26 June, 2023
Following today’s New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) annual general meeting, two new Directors were welcomed onto the NZRL Board, Tania Te Whenua and Ian Olán.
Te Whenua has supported rugby league at a local and regional level for over 30 years. Her impressive credentials as a chartered governance professional and as the principal of her law and consulting firm make her a valuable addition.
Tania has developed a comprehensive understanding of governance principles as she serves on the Civil Advisory Board to the Director General of the World Trade Organisation and the Governance NZ Women on Boards.
Having served on the Board of Counties Manukau Rugby League for nine years, Ian Olán possesses a deep understanding of the game at both a community and governance level.
NZRL Chair Hugh Martyn says, “Tania’s strong networks both within sport and recreation and more broadly within the public, community and private sectors make her a valuable addition. As does Ian’s extensive background in governance, finance, strategy, and stakeholder management.
“Both bring a wealth of skills and expertise, and we are excited to welcome them to the NZRL whanau.”
NZRL would like to thank and farewell two departing Directors, Jeni Pearce and Kiwi #614 Tawera Nikau.
“Firstly, I’d like to thank Jeni Pearce for her contribution to New Zealand Rugby League and congratulate Tawera on serving two full terms,” said Martyn.
“Jeni was a valuable board member and never hesitated to assist at grassroots events and tournaments. We are sad to see her go and wish her all the best in her future endeavours.
“Tawera has long been a servant of the game, and we are extremely grateful for the value and insight he brought over the course of his two terms. His dedication will undoubtedly continue; however, as a rugby league great and invaluable board member, he will be sorely missed.” concluded Martyn.
The NZRL Board is Hugh Martyn (Chair), Howie Tamati (President), Justin Leydesdorff (Deputy Chair), Natasha Tere, John Devonshire, Honey Hireme-Smiler, Grant Stapleton, Tania Te Whenua, and Ian Olán.
Congratulations to the following who received Life Member and Distinguished Services Awards at the 2023 NZRL AGM.
Christine Rewa Panapa – Life Member
Christine Panapa has been instrumental in the women’s game here in NZ, having served as the first NZ Women’s Rugby League president and assisted in forming the first Kiwi Ferns team in 1994.
During a time when women sports received little to no funding, Panapa raised funds through raffles to support the Kiwi Ferns with both their national and international tournaments. Panapa recalls that it was a battle she wanted to fight for the girls and their fabulous display of rugby league, which many people didn’t want to support at the time.
Although most quickly think that the Australian Jillaroos have set the benchmark in women’s rugby league, many tend to forget that the Kiwi Ferns dominated the rugby league world throughout their history, which can be credited to the groundwork and dedication that Panapa put in over the years.
Christine Panapa and her vision over an 18-year period have helped lead the Kiwi Ferns to success, achieve monumental feats and forge a path for wahine in rugby league.
William McEntee (Bill) – Life Member
William McEntee, known to many as Bill, has been one of Counties Manukau rugby league’s longest servants, dating back to 1979. McEntee played a pivotal role in organising and managing countless Counties Manukau representative teams, having a cup named after him – the McEntee Cup, played for between Counties Manukau and Waikato representative teams in annual fixtures.
Bill’s passion for the game extends far beyond Counties Manukau, having served on the NZRL Board twice, ensuring that the grassroots game was nurtured and continually developed in the modern-day era of professional sport. Although Bill is officially retired, he continues to serve as the Counties Manukau Zone Chair, is on the NZ Masters of Rugby League Board and is still seen supporting and assisting at clubs on most weekends.
Emile Va’afusuaga – Distinguished Service Award
Having started his rugby league journey in 1968, Emile Va’afusuaga has been involved with four clubs, Papatoetoe Panthers, Mangere East Hawks, Otahuhu Leopards and the Howick Hornets as a player and coach.
Va’afusuaga was appointed to the foundation Board of Counties Manukau Rugby League in 2009 and served until 2016. He joined the CMRL Board as he recognised an opportunity for Counties to become autonomous with rugby league and serve the growing needs of the Māori and Pasifika communities.
He identified that rugby league could help expand education and connect people with learning institutes and careers that best fit individual skill sets. As a MOE Cluster Manager, Va’afusuaga introduced a programme called ‘Leadership through Rugby League’, which was used as a method to identify the learning needs of students, particularly troubled children and how rugby league could be used as a pathway to engage young people and their parents. The programme would provide strategies to shift anti-social behaviours to more productive contributors to learning, in turn creating better rugby league players and better people.
Alongside his outstanding work in schools, Va’afusuaga was instrumental in promoting ‘Playgroups’ in clubs and was a strong advocate of early learning for children and parents. This initiative saw playgroups set up in seven Counties Manukau clubs in which NZRL would adopt the initiative to roll out nationally.
John Gardiner – Distinguished Service Award
John Gardiner’s rugby league journey began at Taranaki Rugby League, where he was one of the most renowned front rowers for an astounding 20 years.
After his playing days, Gardiner would serve the game as a referee, where he would referee premier and provincial football for ten years in and around Taranaki, Wellington, Hawkes Bay, and Manawatu. In addition, Gardiner was responsible for starting the first Taranaki Rugby League Referees’ Association whilst also being on the NZRL Referee’s Directorate for ten years as an assessor.
