the taxing representative period and scoring two tries.

Stocky and powerful with excellent speed out of dummy-half, Smith’s skill-set was easily transferrable to the back-row and he became a permanent fixture on the defending premiers’ bench. After 18 top-grade appearances in 2018 (but only one start) and a grand final runner-up medal following the Storm’s loss to the Roosters, he was chosen at hooker for New Zealand’s post-season clash with Australia in Auckland.

Smith produced one of the most memorable of all Kiwi Test debuts. He powered over for a second-half try and was narrowly denied another by the video referee that would have sealed the result, before the hosts held on for a nail-biting 26-24 victory – the Kiwis’ first over the Kangaroos in four years. Smith’s energy, determination and passionate celebrations were just as eye-catching as his ability to get over the try-line, while his tearful post-match embrace with family was one of the most enduring images of a momentous night.

The dynamic tyro subsequently wore the No.9 jersey in all three Tests on the Kiwis’ tour of England, while he featured for the Māori All Stars in their historic clash with the Indigenous All Stars during the 2019 pre-season.

Though his path to a spot in the Storm’s starting line-up was blocked by Cameron Smith and rep back-rowers Felise Kaufusi, Kenny Bromwich and Dale Finucane, Brandon Smith became an increasingly integral part of Craig Bellamy’s game-plan and he racked up 23 first-grade games in 2019.

Smith was one of the standouts of the Kiwis’ 34-14 mid-season defeat of Mate Ma’a Tonga. He scored a sensational 30-metre solo try from dummy-half to open the scoring and made another barnstorming break before kicking ahead for Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to dot down for the first try of the second half, finishing with 127 running metres, 10 tackle-breaks and 40 tackles in a mighty all-round display.

The 23-year-old was well-contained in the Kiwis’ 26-4 post-season loss to the Kangaroos in Wollongong, while he was a late scratching from the first Test against Great Britain at Eden Park after breaching team protocol. But Smith was reinstated at hooker for the second Test in Christchurch and was typically industrious in a 23-8 win.

Smith started 2020 in scorching form, scoring two late tries in a man-of-the-match performance for Māori All Stars in their 30-16 win over Indigenous All Stars on the Gold Coast.

Featuring at prop, hooker and off the bench for Melbourne, Smith – nicknamed ‘Hectic Cheese’ and rapidly becoming one of the NRL’s genuine personality players – collected a premiership ring following the Storm’s grand final victory over Penrith Panthers.

Following Cameron Smith’s retirement, he warded off the challenge of brilliant youngster Harry Grant for the Storm’s No.9 jersey and played a career-high 24 games in 2021. He scored 12 tries and got over the stripe in eight consecutive games during a remarkable mid-season streak, starting games at hooker before shifting to a running forward role when Grant entered the fray off the bench. Smith was named in the Kiwis’ wider squad for the World Cup and collected the Dally M Hooker of the Year award after Melbourne bowed out in the preliminary final against Penrith, with the Storm’s cause hindered by their influential dummy-half’s early HIA exit.

Among only a handful of survivors from New Zealand’s previous international fixture, Smith was typically dynamic in the Kiwis’ 26-6 mid-2022 win over Tonga in Auckland. After his 107-game tenure at the Storm wrapped up in the finals ahead of a move to Sydney Roosters, the 26-year-old jetted to England for New Zealand’s World Cup foray. Smith played all five of the Kiwis’ matches at the tournament – including a two-try display against Jamaica – before they were eliminated in the semis by the Kangaroos.

Athletic Wellington product Joseph Tapine became a New Zealand back-row regular after joining Canberra in 2016 – and eventually one of the game’s elite forwards following a shift to the front-row.

The Harbour City Eagles junior was an 18-year-old winger for Wellington Orcas in the NZRL’s National Competition, before taking up a contract with Newcastle. He played 39 games for the Knights’ under-20s team in 2013-14, representing the Junior Kiwis both years and breaking through for seven NRL appearances off the bench during the latter season.

Tapine made another 13 top-grade appearances in 2015 and featured in Newcastle’s NSW Cup grand final win at centre. The in-demand tyro was released by the Knights to take up a lucrative deal with the Raiders late in the 2016 pre-season.

The 22-year-old became a permanent interchange fixture for the high-flying Green Machine as the club surged to a preliminary final. He was subsequently named in the Kiwis’ Four Nations tour squad, debuting off the bench in an inauspicious draw with Scotland and retaining his spot for the loss to Australia in the final.

Tapine was chosen in New Zealand’s 2017 Rugby League World Cup squad and started in the second-row in all four matches, scoring his maiden Test try in the 74-6 rout of Scotland in Christchurch.

By now a regular starter for the Raiders at second-row or lock, Tapine endured an injury-hit 2018 campaign but played in the Kiwis’ midyear clash with England in Denver and came off the bench in two of the three Tests in England at the end of the year. He scored a try in the 34-0 dead-rubber victory at Leeds.

Tapine represented the Māori All Stars against the Indigenous All Stars during the 2019 pre-season and was a non-playing member of the Kiwis’ extended squad for the mid-season Test against Tonga. Though he was allowed to play in the World Cup Nines tournament, a one-match suspension for a high tackle in the Raiders’ grand final loss to the Roosters ruled Tapine out of contention for the Test against the Kangaroos in Wollongong.

But the aggressive, hard-running forward was recalled to Michael Maguire’s New Zealand line-up at lock for both Tests against the touring Great Britain Lions. He was especially impressive in the second encounter in Christchurch, racking up 112 metres, 39 tackles, three tackle-breaks and two offloads in a 23-8 victory

In an ultra-consistent campaign at NRL level in 2020, Tapine averaged 125 metres and 31 tackles per game as the Raiders reached the preliminary final – as well as making his 100th appearance for the club.

Tapine’s 2021 season was somewhat disappointing by his standards but he exploded as one of the NRL’s standout players in 2022 after settling into a role as starting prop for Canberra, earning a place in the Dally M Team of the Year and winning the Mal Meninga Medal as the Raiders’ Player of the Year.

The 28-year-old shone at lock during New Zealand’s 26-6 mid-season win over Tonga – racking up 162 metres and 36 tackles in his 12th Test outing – ahead of the Kiwis’ World Cup assault in England, where he started in four of their five matches.

Tapine passed the 150-game mark in Raiders colours during 2023 and played in all but one game as the club again reached the finals, while he collected a second straight Mal Meninga Medal before joining the Kiwis’ squad for their Pacific Championships assault.

