14 May 2025
Ten weeks into the 2025 NRL season, several talents from Aotearoa have made NRL debuts or returned to top-grade football.
Salesi Foketi debuted off the bench for the Roosters in their Round 1 loss to the Broncos. The Manurewa junior replaced Lindsay Collins midway through the first half and played the remaining 52 minutes. The 19-year-old has now made seven appearances for the Roosters, including three starts at lock and featuring in every game since Round 5. A former St Paul’s College student and Counties Manukau rep, Foketi featured in the 2019 NZRL National Youth Tournament 15s Merit Team and the 2020 NZ Resident 16s side.
Bayleigh Bentley-Hape made his debut for the Rabbitohs in Round 2 against the Dragons. After a strong debut performance, he returned in Round 8, scoring against the Storm, and played again in Round 9 against the Knights. Originally from Kawakawa in the Bay of Islands, Northland, Bentley-Hape played junior footy for the Moerewa Tigers before being scouted by the Roosters in 2016. He’s consistently represented Aotearoa, playing for the Taurahere team in 2017 which earned him selection in the Aotearoa U18 Select team, and making the Junior Kiwis wider squad in 2019.
Sean Mullany debuted for the Titans in Round 4 against the Dolphins, coming off the bench with the team already trailing. Despite the 10–36 loss, both Titans tries were scored while Mullany was at hooker. A Glenora Bears junior, Mullany has extensive rep experience, starting in 2016 with the National Youth Tournament Merit Team. He played with Bentley-Hape in the 2017 Taurahere side and was selected for the New Zealand Resident 18s side in both 2017 and 2018.
Mawene Hiroti returned to the Sharks NRL side in Round 5 after an injury to Kayal Iro. The New Plymouth product played Rounds 5-8 in the centres, scoring three tries across these matches. After debuting with the Rabbitohs in 2018, Hiroti joined the Sharks in 2020 and whilst only having played a handful of NRL matches, he has been a standout in their NSW Cup feeder side, the 2024 champions Newtown Jets. The Taranaki-born flyer also featured in the 2017 New Zealand Resident 18s team alongside Bentley-Hape and Mullany.
Moses Leo, a product of the New Zealand Sevens system, made his NRL debut for the Storm in Round 5 against Manly and backed it up in Round 6 versus the Warriors before suffering a shoulder fracture that will sideline him for 10-12 weeks. Leo is signed with the Storm through to 2027.
Tyrone Thompson debuted for the Knights in Round 6 against the Tigers, lining up with his twin brother, Kiwis enforcer Leo Thompson. A rugby union convert from the Chiefs in Super Rugby, Tyrone has now appeared in Rounds 6-8 for the Knights.