Gardiner’s service to the game would extend beyond refereeing, becoming a director for the Mid Central Zone board for five years and acting as the Chairperson for the final three years of his tenure from 2019-2022. During his tenure as the Chair of Mid Central Zone, Gardiner was instrumental in overseeing changes made to the local district constitutions that promised the district boards support through district administrators funded and managed by the zone.
As a result, the Mid Central Zones districts, Taranaki, Manawatu and Hawkes Bay, have reaped the benefits of revamped constitutions where the clubs have nominated representatives on each district board.
John Gardiner has been a long servant of the game, paving the way and working towards what is best for rugby league in NZ. His efforts and forward-thinking have put the game in a better place.
Wi Kapua – Distinguished Service Award
Wi Kapua has been a long-serving Wellington Rugby League community member for over 40 years, with his efforts being recognised by having a competition and cup named after him. Kapua’s rugby league journey started at Randwick Rugby League, where he was a player from 1980-1986; he would later become a Wellington School Boys coach from 1988-1993. Kapua is a faithful servant of the game, and it is evident through the life memberships that he has gained from WRL, WRL Schoolboys and Wellington Referees Association.
Bruce Milne – Distinguished Service Award
Bruce Milne commenced his association with rugby league in 1970, playing 11 years at Linwood Rugby League club. The following year after hanging up the boots, Milne transitioned from player to coach. He would go on to coach his Linwood football club before earning a provincial coaching role with the Canterbury Bulls at a development level, helping nurture upcoming South Island talent. He also coached the Canterbury Universities side that would go on to win numerous national titles.
After his coaching career, Milne expanded his resume to managing the Canterbury Bulls for 14 seasons. During his tenure as a manager, Milne enjoyed success, winning two Bartercard Cups and a Universities World Cup title. Additionally, Milne served on the Canterbury Masters Board as the Chairman for 21 years. Milne’s service to the game spans an impressive period, and he has been instrumental in the development of Canterbury Rugby League as we know it today. He continues to be involved in the game and shows no sign of stopping his service to rugby league.
Aspiring coaches, managers and trainers now have the opportunity to apply for positions as the One New Zealand Warriors put together football staff for the pathways teams they’ll field in New South Wales Rugby League competitions next season.
The club has confirmed it will have a full stable of age-group teams for the first time adding Harold Matthews Cup (under-17) and Jersey Flegg Cup (under-21) teams alongside the SG Ball Cup (under-19) side which returned this season.
Along with the NRL and New South Wales Cup squad, the One New Zealand Warriors will have a five-tiered pathways structure as well as running an under-15 academy to feed into the Harold Matthews Cup squad.
The introduction of the new teams opens up a range of positions for promising coaches, managers and trainers as the One New Zealand Warriors look to establish a pathways system that puts the club on an equal footing with rival NRL clubs.
CLICK HERE to see the positions available.
June 15 2023
As seen on canterburyrugbyleague.co.nz
Canterbury’s and South Island’s most promising youth players will get a rare opportunity to test themselves against top-quality Australian opposition next month, courtesy of a short tour by Canberra Raiders’ under-18s team.
The Raiders’ squad – essentially the best talent coming through the club’s academy, including fringe SG Ball (under-19s) players from this year’s campaign and the players who will make up next season’s SG Ball line-up – will play two matches in four days in Christchurch.
First up, the Raiders will face the Canterbury 19s team on Thursday, July 13, followed by a clash with South Island Scorpions 18s on Sunday, July 16.
“There will be some very talented players in the Canberra team – many I’m sure who will go and eventually play in the NRL – so it’s very exciting,” Southern Zone Rugby League General Manager Liam Turner says.
“Dean Souter, who runs the Junior Raiders High Performance Program, got in touch to see if we were interested in organising a game and it went from there.”
The Scorpions 18s squad will be selected from the South Island youth tournament, which is being held the previous weekend in Oamaru.
“It’s a short turnaround and puts a bit of pressure on us, but it’s too good an opportunity to turn down and we’re excited by it,” Turner explains.
“It provides a great pathway for any 18s boys playing in our tournament to be selected in this team and is another great example that the pathway to the NRL is right at the doorstep of South Island-based players.”
Having any junior team affiliated with an NRL club playing matches in Canterbury is an obvious coup, but Canberra has a massive reputation as a breeding ground of elite rugby league talent.
All-time greats such as Bradley Clyde, Glenn Lazarus and Ricky Stuart came through the ACT junior system during the 1980s, while fellow icon Laurie Daley was developed by the Raiders after arriving from nearby Junee as a 17-year-old. The local products helped form the nucleus of the famed ‘Green Machine’ that won premierships in 1989-90 and ’94.
More recent NRL stars such as Jarrod Croker, Josh Dugan, Josh Papalii, Anthony Milford, Jack Wighton and Hudson Young debuted for the Raiders after emerging through the club’s junior pathways and NYC (under-20s) team. Canberra’s SG Ball team was one game away from the SG Ball grand final in the 2023 competition, which wrapped up in April.
Meanwhile, these upcoming fixtures in Christchurch provide another key chance for players to impress and potentially follow in the footsteps of the increasing number of South Island juniors who are progressing to the elite level.
“There’s so many players who have gone through our system and our pathways that have gone on to a higher level – right at the top in the NRL with the likes of Jordan Riki and Griffin Neame, but also recent examples like Callum Donaldson from the West Coast going from the Scorpions earlier this year to a Melbourne Storm feeder club,” Turner enthuses.
“It highlights that even though we are seemingly a bit isolated down here, the opportunities for our boys and girls at the moment are right there for them and it’s really exciting.