The No.13 was a vital presence throughout the triumphant campaign, notching a try assist against Samoa, running for a team-high 149 metres in the group-stage loss to Australia, and leading all forwards with 197 metres and topping the Kiwis’ tackle count with 33 in the record 30-0 destruction of the Kangaroos in the final.

Kenny Bromwich joined older brother Jesse as a key member of the Melbourne Storm and New Zealand Kiwis line-ups. Shorter and stockier than his illustrious sibling, his utility value became a precious commodity at club and representative level.

Melbourne Storm recruited both Manurewa Marlins juniors, with Kenny playing alongside Jesse at NYC level in 2009 and ultimately playing 52 games in the under-20s. He made his NRL debut as a 21-year-old in 2013 – coming off the bench nine times – and became a regular member of Craig Bellamy’s 17 the following season. Bromwich also played in back-to-back Queensland Cup grand final losses for feeder club Easts Tigers in 2013-14.

Primarily a back-rower, Bromwich provided dummy-half cover but could also slot in out in the centres if needed. He played all 27 games for Melbourne in 2016 – including the club’s grand final loss to Cronulla – and made his Kiwis debut off the bench in the Anzac Test defeat to the Kangaroos in Newcastle, with Jesse captaining the side.

Bromwich featured in the 2017 Anzac Test and celebrated in the Storm’s resounding premiership triumph. His only appearance at the end-of-year World Cup saw him score a try in a 74-6 rout of Scotland in Christchurch after starting in the second-row.

Following the Storm’s 2018 grand final loss to the Roosters, the skilful and industrious ‘Mr Fix-it’ was an interchange in all four of the Kiwis’ post-season Tests against Australia and Great Britain.

Bromwich became a regular NRL starter for the first time in 2019, playing all 27 of Melbourne’s games in the second-row. His outstanding form at club level garnered a second-row spot in the New Zealand side for the midyear victory over Tonga, the end-of-season loss to Australia in Wollongong and the first Test against Great Britain at Eden Park.

The 28-year-old’s sensational try-saving tackle in the dying minutes on Lions winger Jermaine McGillvary secured a 12-8 win for the Kiwis. He missed the second Test in Christchurch after heading back to Melbourne for the birth of his second child.

The underrated Bromwich, who represented Māori All Stars in 2019-20 and 2022, played in his fourth grand final and secured a second NRL premiership ring in 2020 after Melbourne’s 26-20 win over Penrith, the culmination of another fine campaign in the Storm back-row for the 171-game veteran.

Bromwich played 21 games for the minor premiership-winning Storm in 2021 – exclusively as a starting second-rower. He was named in the Kiwis’ wider squad for the postponed World Cup at the end of the season.

After bringing up 200 NRL appearances early in 2022, Bromwich played 80 minutes in the second-row as New Zealand’s overwhelmed Tonga in the midyear Test, racking up 115 metres and 31 tackles and typically valuable, hardworking contribution and, unsurprisingly, secured a spot in the touring party for the England-hosted World Cup. He started in the second-row in the Kiwis’ first four matches at the tournament – scoring tries in pool wins over Lebanon and Ireland – but missed the semi-final showdown with Australia.

Brother Jesse is the only New Zealander to play more than Kenny’s 22 finals matches in the history of the premiership; the pair signed to join the fledgling Dolphins NRL franchise for 2023.

At just 23, Tokoroa product Joseph Manu had two NRL premierships and eight New Zealand Test appearances under his belt. In the three seasons since he has solidified his standing as one of rugby league’s biggest backline stars.

Sydney Roosters spotted the strapping three-quarter’s potential early and he scored 34 tries in 48 under-20s games for the club from 2014-16, while also representing the Junior Kiwis in a 22-20 loss to the star-studded Junior Kangaroos in 2015.

Manu earned his NRL spurs a week before his 20th birthday, making three top-grade appearances in 2016. He forged a regular spot in the Roosters’ backline with 16 games the following season before firmly underlining his game-breaking ability in a breakout 2018 campaign.

Though he had frequently been used on the wing, Manu made the right centre spot his own and scored a try as one of the Roosters’ stars in their 21-6 grand final victory over Melbourne Storm.

The tall, athletic youngster was even more impressive on Kiwis debut two weeks later, comprehensively outplaying his opposing centre, clubmate Latrell Mitchell, in a 26-24 victory over the Kangaroos in Auckland. Manu powered over for a first-half try and produced a brilliant offload to send Jordan Rapana in after the break. He went on to play all three Tests on New Zealand’s tour of England.

Manu was virtually an automatic pick for the Kiwis’ 2019 Representative Round showdown with Mate Ma’a Tonga and made two line-breaks in another barnstorming international performance, including a dummy-half charge to score his side’s final try of a 34-14 win.

He featured prominently again as the Roosters became the first back-to-back premiers in 26 years courtesy of a gripping 14-8 grand final defeat of Canberra.

Australia kept Manu quiet as New Zealand went down 26-4 in Wollongong but he was superb throughout the 2-0 series win against Great Britain, making a line-break in both Tests, running for a combined tally of 222 metres and scoring the opening try of the second encounter in Christchurch.

Manu scored a career-high nine tries from 21 games for the Roosters in 2020, occasionally filling in for superstar fullback James Tedesco.

Expanding his versatility by making appearances at centre, five-eighth, fullback and wing for the injury-ravaged Roosters in 2021, Manu made his 100th NRL appearance and scored 10 tries. One of the code’s hottest properties, he capped a stellar season with selection in the Kiwis’ wider squad for the World Cup.

Though kept out of the Roosters’ No.1 jersey by the brilliant James Tedesco, Manu was an obvious choice to occupy the vacant New Zealand fullback spot for the mid-2022 Test against Tonga. The 26-year-old created history by running for an astonishing 401 metres – more than any total ever recorded in an NRL match – as the Kiwis powered to a 26-6 win in Auckland. Manu helped the Roosters qualify for another finals series, racking up a career-high 11 tries, but missed the playoffs through injury for the second straight year.

Manu recovered in time for the World Cup, where he lived up to his reputation as New Zealand’s most dangerous attacking weapon. He played all five matches at fullback and scored three tries, producing a man-of-the-match performance in the group-stage win over Lebanon before getting the Kiwis out of jail in the quarters against Fiji with a blistering second-half performance. Emphasising his burgeoning status, Manu subsequently was awarded the Golden Boot for 2022 – just the sixth New Zealander to collect the honour.

Bouncing around the team sheet for the injury- and form-stricken Roosters in 2023, Manu played several matches at fullback and five-eighth as well as in his usual centre spot and featured prominently in the club’s late-season charge to reach the second week of the finals.

