Greymouth product Griffin Neame earned a Kiwis call-up in 2022 after forging a regular spot in high-flying North Queensland Cowboys’ NRL line-up and made his Test debut in the 2023 Pacific Championships.
A promising junior who represented New Zealand Residents Under-16s in 2017 and spent time in Canterbury in Halswell Hornets’ junior grades, Neame headed across the Tasman and featured in Townsville Blackhawks’ Mal Meninga Cup and Hastings Deering Colts age-group sides in 2019 before turning out for Junior Kiwis.
The hulking, hardworking forward eventually joined the Cowboys on a development contract in late-2020 and made his NRL debut with three late-season appearances in 2021.
Despite competing for spots with a clutch of fellow tyros who broke into the Queensland Origin side in 2022, Neame clinched a permanent bench role in a Cowboys team that finished in the top four and reached the preliminary final stage. He was recognised for his performances with a place in New Zealand’s squad for the mid-season Test against Tonga.
Though Neame was not included in Michael Maguire’s matchday 17 and ultimately missed out on a World Cup spot in a deep engine-room contingent, he remained on the radar following another strong campaign for the Cowboys in 2023 and earning Kiwis selection again at the end of the year.
Neame played all three matches of New Zealand’s triumphant Pacific Championships campaign. He ran for over 100 metres in a 27-minute debut against Samoa, while he made a memorable 15-minute cameo at the end of the Kiwis’ record 30-0 rout of the Kangaroos in the final, steaming through for a sensational solo try – the last of the match.
A mainstay as the Cowboys finished fifth and reached the second week of the finals in 2024, the 23-year-old was one of just three players from the club to play every game and unsurprisingly was retained for the Kiwis’ Pacific Championships title defence. Neame came off the bench impressively in all three Tests, including making 134 metres and producing a try assist against Papua New Guinea.