“The Warriors have an under-17s (Harrold Matthews Cup) and under-21s (Jersey Flegg) entering the NSW competitions in 2024, to go with their recently reintroduced under-19s (SG Ball) team, so that’s also a big opportunity for our youth.”
Team line-ups in the 2023 Harold Matthews, SG Ball and Jersey Flegg competitions this season have peppered with tyros who have come directly from Halswell Hornets, Hornby Panthers, Linwood Keas and Northern Bulldogs, as well as Scorpions age-group teams.
Turner praises the dedication and hard work of coaches, volunteers and administrators – such as Canterbury’s and Eastern Eagles’ Archie Jacobs – for helping create the progressively clear pathway from junior club football, to South Island representative teams and eventually into the systems of NRL clubs.
“Southern Zone may have limited resources compared to other regions, but it’s definitely a big focus for us.
“People like Archie Jacobs, who has been a big part of the Scorpions system – nearly all of those players who have gone on to Australian clubs or the Warriors have been coached by him – so a lot of credit to him, along with many others.
“It’s a small wee team that works hard to make sure these players get these opportunities.”
With the only three weeks until the South Island youth tournament, Turner is encouraging players to put themselves in the frame for Scorpions selection in Oamaru.
Canterbury’s youth teams for the trip south will be named later this week, but other teams are still looking to fill out their squads.
“Our smaller districts looking for extra numbers, hopefully that’s a push for some of those players to put their hand up – come and play in this tournament and give yourself a chance to have a crack at the Raiders,” Turner says.
13th June, 2023
As seen on pmn.co.nz
A Cook Island Māori referee is taking on a new role in Australia, and leading the way for those looking at alternative careers in professional sports.
“Refereeing is hard,” says Rochelle Tamarua. “You’ve got to be ten-foot tall and bulletproof.”
Tamarua is leaving for Brisbane today, taking on the Officials Coordinator role with top-tier sporting giant Queensland Rugby League.
“Organising their schedules, it’s like a travel agent, if there’s a tournament in the Gold Coast or whether they need to travel, that’s what I have to do.”
Tamarua is no stranger to breaking the glass ceiling, moving up through the ranks at the Auckland Referees Association, becoming the first woman to referee in the Fox Premiership, and making history last year as a touch judge at the Rugby League World Cup, being the first time two women had been in charge of a world cup fixture.
“It’s quite tough. As a female, as the only female in New Zealand refereeing at international grades, there’s a lot of pressure to ensure that I know the rules, and I apply it correctly.
“We are human too, we do make mistakes, but there’s a sense of acceptance that you’re not going to please everyone, but I love it.”
Speaking to Agnes Tupou on 531pi’s Pacific Mornings, Tamarua says growing up in Grey Lynn influenced her decision to pick up the referee’s whistle, but she was also encouraged by a family member.
“We were surrounded by touch everywhere. My father refereed touch too and he said, ‘hey, do you want to start refereeing?’ and I said, ‘yeah, why not?’, and then grabbed the whistle, started reffing my first game and I just found the love [for it].”
She says the passion was there even at the age of ten, despite changing codes in her final year at Auckland Girls’ Grammar.
“I wanted to find something that was quite similar to touch, and a winter sport.”
Tamarua says her first world cup appearance as a touch judge was between Wales and the Cook Islands in 2022, which was a career highlight.
“That was a proud moment for me. Walking out there as a New Zealander, but also as a Cook Islander, made me smile from ear to ear.”
Rugby league needs more referees
The Auckland Rugby Referees Association officiates more than 3,100 games per year.
Across Auckland’s 23 clubs, Tamarua says it’s encouraging to see more diversity in people who are keen to referee and complete the online courses.
“Pakeha whanāu, you got our Asian, our Indian whanāu that are more than willing to jump on board, regardless of their ethnicity, they just want to come in and try refereeing.”
But she admits there are still challenges.
“It’s not just rugby league – but, all codes, we don’t get paid enough, especially with what we go through on a weekend basis.”
Some as young as 13 can do an online course to referee the under-12 grades, and Tamarua says this is a great learning tool for players.
“How to respect the referee, what the rules are, and it’s to work with the referees and not against them.
“So once they get a taste of refereeing, they understand, ‘oh, actually, this is not an easy job’.”
As seen on nrl.com
As Jarrod Croker experiences the rush of emotions that accompany the opening whistle of an NRL match for the 300th time on Friday, that special feeling will be completely new for the player lining up opposite him.
The Raiders captain becomes just the second specialist centre after Josh Morris to reach a triple century of games. On the other hand, Warriors rookie Ali Leiataua will become the 39th player to debut in 2023.
It’s going to be a huge night in Canberra and the type of occasion that might be too much for some rookies, but in Leiataua’s case he’s already shown he can handle far more challenging events on a rugby league field.
Back in March of 2021 during a national U-20 game against Auckland in Christchurch, South Island player Christian Pese collapsed after suffering a stroke in the closing minutes.
Aged just 18 at the time, Leiataua – who despite lining up opposite him that day was close friends with Pese from their time together at King’s College in Auckland – was the first person to respond and sat with his mate while medical staff attended to him on the field.
The seriousness of Pese’s condition quickly became clear and he was later placed into a medically induced coma, before undergoing a complex procedure to relieve swelling from his brain, which at the time doctors weren’t sure he would survive.
After the rest of his teammates flew home to Auckland, Leiataua remained by Pese’s side for the next week, doing his best to support family members as they arrived in Christchurch.