Manu shaped as a player the Kiwis would build their bid for Pacific Championships success around and he did not disappointing, reverting to the centres and averaging 148 metres in a barnstorming post-season foray against Samoa and Australia that culminated with a record-breaking defeat of the latter in the final.

Warriors back-rower Isaiah Papali’i was barely out of his teens when he was handed his first New Zealand Test cap, while he became recognised as one of the NRL’s best forwards after switching to Parramatta.

The son of long-serving Kiwi Ferns rep Lorina Papali’i, Isaiah was a rugby union and rugby league star while attending Mount Albert Grammar School. He chose the 13-a-side code, debuting for the Warriors’ NYC side and the Junior Kiwis in 2016 while still only 17 years of age. Papali’i would go on to represent the Junior Kiwis again in 2017-18.

The 18-year-old received a surprise interchange call-up from incoming coach Stephen Kearney for the Warriors’ season-opening NRL clash with Newcastle in 2017. He returned to first grade for four late-season appearances off the bench.

Forging a regular second-row berth for the finals-bound Warriors in 2018, Papali’i played for Samoa in the mid-season Pacific Test against Tonga – but there were many more highlights to come. Mum Lorina featured for the Warriors’ women’s team in their historic NRLW encounter with Sydney Roosters at ANZ Stadium – just before Isaiah turned out for the club in its finals exit at the hands of Penrith at the same ground, his 20th appearance of the season.

Less than a month after captaining the Junior Kiwis against the Junior Kangaroos, he followed in Lorina’s footsteps by coming off the bench in New Zealand’s 34-0 win over England in the third Test at Leeds. Papali’i had the honour of kicking a late conversion on debut in the one-sided encounter.

Lorina and Isaiah are New Zealand’s only mother-son combination to represent the Kiwi Ferns and Kiwis.

Papali’i missed just one game for the Warriors in a trying 2019 campaign. He was named in an extended Kiwis squads for the mid-season showdown with Tonga and the post-season schedule against Australia and Great Britain but was not called upon by New Zealand coach Michael Maguire for any of the four Tests.

After 15 appearances for the Warriors in 2020 – taking his NRL total to 63 games – Papali’i was released by the club and took up a two-year deal with Parramatta Eels.

The move rejuvenated the tyro’s career. In sensational form as soon as he pulled on the blue-and-gold jersey, Papali’i missed just one of fifth-placed Parramatta’s games, was named in the Dally M Team of the Year, received the VB Hard Earned Player of the Year award and the Ken Thornett Medal as the Eels’ official Player of the Year – as well as being widely regarded as the best buy of the 2021 season. Papali’i also doubled his NRL career tally with seven tries, and finished third in the competition for post-contact metres and sixth for tackle breaks.

Unsurprisingly, the 23-year-old earned a spot in the Kiwis’ wider squad for the 2022 World Cup, capping one of the great individual success stories of the rugby league year.

Signing a deal with Wests Tigers from 2023, Papali’i maintained his stratospheric level of form for the Eels in 2022 and was chosen as a starting second-rower for New Zealand’s midyear showdown with Tonga. In his second Test appearance, Papali’i starred with a try, 90 metres and 35 tackles in the Kiwis’ 26-6 victory at the Mt Smart Stadium venue he previously called home at club level.

The 24-year-old brought up 100 NRL appearances during 2022 and played a huge role in Parramatta’s drive to its first grand final in 13 years. Following the Eels’ loss to the Panthers in the big one, Papali’i set off on his first World Cup campaign with the Kiwis, where he featured in all five matches before their semi-final elimination at the hands of the Kangaroos.

Papali’i played all but one game of the struggling Tigers’ 2023 campaign, providing stability in a difficult season for the club and maintaining a level of individual form to ensure a place in the Kiwis’ Pacific Championship squad.

Starting in the second-row in all three matches, he scored a try and topped the Kiwis’ tackle count in the opening win over Samoa, and was equally industrious in the 30-0 demolition of the Kangaroos in the final.

Goalkicking winger/fullback Jamayne Isaako’s meteoric rise included a New Zealand Test call-up after just 15 NRL appearances.

Born in Christchurch and a junior of the Aranui Eagles club in Canterbury, Isaako was snapped up by Cronulla as 17-year-old and played 27 games for the Sharks’ under-20s side in 2014-15. He was the Junior Kiwis’ fullback in their loss to the Junior Kangaroos in the latter season.

Isaako linked with Brisbane in 2016, scoring 132 points in just 13 NYC games and again representing the Junior Kiwis against their Australian counterparts – this time at five-eighth.

While piling on the points for Broncos feeder club Souths Logan Magpies in the 2017 InTrust Super Cup, the 21-year-old made his NRL debut at fullback in a win over Newcastle, his only top-grade outing of the season.

But Isaako began the 2018 season on the right wing for Brisbane and carved out a dazzling Dally M Rookie of the Year campaign. He scored 11 tries and kicked 97 goals at 82.91 percent to rack up 239 points – the second-highest tally ever for the Broncos and the most points in a season by a rookie in premiership history.

Despite his lack of top-level experience, Isaako proved himself as a match-winner with the boot and in general play. The cool-headed youngster kicked a golden point penalty goal to sink Wests Tigers in just his fourth first-grade game, while he scored an astonishing solo match-winner against Sydney Roosters that was later voted the NRL’s Try of the Year.

A few weeks later he was in Denver donning the black-and-white jersey at Test level, kicking three goals in the Kiwis’ 36-18 loss to England. Isaako was selected in New Zealand’s end-of-year squad and made his second international appearance in the third-Test thrashing of England at Elland Road after coming into the side for injured winger Jordan Rapana.

Isaako endured an early-2019 form slump with the Broncos but he turned out at fullback in Samoa’s win over Papua New Guinea midyear, booting four goals. That representative outing triggered a turnaround for Isaako, who finished the NRL season in superb touch to earn a place in the Kiwis’ World Cup Nines and Test squads.

He was one of the inaugural World Cup Nines’ standout performers, heading the tryscoring (7) and pointscoring (52) lists and winning a place in the Team of the Tournament as the Kiwis finished runners-up.

The 23-year-old featured on the wing in New Zealand’s loss to Australia in Wollongong, before scoring the first try and kicking two goals in the series-opening win against Great Britain at Eden Park. He then slotted five goals and a field goal as the Kiwis wrapped up a cleansweep in front of Isaako’s family and friends in Christchurch.

Isaako played only 10 games for the struggling Broncos in a difficult 2020 season that included the loss of his father, Taai, to cancer. He became a first-grade regular again in 2021, however, scoring six tries and 124 in 18 games at wing and fullback to become just the sixth player to pass the 500-point milestone for the Broncos. Still on the Kiwis’ radar, Isaako was named in the wider squad for the World Cup at the end of 2021.

Departing the Broncos midway through 2022, Isaako played 11 games for Gold Coast Titans but finished the season in Queensland Cup.

A move to play under Wayne Bennett, his first Broncos coach, at the fledgling Dolphins sparked a phenomenal renaissance, however. Isaako became the first player since Mal Meninga in 1990 to top the premiership’s tryscoring and pointscoring charts in the same season – crossing for 24 tries and racking 244 points – as well as nabbing a spot in the Dally M Team of the Year and collecting the Arthur Beetson Medal as the Dolphins’ inaugural Player of the Year.

A Kiwis recall for the 2023 Pacific Championships was a formality after a career-best NRL campaign, capping the year with a sensational international renaissance. Isaako racked up 22 points (two tries, seven goals) – on top of a game-high 213 metres – against Samoa, booted three goals and made two line-breaks in the loss to Australia in Melbourne, and crossed for two tries and kicked five goals in the record-shattering 30-0 defeat of the Kangaroos in the Hamilton-hosted final.

Resilient and brilliant five-eighth Kieran Foran appeared certain to become one of New Zealand’s longest-serving internationals, but a horror run of injuries severely limited his availability since starring in a string of momentous victories in the mid-2010s. He has enjoyed a representative renaissance in recent years, however, to hold a place in the Kiwis’ squad 14 years after his Test debut.

Born in Auckland and first pulling on the boots for Ellerslie Eagles, Foran moved to Sydney with his family while still at primary school. His ability while coming through the North Sydney junior grades was recognised with his selection in the 2007 Australian Schoolboys side while attending Marist College North Shore.

Foran was snapped up by Manly, playing 35 games for the club’s NYC side in 2008-09 and making an instant impact at NRL level when he was blooded as an 18-year-old during the second half of the latter season. He scored six tries in nine first-grade outings to snare a place in the Kiwis’ Four Nations touring squad.

Capping a meteoric rise, Foran made his Test debut at centre in a 20-12 loss to England at Huddersfield – less than four months after his 19th birthday. That was his only appearance at the tournament but he was picked at halfback inside captain Benji Marshall for the 2010 Anzac Test.

Injury ruled Foran out of New Zealand’s subsequent Four Nations triumph. He wore the No.7 jersey in all five of the Kiwis’ Test assignments in 2011, however, and starred in the Sea Eagles’ premiership triumph. An ill-timed injury prevented him from playing in the 2012 Anzac Test in Auckland but he returned for the post-season loss to Australia in Townsville.

Solidifying his standing as one of the world’s best players in 2013, Foran was integral to Manly’s drive to another grand final – a loss to Sydney Roosters – and was ever-present at five-eighth for New Zealand. He captained the Kiwis in their Anzac Test loss to the Kangaroos in Canberra and featured in all six matches at the Rugby League World Cup for the runners-up.

Foran’s playmaking class was complemented by a fierce competitive streak and inspirational toughness in defence. The 2014 season would be one of his most memorable, finishing equal-seventh in the Dally M Medal count and playing superbly as Shaun Johnson’s halves foil throughout the Kiwis’ triumphant Four Nations campaign. Foran and Johnson teamed up again to lead New Zealand to a drought-breaking Anzac Test victory in Brisbane in 2015, but both linchpins were ruled out of the end-of-year tour to England with injury.

The 25-year-old joined Parramatta in 2016 and was immediately installed as captain. But a season-ending shoulder injury and a string of widely-publicised personal issues meant he played just nine games for the Eels before returning to Auckland to take up a one-year contract with the Warriors. Injuries also hampered his sole 2017 season at the Warriors, but he soldiered on valiantly and made his first international appearance in two years as the Kiwis went down to the Kangaroos in the Canberra-hosted Anzac Test. He pulled out of RLWC contention to focus on recovering from multiple ailments.

Linking with Canterbury, Foran’s 2018 campaign was cut short in June by a toe injury. Ankle and hamstring problems restricted his appearances again in 2019 but he finished the NRL season in top-shelf form for the Bulldogs to earn a Kiwis recall at the end of the year. Foran was chosen to replace Johnson in the halves for the series opener against Great Britain at Eden Park – his first Test outing on New Zealand soil in five years – to extend his international tenure to a decade. But agonisingly he suffered a serious shoulder injury in the early stages of the 12-8 win.

Foran made his 200th NRL appearance in a 2020 campaign for the Bulldogs bookended by further injury absences, while he signed a deal to return to the Sea Eagles in 2021 – a move that sparked a wonderful career revival. The 31-year-old played 25 games (his most in a season since 2013) in a team that surged to a top-four finish and reached the preliminary final stage, producing 11 try-assists and thriving in the halves alongside 2011-15 teammate Daly Cherry-Evans. Foran was named in the Kiwis’ wider squad for the postponed World Cup at the end of 2021.

Earning a bench spot for New Zealand’s mid-season Test against Tonga in 2022, he played a bit-part role in the 26-6 victory while his consistent form in a free-falling Manly side prompting Gold Coast Titans to snap the 262-game veteran up for 2023. Foran, one of the longest-serving Kiwis players of all time in terms of years, grabbed a spot in the squad for the RLWC in England. He featured in all five matches at the tournament – at halfback against Lebanon and Jamaica (kicking six goals against the latter) with Jahrome Hughes unavailable and as an interchange in the last pool game against Ireland, the quarter-final win over Fiji and the semi-final loss to Australia.

Foran proved a valuable buy for the Titans, scoring six tries (his most in a season since 2014) in 20 games in 2023.

The 33-year-old provided much-needed experience in a youthful Kiwis squad for the Pacific Championships and started all three matches in the unfamiliar hooker role after initially being named on the bench for the opening clash with Samoa. Foran averaged 30 tackles and provided sound dummy-half service in New Zealand’s triumphant campaign that culminated in a record 30-0 win over Australia in the final, taking his Test tally to 31 matches.

Bay of Plenty product Briton Nikora began 2019 as a relative unknown. He finished the season entrenched in Cronulla’s back-row with four New Zealand Test caps under his belt.