“I remember Ali being the first person I saw when I came to on the field,” Pese told NRL.com.
“Ali wanted to stay until I got out of surgery, which they weren’t sure I was going to make it out of, and he said he wasn’t going to leave until he saw me come out.
“He’s a great friend and that’s why everyone that knows him loves him.
“We are real grateful for what he did for me.”
That character and empathy came as little surprise to most at the Warriors, many of whom had known Leiataua since he joined the club as a 14-year-old.
He gets his first name from his uncle, Warriors great Ali Lauitiiti, while older sister Onjeurlina was a top league prospect as well and played two seasons with the club in the NRLW.
In picking Leiataua ahead of veteran Brayden Wiliame for the Raiders game, Warriors coach Andrew Webster made a powerful statement about his belief in the 20-year-old.
“He’s been fantastic in reserve grade, he’s been their best player,” Webster said of Leiataua.
“He knows that we have got so much faith in him, that we want him to have a crack this week on such an occasion.
“Someone is having their 300th game and someone is having their debut, so that’s pretty cool.”
A debut coinciding with a 300th match for an opponent is uncommon at the best of times, but it’s extremely rare for it to occur in a direct positional match-up.
Rugby league historian David Middleton found the next closest examples were of props debuting off the bench while starting front-rowers celebrated their 300th games.
In 2015 Chris Grevsmuhl did it on Corey Parker’s special night, while a year earlier both Matt Lodge and Mitchell Moses debuted in Brent Kite’s 300th game.
Eels prop Tim Mannah also made his first appearance in the same game Steve Price brought up 300 while at the Warriors.
Such games are bound to be full of emotion, but Alan Ettles, who coached Leiataua in the Auckland U-20 side, doubts his former star will be worried.
“He will handle it fine; he’s got a good head on his shoulders and he’s been in some pressure environments before and excelled,” Ettles said.
“At King’s College he was playing before big crowds at a very young age and that will have given him some early insight into what it took to be a professional.
“He’s owned that centre position at [NSW] Cup level too. The Warriors haven’t had many NRL players in that squad, but the teams they have been playing have had a litany of NRL players, so he has had some class opposition to play against and has owned them.”
Meanwhile Pese – who had the last of his required post-stroke surgeries earlier this year and has since returned to rugby league – will be among the throng of family and friends watching on from TV sets in Auckland when Leiataua becomes Warrior #282.
“I’ll be super proud. I am buzzing,” Pese said.
“I’ll probably cry seeing it.”
01 June 2o23
Reon Edwards’ involvement in the game stretches back 43 years, but his new role as Canterbury Rugby League President – which was announced at CRL’s AGM on Wednesday night – marks a return to the organisation in a formal role for the first time since 2015.
Edwards’ vast administrative experience includes serving on the Southern Zone Board from 2009-13 and the CRL Board from 2012-15 – the latter during a vital and transformative period for rugby league in our region – before accepting a position on the New Zealand Rugby League Board in 2015.
Edwards has had stints as Chair of CRL and NZRL, while he retains a place as a director on the International Rugby League Board, which he has held since 2018.
“To secure Reon as President is significant,” CRL CEO Malcolm Humm says.
“Although a non-operational role, to have someone with such a depth of knowledge regarding the local, national and international game is immense, and we certainly will be leveraging off this.”
Edwards first pulled on a pair of boots for Marist-Western Suburbs as a five-year-old, later played for Eastern Suburbs, won a CRL premiership with Halswell in 2003 and represented Canterbury Māori.
His enormous contribution to the game at all levels since saw him awarded NZRL Life Membership last year. But he’s excited about contributing in an official capacity again in his home province.
“Of course it’s an honour to be asked to step into the President role,” Edwards says.
“I’ve been involved in the game since my younger days, running around in paddocks, so it’s great to be able to come back to district level – I’m looking forward to supporting the Board with this new role.
“I’ve been involved with some local clubs since retiring from the New Zealand Rugby League Chair role and I’m still engaged with those clubs, it’s been good for me to reconnect.
“I think the game here in Canterbury is progressing and under some really good leadership, with Wally (Wilson) chairing the Board but also with Mal (Humm), he’s 12 months in the role now as CEO and we’ve seen some really good progress made. It’s great to see.”
Edwards outlined some of his chief priorities looking ahead to his term as CRL President, building on the invaluable assistance he has provided to Canterbury’s clubs more recently – in conjunction with the people who continue to be the lifeblood of those clubs.
“My first-hand experience with some of the clubs I’ve been involved with in the last couple of years is that we’ve got a great bunch of volunteers in the game and really committed people within our clubs,” Edwards enthuses.
“Guiding them and providing some support around best practices is where I can lend a good hand. If we can strengthen the governance aspect of our clubs and the strength of our committees and processes, the rest of it will continue in terms of our player participation and increasing our junior numbers.”
CRL Chairperson Wally Wilson reiterated Humm’s sentiments about the prospect of rugby league in the region further benefitting from Edwards’ experience and selfless input.
“To secure a President with such mana and leadership capability is a real privilege for Canterbury Rugby League and I look forward to working with Reon in the future,” Wilson says.
30 May 2023
2023 sees the return of the prestigious Pirtek Volunteer of the Month award, where our rugby league community gets a chance to see their hard mahi recognised across the motu.