Nikora moved to the Gold Coast with his family in 2007 and honed his rugby league skills at famed breeding ground Keebra Park State High School. He caught the Sharks’ eye and scored 16 tries in 25 under-20s games for the club in 2016-17, earning a place in the NYC Team of the Year and representing the Junior Kiwis in the latter season.

After spending 2018 with feeder club Newtown Jets, Nikora was a second-row starter for the Sharks in Round 1 of the 2019 NRL season. He immediately impressed with his ability to hit a hole – making seven line-breaks his first five games – and formed a lethal combination with playmaker Shaun Johnson on the right edge.

The pair reprised their partnership on the international stage in June when Nikora received a Kiwis call-up for the Mt Smart showdown with Tonga after just 12 NRL appearances. The 21-year-old wore the No.12 jumper, running for over 100 metres and racking up 25 tackles in a strong debut as the Kiwis prevailed 34-14.

Nikora featured in all but one of Cronulla’s 25 games and finished a stellar rookie year with seven tries. The tyro then starred for New Zealand during the inaugural World Cup Nines and retained his second-row spot for all three of the Kiwis’ post-season internationals against Australia and Great Britain, enhancing his reputation as a hardworking defender as well as a dangerous ball-runner.

Nikora featured in Māori All Stars’ victory over Indigenous All Stars during the 2020 pre-season, while he scored six tries and averaged 33 tackles in 16 games in his sophomore NRL campaign for the Sharks.

After representing the Māori All Stars again in 2021, the 23-year-old brought up his 50th appearance for Cronulla, playing 22 of the Sharks’ 24 games and crossing for four tries. He was later named in the Kiwis’ wider squad for the following year’s World Cup.

Nikora was a mainstay of the Sharks’ push to the top four in 2022 and was one of just four survivors from the Kiwis’ previous Test three years earlier to be named in the 17 to take on Tonga in the mid-season Test in Auckland. He made a busy contribution off the bench in New Zealand’s 26-6 win.

Scoring a maiden NRL hat-trick as Cronulla secured a second-placed finish in 2022, the back-row mainstay featured in the clubs playoffs campaign before setting off to England with the Kiwis’ World Cup squad. Nikora made it 10 consecutive Test appearances by featuring in all five matches; he scored a try against Jamaica, started at centre against Ireland, came off the bench to score a vital try in the quarter-final escape against Fiji, and was in the second-row for the gallant semi-final loss to Australia.

Nikora maintained his form despite the Sharks’ slight downturn in 2023, passing the 100-game milestone in the NRL and crossing for eight tries in 25 appearances, as well as representing Māori All Stars for a fourth straight year. He was one of the most experienced engine-room campaigners named in a youthful Kiwis squad for the Pacific Championships.

Maintaining his impressive tryscoring strike-rate by dotting down in the 50-0 win over Samoa and the 36-18 loss to Australia, Nikora made a line-break and ran for 111 metres in the Kiwis spectacular 30-0 rout of the Kangaroos in the Hamilton-hosted final.

Dynamic forward James Fisher-Harris is part of the Penrith’s burgeoning association with Northland and the surge in players from the region representing New Zealand over the past decade – and a cornerstone of the Panthers’ historic premiership streak before becoming the Kiwis’ skipper in a historic campaign.

Hailing from the small town of Rawene in the Hokianga, Fisher-Harris’ promise while playing for Whangarei Marist Brothers attracted the interest of the Panthers in 2013. He turned out for the club’s SG Ball and NYC teams, winning a premiership with the latter in 2015 partnering fellow Hokianga-bred forward – and fellow future Kiwi – Corey Harawira-Naera in the second-row.

The 20-year-old made his NRL debut off the bench in Round 1 of the 2016 season and was a permanent fixture in burgeoning Penrith’s line-up, eventually nailing down a position as a tackle-busting second-rower. After playing in both of the Panthers’ finals matches, Fisher-Harris capped a stellar rookie year with selection in New Zealand’s Four Nations squad. His only appearance on tour was as an interchange in the Kiwis’ shock 18-all draw with Scotland in Workington.

Fisher-Harris was named NZRL’s Junior Player of the Year. But he endured an injury-hit follow-up season and missed the Kiwis’ Rugby League World Cup campaign.

Moving to a middle forward role with the Panthers in 2018, the tyro upped his work-rate and gained a place in the Kiwis’ squad for the Denver Test against England. Following a third straight NRL finals campaign, Fisher-Harris started in the No.13 jersey in New Zealand’s 26-24 upset of Australia in Auckland and featured in the first two Tests against England in England.

While Penrith fell down the premiership ladder in 2019, Fisher-Harris took his performances to a new level. The 23-year-old workhorse played every game, averaging 42.9 tackles (first in the NRL among non-hookers) and 132.9 metres (16th among the competition’s forwards) to take out the Panthers’ Player of the Year honour.

Fisher-Harris came off the bench in the Kiwis’ mid-season victory over Mate Ma’a Tonga but a pectoral muscle tear ruled him out of the World Cup Nines and the subsequent Tests against Australia and Great Britain.

The front-row hardman earned recognition as one of the NRL’s best forwards in 2020, however, named in the Dally M Team of the Year and playing an integral role in the Panthers’ drive to their first grand final in 17 years.

Fisher-Harris, who passed the 100-game milestone for Penrith during the season, led the competition in post-contact metres and was the top forward in terms of total run metres.

JFH maintained his status as one of the game’s engine-room benchmarks in a stellar 2021, which began with the Preston Campbell Medal as player of the match in Māori All Stars’ 10-all draw with Indigenous All Stars. He again earned a spot in the Dally M Team of the Year after finishing 12th in the overall Player of the Year count – and first among forwards – before helping spearhead the Panthers’ unforgettable drive to premiership glory.

Fisher-Harris was superb up front in the gripping grand final triumph over South Sydney and was an automatic pick in the Kiwis’ wider World Cup squad.

An automatic pick for New Zealand’s return to international football against Tonga in 2022, Fisher-Harris led the Kiwi pack with 163 metres in a 26-6 victory. The front-row anchor again played a monumental role in the Panthers’ success as they achieved a rare back-to-back premiership triumph ahead of his selection in New Zealand touring party for the World Cup in England. Fisher-Harris played all five of the Kiwis’ matches at the tournament and scored a maiden Test try against Ireland.

In 2023, Fisher-Harris clocked up 23 appearances for the Panthers to take his career tally to 180 in the NRL – none more important than his powerhouse performance as his club chalked up an epic third straight grand final triumph against Brisbane.

JFH was elevated to the Kiwis captaincy for the Pacific Championships, scoring his second Test try against Samoa and leading the way up front as New Zealand demolished Australia by a record 30-0 in the final in Hamilton.