This award is gifted to a volunteer who displays the core values of NZRL’s Kiwi Way: being family first, innovative, inclusive, respectful, respectful and humble. NZRL is excited to announce that Phylis Latu is the first winner of the 2023 Volunteer of the Month.
Phylis Latu is a proud member of the Manurewa Marlins rugby league club and community. Latu currently acts as the Marlin’s club secretary, sourcing funding and resources that benefit the club.
In addition to working for the Manurewa Marlins, Latu provides wrap-around support and delivers food and medical support for whānau affected by Covid-19.
She leads a group of local rangatahi who she’s helped develop and upskill to enable them to give back to their communities across Manurewa. Latu has used rugby league as a vehicle to support and transform lives.
Pirtek GM of Sales & Operations says, “Congratulations Phylis Latu on being Pirtek’s Volunteer of the Month.”
“At Pirtek, we love hearing inspiring stories about great people in the League whānau. It was clear that Phylis puts in the mahi daily, supporting her club in every way.
“People like Phylis make our community clubs as great as they are. Manurewa is lucky to have her care, aroha and support.
“Congratulations to a very worthy and well-deserving winner.”
Each PVOTM winner receives $200 worth of vouchers.
Nominations are now open for June; to enter fill out the form below.
#TheKiwiWay #MoreThanAGame
As seen on warriors.kiwi
The One New Zealand Warriors have rallied around former head coach Daniel Anderson in his recovery from a catastrophic spine injury.
Anderson, who guided the NRL side from 2001 to 2004, was bodysurfing at Soldiers Beach in New South Wales while on vacation with his family in December last year when he went into cardiac arrest after being dumped on his head by a wave.
The 56-year-old was dragged out of the water semi-conscious by two off-duty paramedics who happened to be nearby.
The NRL has today launched the Daniel Anderson Support Fund and announced round 25 will be the ‘Daniel Anderson Round’, with a number of initiatives and public fundraising drives scheduled across that week to support the Anderson family.
One New Zealand Warriors CEO Cameron George is part of a working group, along with several figures from both the Sydney Roosters and Parramatta, who are in talks around how best to action those.
The One New Zealand Warriors have changed their annual Old Boys’ Day to fall on their 25th-round clash against Manly at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart.
Many of the past players expected to be in attendance were coached by Anderson.
“Daniel is a huge part of this club’s history, and the Anderson family a big part of the success of the organisation today,” said George.
“Round 25 will be our big New Zealand fundraiser and further details around those initiatives and how the public can get around it will be confirmed soon.
“We will certainly be playing our part as a club to contribute in supporting Daniel and his family at this time.”
Somewhat unbelievably, Anderson is still working for the Sydney Roosters as head of recruitment, putting in about 10 hours a week from his rehab centre.
An online fundraiser has been set up, where the public can donate to aid in his recovery.
Link here: https://danielandersonfund.com.au/
As seen on cowboys.com.au
Kiwi Ferns Test star Autumn-Rain Stephens-Daly has agreed to a two-year contract with the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys.
Born in Rotorua, Stephens-Daly grew up playing rugby union, before moving to rugby league in 2020.
She made her NRLW debut in the delayed 2021 season for Newcastle and was a member of the Knights’ premiership-winning squad in 2022, although missed the grand final through injury.
Stephens-Daly returned from injury to play four games for the Kiwi Ferns in the 2022 World Cup, including the final against Australia. She also represented the Maori All Stars in 2022, scoring both her team’s tries in an 18-8 defeat.
The 26-year-old has the ability to play wing, centre and fullback.
Stephens-Daly returned to rugby union earlier this year, signing for the Hurricanes Poua in the Super Rugby Aupiki and registered the third-most tries in the competition.
“Not only can Autumn score tries, she will bring an abundance of NZ International and NRLW experience,” Cowboys Head Coach Ben Jeffries said.
“She can play any position in the back five, which adds depth to our back line.
“When recruiting players, off-field character is one of the areas we look at and Autumn is highly regarded amongst her peers. Knowing she competes hard both in games and training and carries a humble personality, it was an easy decision for us to bring Autumn to the Cowboys.”
24 May 2023
Black Ferns Sevens player Tyla Nathan-Wong is the latest New Zealand rugby star to swap codes and move across the Tasman.
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has agreed to release Nathan-Wong from her contract at her own request to pursue an opportunity to sign for the St George Illawarra Dragons in the NRLW.
The Dragons confirmed the signing in a tweet on Wednesday: “Olympic gold medalist and rugby sevens gun Tyla Nathan-Wong is now a Dragon.”
Nathan-Wong joins fellow Sevens teammate Niall Guthrie (née Williams) and five-cap Black Fern Cheyelle Robins-Reti as new signings in the women’s rugby league competition.
Nathan-Wong has been involved in the Black Ferns Sevens programme since her debut in 2012 at the age of 18. She has been a pivotal player for the Black Ferns Sevens during this time, achieving a number of milestones on the world stage. Notably she has won two Sevens Rugby World Cups, Olympic silver and gold medals, Commonwealth Games bronze and gold medals, alongside seven Sevens World Series titles.
The 28-year-old said league has always been in her blood and the opportunity to play in the NRLW was a dream.
“I come from a big league family, so that’s where my love for league has always been,” Nathan-Wong said.
“That was my very first sport as a kid at like six years old. I was playing alongside the boys and my cousins and dad were the coaches. I’ve always had this massive love for league and followed the NRL. When the NRLW first started a few years back I was like, ‘man, that is so cool’. Obviously I was in the thick of it with the sevens programme then and been like, ‘how cool would it be to one day jump across’. Post-Tokyo Olympics that actually sprung up again and I thought this could actually be a viable option for me.
“We forecast ahead and looked at what the season would look like and there was this big break at the end of 2023. That’s the perfect opportunity to finally allow this other dream of mine to finally come to fruition and really jump in head first into it and that’s what I’ve done.”
24th May 2023
Hull KR today confirmed Club Captain Shaun Kenny-Dowall will retire at the end of the 2023 season after a memorable 17-year professional career to take up an exciting role as part of the club’s coaching team from 2024.
Having recently surpassed his 350th career game in the NRL and Super League, Shaun has had an illustrious career in both hemispheres. Kenny-Dowall made his NRL debut for the Sydney Roosters on March 19th against South Sydney Rabbitohs, starting on the wing.
The New Zealand native made 277 NRL appearances for the Sydney Roosters and Newcastle Knights, helping the Roosters secure the 2013 NRL Grand Final in a dramatic win over the Manly Sea-Eagles, with Kenny-Dowall scoring a vital try in the 60th minute.
A proud Kiwi, the 35-year-old was part of New Zealand’s 2010 and 2014 Four Nations victories, both over Australia. In total, the former Ngaruawahia Panther received 17 caps for the New Zealand national team, scoring nine tries for the side.
Shaun joined Hull KR ahead of the 2020 season, making 74 appearances so far in Red and White and helping the Robins’ during a period of exciting progress on and off the field.
In 2021, SKD become the club’s Captain following in the footsteps of Roger Millward, Mike Smith, Michael Dobson and Mose Masoe. At the end of the 2023 season, Shaun will begin his new role as a Development Coach for 2024, working within the first team coaching structure while mentoring the club’s young talent from the Academy up to the Robins’ first team.
Speaking on his retirement and new role for 2024, Shaun spoke of his gratitude to the sport while outlining his excitement for his new coaching role with the club in 2024: ‘I’ve made the decision to retire at the end of the 2023 season and call time on my 17-year career as a professional rugby player.
‘This sport has given me everything and I want to say thank you to everyone who has helped me on this journey. I’ll reflect on it all at the end of the season.
‘Until then though, it’s all to play for. I’ll continue to love every moment I have left on the field as a Robin.
‘For 2024, I’m honoured to be taking on a new exciting challenge here at Hull KR, mentoring the club’s future stars from the Academy up to the First Team.
‘I’m incredibly grateful to be staying with this great club for 2024. I’d like to say a special thank you to the club’s board and Willie Peters for the opportunity and the faith they’ve shown in me for my new exciting role.
‘But for now, I want to finish my final season on a high and win silverware with this great club.
‘Keep your amazing support coming, Red Army. See you on the other side.
SKD.’
Hull KR Head Coach. Willie Peters said: ‘Shaun is a leader of men. He leads through his actions every day at training and every time he takes the field.
‘I value my relationship with Shaun greatly and he’s been a great help since I joined the club last year. I’m excited to work side by side with Shaun as part of the club’s coaching team next season.
‘We are delighted Shaun has accepted a very important position as Development Coach at Hull KR next season.
‘Shaun will play an integral part in our vertical alignment throughout the whole club. Shaun will help the club to develop quality, homegrown juniors ready for Super League alongside our Academy staff.
‘Special thank you to our Board for approving this important role within the club.
‘Before he starts, Shaun has a lot more to achieve on the field as he’s motivated to end his outstanding playing career on a high.’
Hull KR Chief Executive, Paul Lakin added: ‘Shaun is an outstanding leader, a motivator and a shining example to players at all levels of how you get the very most out of your career.
‘He has been pivotal to the culture we have set here at Hull KR and we, as a board, are delighted that Shaun is staying within the club, sharing his vast experience in a vitally important development coaching role working across the Academy, Reserves and First Team.’
In any physical sport like Rugby League, strength and physicality is always a key focus, but there has been a growing realisation that mental health is just as crucial for peak performance and overall wellbeing. Earlier this year, New Zealand Rugby League initiated a wellbeing kaupapa ‘Find your Front’ which aims to support Rugby League players, coaches, managers, volunteers and supporters who often face challenges and expectations when it comes to their wellbeing.
The term ‘find your front’ in Rugby League refers to the intent of landing on your front when making contact with the opposition to get the best advantage when playing the ball. New Zealand Rugby League have re-framed finding your front as a way to build resilience and promote open kōrero and striving to break the silence surrounding mental wellbeing in the Rugby League community.
Wellington Rugby League have been partnering with local health providers over the last few seasons to connect and engage on the importance of health and wellbeing of all players at representative levels, seniors, rangatahi and wider whānau in the community.
Some initiatives that have rolled out this year include:
Hauora rounds – the first round for all grades was a hauora round – several local health providers were in attendance with handy resources help the community with hauora and healthy living.
Find Your Front Workshops – in March, the 9-aside Wellington Orcas 16’s and 18’s youth male and female teams and the Randwick Kingfisher senior players participated in a Find Your Front workshop delivered by the NZRL wellbeing team which included Rugby League legends and former NZ Warriors, Ali Lauiti’iti, Shontayne Hape, Jerry Seuseu and Charlie Gubb along with Cliff Thompson (NZRL Wellbeing Manager) and Wesley Smith (Sport Chaplaincy).