Jesse Bromwich came out of the Manurewa Marlins club to become recognised as one of world’s best props, a three-time premiership winner with Melbourne Storm and a New Zealand Test captain.

An Auckland and New Zealand Māori age-group rep, Bromwich’s family moved to Australia and he gained a further rugby league education with NSW Country Group 10 club Orange Hawks. The Storm recognised the tyro’s potential and brought him to Melbourne, featuring prominently in the club’s 2009 NYC premiership success.

The 20-year-old made his NRL debut for the defending champs early the following season, before becoming firmly established in the Storm’s front-row in 2011. A midyear Test debut against Australia and a grand final winner’s ring followed in 2012 for Bromwich, whose reputation was beginning to match his imposing frame.

Bromwich featured in New Zealand’s 2013 Rugby League World Cup campaign, 2014 Four Nations triumph, and the Anzac Test victory and tour of England in 2015. He then took over as Kiwi captain for the 2016 Anzac Test, coinciding with younger brother and Storm teammate Kenny’s international debut.

Mobile and athletic to complement his size, the 27-year-old was named Dally M Prop of the Year and helped Melbourne to another grand final appearance in 2016 – a loss to Cronulla – before leading the Kiwis in all five post-season Tests. Bromwich was named the Kiwis’ Player of the Year in 2015 and ’16.

From his debut to the 2017 Anzac Test, Bromwich played 24 of a possible 25 Tests (he missed only a 2013 RLWC pool game against France). But the skipper, along with ex-Storm teammate Kevin Proctor, was stood down by the New Zealand Rugby League following an off-field incident in Canberra after the 30-12 loss to Australia, ruling him out of the Kiwis’ World Cup campaign. Bromwich tempered that disappointment by playing a leading role in a second Storm premiership triumph.

Bromwich achieved the 200-game milestone with the Storm in 2018, before enduring grand final defeat to the Roosters. Unavailable for the Denver Test, he returned to the Kiwis fold for the post-season win over the Kangaroos at Mt Smart and played all three Tests on the tour of England, scoring his third Test try in the 34-0 victory in the third encounter.

The veteran turned out for New Zealand in the 2019 mid-season defeat of Tonga, but – despite playing every game for Melbourne, his ninth consecutive season racking up 20-plus appearances (and seventh straight averaging more than 120 metres per game) – injury ruled him out of the Kiwis’ end-of-year schedule.

A Māori All Stars rep against Indigenous All Stars in 2019-20, Bromwich played 19 of the Storm’s 22 games as COVID-19 forced to team to base itself in Queensland for most of 2020. The 31-year-old received his third NRL premiership ring after Melbourne’s 26-20 grand final victory over Penrith.

Bromwich assumed the Melbourne captaincy in 2021 following Cameron Smith’s retirement, leading the club to the minor premiership and a preliminary final appearance. The veteran also became the Storm’s sixth 250-game player in another ultra-consistent campaign – his eighth in a row averaging over 100 running metres per game. The 29-Test Kiwi was named in the wider squad for the World Cup at the end of the season.

After being announced as a marquee signing for the Dolphins’ 2023 entry to the NRL, Bromwich regained the New Zealand captaincy for the mid-2022 Test against Tonga in Auckland and led his country to an emphatic 26-6 victory. His marvellous Storm tenure concluded during the 2022 finals after 295 games for the club ahead of his campaign as Kiwis World Cup skipper in England, where he featured in four of their five matches as they finished one match short of the final.

Bromwich has played 28 NRL finals matches, a record for a New Zealander that stands six clear of his brother Kenny, who is second on the list.

Taking up an opportunity with the Canberra Raiders late in the 2019 pre-season kick-started Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad’s remarkable rise to New Zealand Test honours.

Boasting Cook Islands, Māori and Norwegian heritage, the Auckland-born utility-back played junior football for City Newton Dragons, Mount Albert, Waitemata and Richmond, before moving to Melbourne with his family as a 15-year-old. He played for local club Altona Roosters before being picked up by Melbourne Storm, turning out for their SG Ball and NYC sides.

Nicoll-Klokstad made his international debut for Cook Islands against Tonga in 2015. He returned home to join the Warriors at the end of the year and won the club’s InTrust Super Premiership Player of the Year award in 2016, as well as being named as a centre in the ISP Team of the Year.

The 21-year-old received a belated NRL call-up in 2017, scoring seven tries in seven top-grade appearances on the wing for the Warriors. But with internationals Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, David Fusitu’a, Ken Maumalo, Solomone Kata, Peta Hiku and Gerard Beale ahead of him in the pecking order, Nicoll-Klokstad was restricted to ISP duty in 2018.

The Warriors granted the versatile tyro a release to join Canberra in February 2019 – and a little over a month later he was lining up at fullback in a rejigged Raiders backline in Round 1. Nicoll-Klokstad was hailed as arguably the NRL’s buy of the season. He played all but one game, finished equal-10th in the Dally M Medal count, scored 11 tries and averaged 175 metres per games as the Green Machine stormed to their first grand final in 25 years.

Nicoll-Klokstad was outstanding against Sydney Roosters in the grand final before leaving the field injured in the latter stages, but he tempered the disappointment of the Raiders’ 14-8 loss by earning selection in New Zealand’s World Cup Nines and Test squads.

After featuring in the Kiwis’ drive to the World Cup Nines final, the 24-year-old was named to debut at centre for the Test against Australia in Wollongong. He was New Zealand’s sole try-scorer and made 112 running metres in 26-4 loss.

Nicoll-Klokstad was a strong performer in the 2-0 series win over Great Britain on home soil, racking up a shade under 100 metres in both matches and a try-assist for Ken Maumalo’s match-sealer in the second Test in Christchurch.

Canberra upgraded and extended Nicoll-Klokstad’s contract with the club until the end of 2023, while he scored seven tries in 21 games as a vital cog in the injury-hit Raiders’ run to another preliminary final appearance in 2020.

Nicoll-Klokstad played in the Māori All Stars’ 10-all draw with the Indigenous All Stars in the 2021 pre-season but a neck injury five rounds into the NRL campaign consigned Nicoll-Klokstad to the sidelines for four months and significantly hampered the Raiders’ finals hopes. But he valiantly returned to the field earlier than expected to feature in the club’s last three matches. The veteran of 62 NRL games was named in the Kiwis’ wider World Cup squad at the end of the year.