Find Your Front Club Champions – Te Aroha Eels and Randwick Kingfisher senior teams are championing Find Your Front throughout the local rugby league community. Healthy Families Hutt Valley have supported this initiative by working alongside these clubs as they champion Find Your Front.
Randwick Kingfishers and Te Aroha Eels Premier teams wearing the newly launched Find Your Front training tops to raise the awareness of mental wellbeing across the rugby league community.
8 weeks into the premier men’s grade – Andre Whittaker, Wellington Rugby League Chief Executive has already seen a positive impact on players’ wellbeing.
“Lots of players feel a greater sense of support and a lot more confidence to speak up if they’re facing any challenges – big or small. We’re proud to create an environment that acknowledges and addresses mental health and overall wellbeing, and the Find Your Front kaupapa is redefining the Rugby League scene and ensuring that players can thrive both on and off the field” says Andre.
Check out the video below of some amazing rugby league players sharing how the game has made a positive impact on their wellbeing.
click on the image to watch
Wellington Rugby League’s commitment to ensuring the health and wellbeing of players and the wider rugby league community highlights the opportunity and role that sport can play to support and enable our communities to live healthier and fulfilling lives.
New Zealand Rugby League and One NZ Warriors launched the Find Your Front podcast where former and current players share their whakapapa, journeys to playing at an elite level, achievements and challenging times while touching on mental health.
Their stories aim to inspire and encourage listeners to break the stigma around mental health and encouraging players to find strength and confidence to speak up and seek support.
Listen to the podcast on Spotify
As seen on odt.co.nz
By Kayla Hodge
Two former Kiwis will impart their wisdom to the next generation of Otago rugby league players this weekend.
Jeff Lima and Shontayne Hape, and Otago Rugby League coaches, are hosting a development day at Logan Park on Sunday.
Lima played 127 NRL games, 97 Super League games and seven tests for the Kiwis, while Hape played 28 games for the Warriors and made 125 Super League appearances and 14 tests for the Kiwis, before switching to rugby union, where he played internationally for England.
The development day morning is designed for primary and intermediate aged players, while the afternoon is designed for players from the grades under-14 to under-18.
Southern zone club capability and event manager Louis Carmine said players would run through various skills, drills, games and wellbeing sessions.
Hape, who now works for New Zealand Rugby League, and Lima would also discuss NRL pathways for young athletes.
Carmine said the development day, similar to one held in Invercargill recently, was a good opportunity for young athletes to learn from the best.
“It’s cool to see sort of those pathways and realise that even for here in Otago there’s definitely still those opportunities for them,” Carmine said.
Players can register on the Otago Rugby League website.
18 May 2023
In game one of the Harvey Norman Women’s Championship, Ahi kā Aotearoa suffered their first defeat to the First Nation Gems 14-8.
The game started with a cultural salute as the First Nation Gems welcomed Ahi Kā onto the field with an indigenous welcome for their inaugural year.
The game started in a classic arm wrestle match as both teams battled in the first half for possession and territory of the field. The First Nation Gems capitalised off their first opportunity as they forced an error in Ahi Kā’s half, using this to get the first try of the game.
First Nation Gems quickly followed up with another try as they utilised the quick ruck speed they generated to catch the Ahi Kā Aotearoa team off guard to go right through the middle.
Ahi Kā found their groove as they strung together solid runs to gain excellent field position right before halftime. A lovely cut-out ball to Marewa Samson, who delivered some beautiful quick hands to put Kyla Lynch-Brown in for a try, leaving the halftime score 10-4.
Ahi Kā started the second half off firing as they managed to regather the kick restart. Great scrambling defence from the First Nation Gems robbed the NZ side of a try to even the score. Quick play of the balls and fast ruck speed would be the catalyst for the next First Nation Gems try, as the score would be 18-4 with five minutes to go.
Vice-captain Monica Samita would scoot out at dummy half to crash over the line to give Ahi Kā a fighting chance in the game with three minutes to go. With the one minute left and NZ desperately trying to create opportunities, a shift on the final tackle put Marewa Samson in space, who would offload to Kyla Lynch-Brown, who managed to run 30 metres before she got run down by some great scrambling defence from the First Nation Gems to close the game out 14-8.
The Harvey Norman Women’s Championship in the Gold Coast kicks off today as Ahi Kā Aoteroa takes on the First Nation Gems at Pizzey Park at 2.30 pm (NZT).
Coach Frank Fuimaono has named a strong team to kick-start the competition announcing 2022 NZ Clubs representative Summer Van Gelder as captain for the 2023 campaign.
Along with the Ahi Kā Aotearoa squad, several NZ girls are also competing today, as Alexis Tauaenai and Tatiana Finau, who were both a part of the 2022 NZ Clubs team, are playing for the NSW City squad. Keep an eye out for them throughout this week’s tournament.
Today’s game is streamed live on NRL.com
Ahi Kā Aotearoa vs First Nation Gems
Pizzey Park, Gold Coast
2.30 pm
11 May 2023
New Zealand Rugby League is pleased to announce that the following players have been selected to represent the inaugural Ahi Kā Aotearoa in the Harvey Norman Women’s Championship in the Gold Coast from 18 May – 21 May.
The Ahi Kā Aotearoa squad comprises players selected from last year’s inaugural National Girls’ Youth Tournament, who participated in the ‘RISE’ Talent Development Programme delivered in partnership with the NRL earlier in the year.