With injuries and stiff competition for backline spots both key factors, CNK was restricted to 12 top-grade appearances in his last season in Canberra ahead of a return to the Warriors in 2023. But the 27-year-old’s reliability and utility value secured him a berth in the Kiwis’ World Cup squad at the end of 2022. He capped a personally trying year by appearing in four matches at the tournament, scoring a try from fullback against Jamaica and lining up at centre in the pool win over Lebanon, the quarter-final escape against Fiji and the narrow semi-final defeat to Australia.

Nicoll-Klokstad’s renaissance at the Warriors was one of the standout storylines of the club’s amazing surge to a top-four finish and a preliminary final appearance. In 23 appearances he scored seven tries, notched eight try assists, made 98 tackle-breaks and averaged 188 metres, as well as being an invaluable last-liner for the rejuvenated side. With several players unavailable due to injuries and personal reasons, CNK was the only Warrior named in the Kiwis’ Pacific Championships squad.

Returning to his favoured custodian role at Test level, Nicoll-Klokstad wrote himself into Kiwis folklore after suffering broken ribs in the 50-0 win over Samoa – a match in which he ran for 167 metres and laid on a try. After a quiet game in the loss to Australia in Melbourne, he produced a man-of-the-match performance in the 30-0 thrashing of the Kangaroos in the Hamilton final, defying his injury with a game-high 277 running metres and a try assist.

Wellington-born utility Jahrome Hughes enjoyed a breakout 2019 season, becoming a vital cog in the Melbourne Storm machine and earning an international call-up for the Kiwis. Within a couple of years he would be regarded among the game top bracket of halfbacks and as one of the best players in the NRL.

A junior of the Harbour City Eagles club in the New Zealand capital, Hughes moved to the Gold Coast with his family as a teenager. He had a stint with Sydney Roosters’ SG Ball team but opted to remain in south-east Queensland and played 45 NYC games for the Titans from 2012-14.

Hughes was just 18 when he made his NRL debut at fullback in 2013 but that would be his only appearance for the Titans in the top flight. He headed for Townsville at the end of the following season.

With opportunities at fullback and in the halves scarce at North Queensland – he played one NRL game for the club in 2016 – Hughes was snapped up by Melbourne. He impressed as a back-up to the Storm’s star-studded spine in 2017-18 but was not required for the heavyweights’ finals campaigns.

Hughes featured at halfback in the Māori All Stars’ historic clash with the Indigenous All Stars in Melbourne in the 2019 pre-season.

Billy Slater’s retirement opened the NRL door for the 24-year-old, taking ownership of the Storm’s No.1 jersey and impressing with his incisive running, playmaking instincts and cool-headed play at the back.

Hughes’ versatility earned him a spot on the Kiwis’ bench for the 2019 mid-season Test against Tonga. Entering the fray at hooker, the head-geared utility scored a second-half solo try from dummy-half on debut.

He switched to the halves late in the NRL campaign for the Storm before being selected in the Kiwis’ squad for their end-of-year Test schedule. Hughes played 29 minutes of the loss to Australia in Wollongong at dummy-half, while he was pitched into the five-eighth role in the opening minutes of first Test against Great Britain at Eden Park after Kieran Foran left the field with a shoulder injury.

Hughes played a steady hand in the tense 12-8 victory – including a 26-tackle contribution – but was replaced on the interchange by Kodi Nikorima for the following encounter with the Lions in Christchurch.

After representing Māori All Stars again during the 2020 pre-season, Hughes nailed down the Storm No.7 jersey and was one of the NRL’s standout players. The 26-year-old scored seven tries and produced 15 try-assists in 19 games, including the club’s grand final triumph over Penrith.

Hughes developed into one of the NRL’s best halfbacks and most influential players in 2021. Arguably the minor premiership-winning Storm’s standout performer in another season of team excellence, Hughes finished equal-seventh in the Dally M Medal count. He was an obvious choice for the Kiwis’ wider squad for the 2022 World Cup at the end of the year.

Virtually an automatic choice to wear the No.7 jersey in New Zealand’s 2022 mid-season Test against Tonga, Hughes scored a try in a superb display as the Kiwis carved out a 26-6 win at Mt Smart Stadium. He passed the 100-game milestone in the NRL later in the year and finished with a career-high 12 tries, before setting off on his maiden World Cup campaign to England as a key member of the Kiwis’ title bid.

Injury delayed Hughes’ World Cup start but he returned with a sizzling performance against Ireland – scoring two tries and laying on three more – in New Zealand’s last pool match and scored his fifth Test try in the gallant semi-final defeat to Australia.

The linchpin steered the Storm to a top-four finish and a preliminary final in 2023, crossing for seven tries in 22 games, ahead an integral role in the Kiwis’ Pacific Championships success.

Hughes scored a try and set two up in the 50-0 rout of Samoa, laid on two of New Zealand’s three tries in the 36-18 loss to Australia in Melbourne, and had a try assist and 117 running metres in a superb No.7 display as the Kiwis pumped the Kangaroos by a record 30-0 in the final in Hamilton.

Wellington-born Nelson Asofa-Solomona sidestepped certain rugby union stardom to join Melbourne Storm, before breaking into the Kiwis Test team in 2017.

The towering tyro played rugby league at junior level for Upper Hutt Tigers, but the Wellington College product had been earmarked for the 15-a-side heights until the Storm recognised Asofa-Solomona’s potential and lured him across the Tasman.

Asofa-Solomona cut his teeth with Melbourne’s under-20s side in 2014 and was blooded in Craig Bellamy’s NRL line-up the following season. The 19-year-old came off the bench 12 times, including both of the club’s finals games. He produced a strong follow-up campaign in 2016 but dislocated his elbow during the playoffs, ruling him out of the Storm’s grand final loss to Cronulla – and a potential end-of-year Kiwis call-up.

But Asofa-Solomona ticked both boxes in 2017, missing just one of Melbourne’s games and starring in the grand final defeat of North Queensland, before featuring in all four matches of New Zealand’s World Cup campaign. He scored a try on Test debut in the Kiwis’ pool victory over Samoa and was later named Kiwis Rookie of the Year.

Establishing himself as a front-row starter for the Storm in 2018, ‘NAS’ was vital cog of their drive to another grand final appearance – a loss to Sydney Roosters – while he played in the mid-season Test against England in Denver. An ankle injury ruled him out of the Kiwis’ post-season campaign.

Asofa-Solomona returned to the New Zealand side for the following year’s mid-season showdown with Mate Ma’a Tonga in Auckland. He was one of the most effective forwards on the field, racking up 125 metres and 30 tackles in 44 minutes off the bench.

The two-metre enforcer’s intimidating physical presence is matched by his aggression and explosive impact on both sides of the ball. Freakishly mobile and athletic for his size, Asofa-Solomona’s ball skills are another dangerous weapon in his arsenal. He passed 100 NRL appearances for the Storm in a stellar 2019 season, and put up career-high tallies for games played (27), average metres (122), average tackles (21.4) and offloads (39), as well as make 70-plus tackle-breaks for the third straight year.

An automatic selection for New Zealand’s end-of-year Test schedule, Asofa-Solomona was ruled out of the clashes with Australia and Great Britain due to an NRL-imposed suspension for an off-field incident.

Asofa-Solomona recovered from that setback in 2020, however, reaching 20 appearances for the fourth straight NRL season (averaging 3.5 tackle-breaks and 120 metres in the process) and starting at lock in the Storm’s grand final victory over the Panthers.

Restricted to 15 regular-season games in 2021, the 25-year-old nevertheless played a prominent role in another Melbourne minor premiership and featured in both of the club’s finals fixtures. He was named in the Kiwis’ wider squad for the postponed World Cup at the end of the year.

Asofa-Solomona was a front-row mainstay for the injury-hit Storm in 2022 and returned to the New Zealand Test line-up for the mid-season clash with Tonga, coming off the bench and contributing to a dominant engine-room display as the Kiwis ran out 26-6 victors.

The 26-year-old featured in his eighth straight NRL finals series with Melbourne before earning selection for his second World Cup campaign at the end of 2022. He played in all five of the Kiwis’ matches in England, scoring a try in their opening pool game against Lebanon, making second-row starts against Ireland and the quarter-final win over Fiji, and featuring off the bench in the semi-final defeat to Australia.

NAS overcame an injury-hampered start to 2023 to finish with 20 appearances as the Storm reached the preliminary final, before taking his place as one of the most experienced members of the Kiwis’ Pacific Championship squad. He scored a try in the 50-0 win over Samoa and put an ill-tempered display in the round-robin loss to Australia in Melbourne with a powerful 121-metre contribution in the 30-0 demolition of the Kangaroos in the final.

The front-row cornerstone of three NRL premiership triumphs for Sydney Roosters, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has joined a select group of Kiwis whose tenures in the black-and-white jersey span more than a decade.

Rotorua-born Waerea-Hargreaves was a highly promising rugby union forward as a junior in Brisbane and Sydney, representing Australia at the 2007 under-19s world championships. But despite no experience in the 13-a-side code, Manly took a punt on the tyro.

Cutting his teeth in the NYC with 36 outings for the Sea Eagles under-20s in 2008-09, Waerea-Hargreaves made six NRL appearances for the club in the latter season. He capped one of the more extraordinary meteoric rises of the modern era when he was selected in New Zealand’s Four Nations squad at the end of 2009.

The 20-year-old debuted in a warm-up Test against Tonga – fittingly, in Rotorua – before coming off the bench in all three of the Kiwis’ Four Nations fixtures in England and France. He scored two tries in the 62-12 thrashing of France, his only Test points to date.

Waerea-Hargreaves linked with Sydney Roosters upon his return. Injury prevented him from taking the field for his new club until Round 6 of the 2010 season, but he nevertheless retained his spot for the Kiwis’ 12-8 loss to the Kangaroos in Melbourne three weeks later.

After featuring in the Roosters’ charge to the 2010 grand final (a loss to St George Illawarra), Waerea-Hargreaves played in New Zealand’s 76-12 win over Papua New Guinea in Rotorua but he was left out of the side that upset Australia in the final.

The aggressive prop established himself as one of the NRL’s foremost enforcers in ensuing seasons, coming off the bench in all four matches of the Kiwis’ 2011 post-season schedule and the 2012 Anzac Test. He turned out for the NRL All Stars and won the Roosters’ Player of the Year award in the latter year.

After making his maiden Test starting line-up appearance mid-season against Australia, Waerea-Hargreaves starred in the Roosters’ drive to the 2013 premiership and featured in five of the Kiwis’ six World Cup matches. A stellar season at club and representative level saw him named as one of the Top 5 Players of the Year in David Middleton’s Official Rugby League Annual, an achievement he went on to repeat in 2015.

But Waerea-Hargreaves was one of several incumbents left out of the Kiwis’ Anzac Test line-up early in 2014, heralding an absence from the national side of almost three years. Injury ruled him out of contention for a recall for the 2015 tour of England.

He belatedly returned to the international arena under new coach David Kidwell in late-2016 with appearances against Australia in Perth and a Four Nations win over England in Huddersfield. Waerea-Hargreaves played in all four of the Kiwis’ 2017 RLWC matches, kick-starting a run of 13 straight Test outings to the end of 2019.

By now an elder statesman at the club, Waerea-Hargreaves played an integral role as the Roosters became the first back-to-back premiers in a full competition in 26 years by winning the 2018-19 NRL grand finals. The 30-year-old averaged a career-high 141 metres per game in 2019, while also bringing up 200 first-grade appearances for the Tricolours. With a monster contribution of 185 metres and 41 tackles, he was unlucky to not win the Clive Churchill Medal following the gripping grand final win over Canberra.

The veteran was named the 2018 Kiwis Player of the Year at the NZRL Awards after starring in all five Tests that year, while he was also one of New Zealand’s best in 2019, averaging 136.4 metres and 34 tackles across four  Tests against Tonga, Australia and Great Britain.

Waerea-Hargreaves maintained his usual high standards for the injury-hit Roosters in 2020, playing 18 games and chalking up 135 metres per game as the club’s NRL reign ended in week two of the finals.

The Roosters’ casualty ward was filled to the brim in 2021, but JWH was a tower of strength. He played 23 games – including three as captain – as he passed the 250-game milestone in the NRL, and was sixth among the competition’s forwards for running metres (averaging a career-high 148 per game) and eighth for post-contact metres.

Again an imposing presence for the Roosters throughout 2022, Waerea-Hargreaves missed the mid-season clash with Tonga but the stalwart of 32 Tests – placing him inside the top 20 for most appearances for the Kiwis – was named in New Zealand’s World Cup squad at the end of the year. The 33-year-old made a delayed started to the tournament due to an NRL suspension and ultimately made just one appearance after receiving a one-match ban for a high tackle in the final pool match against Ireland.

Fourth on the Roosters’ all-time appearances register, Waerea-Hargreaves’ 22 finals appearances are equal-second in premiership history for a New Zealander.