An experienced management team accompanies the players to the Gold Coast, with former Kiwi Fern players Ake Pereira and Kath Keremete on board as an Assistant Coach and Trainer. Head Trainer Shannon Maclachlan was involved in the most recent Kiwi Ferns’ World Cup campaign, and team manager Mel Tukapua has previously managed NZ16s and NZ18s teams.
NZRL congratulates the following players:
Ahi Kā Aotearoa schedule
Ahi Kā Aotearoa vs First Nation’s Gems – 2.30pm NZT
Ahi Kā Aotearoa vs Qld Ruby’s – 1.30pm NZT
Ahi Kā Aotearoa vs NSW Country Women – 2.30pm NZT
Follow NZRL’s social channels to keep up with their journey throughout the competition.
The Importance of The Find Your Front Podcast:
Find Your Front is a Rugby League coaching term to land on your Front whilst in attack, because you’re in a strong position to play the ball quick,
so your team can gain momentum.
Like in life when we go through challenges the hope is, we find our front & be in a better position to be well.
We believe using the Podcast platform to hear the stories of our Athletes pass & present, highlighting the importance of their Well-being.
Whilst performing at the highest level of their chosen sport, but more so as a son/daughter, husband/wife, Father/mother.
Also hearing them tell stories of of their challenges & how they overcame it to Find Their Front.
We have an amazing line up of guests. We kicked off our first Podcast drops with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad & Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
To keep you guessing we sat down with an All Black, an Olympian, a dual international for both League and Union – just to name a few.
So, tune in as they drop. You’ll hear some deep & meaningful questions & answers outside your ordinary sports interview.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by NZ Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns (@nzrugbyleague)
A post shared by NZ Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns (@nzrugbyleague)
For all your Well-being Support checkout our NZRL Well-being page to access tools and tips.
As seen on newcastleknights.com.au
New Zealand Kiwis duo Abigail Roache and Laishon Albert-Jones headline an influx of new talent signed for the nib Newcastle Knights Telstra Women’s Premiership defence in season 2023.
Roache and Albert-Jones were part of the Kiwi Ferns squad that reached the final of last year’s 2021 Rugby League World Cup in England, with Roache featuring in the World Cup Final loss to Australia at Old Trafford.
A cross-code star, Roache took out the 2022 Cathy Friend Women’s Player of the Year title, awarded to the Auckland Rugby League’s most outstanding player, for her efforts with the Richmond Roses during the season.
Equally adept at centre, five eighth or fullback, Roache – the sister of former New Zealand Warriors and Parramatta Eels NRL player Nathaniel Roache – joins the Knights fresh off a season with the Hamilton New Zealand-based Chiefs Manawa in the 2023 Super Rugby Aupiki competition.
Two test Kiwi Fern Albert-Jones – the niece of Kiwis legend Stacey Jones – scored a try and kicked three goals in her international debut against Tonga midway through the 2022 season, after also taking out the Cathy Friend Women’s Player of the Year award in 2021.
She was named at five eighth in the Auckland competition’s team of the year in 2022 but has also featured at lock for Mounties in the Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership.
The 2023 season will be the pair’s first at NRLW level.
“Abigail is an astute defensive backline player who on the back of strong year in the Auckland competition gained selection in the New Zealand world cup squad,” Knights NRLW head coach Ronald Griffiths says.
“She has a great attitude and desire to continue to develop into a world class player, and her ability to play multiple positions well will make her a valuable commodity and one we will harness.
“Laishon turned a strong World Cup campaign and a desire for continued growth into a Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership campaign with Mounties this season and finished with a Premiership to her name.
“She is a shrewd ball playing lock who is equally proficient in the halves, and her skill set and deft touch with the boot will hold her in good stead for a great season.”
May 10, 2023
New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) proudly announces that the anticipated National Secondary Schools tournament is back for 2023.
2022 saw one of the most significant events in the rugby league calendar return after a three-year hiatus, this time with two new grades – the U15 Boys Carnival and the inaugural Girls’ Championship.
Last year’s tournaments were hotly contested as newcomers De La Salle took home the Premiership title for the first time in history. Manurewa High School enjoyed success as their boys’ and girls’ teams took out both the Boys’ Championship and the inaugural Girls Championship.
This year’s competition will spread over three days, kicking off on Friday, 1st September, at Auckland’s Bruce Pulman Park. Schools can qualify through zonal and regional events. Each team entering the National Secondary Schools Tournament must have a referral from their respective zone contact.
If you would like to receive more information, Register interest here: https://www.sporty.co.nz/viewform/198093
National Secondary Schools Tournament. Grades to include:
Junior / U15 Boys Carnival
– Up to 8 teams
– Composite schools permitted.
Senior Boys Premiership
Senior Boys Championship
Girls Championship
– Up to 16 teams
As seen on nzherald.co.nz
Kiwi wrecking ball Valynce Te Whare has become an instant cult hero after a stunning debut for the Dolphins in their win over the Sharks last night.
Te Whare, who only converted to league 18 months ago, has been dubbed ‘Val Meninga’ by fans after scoring twice in the 36-16 victory.
Te Whare played eight NPC games for Waikato in the 2019 and 2020 seasons before a brief stint at King Country. Late in 2021 he signed a deal with the Dolphins to make the switch to rugby league, more than a year before the franchise’s first ever game. He impressed in the Hostplus Cup last season being named Centre of the Year and continued that form to earn his NRL call-up this week.
Playing centre with a forward’s frame, the 22-year-old scored his first NRL try by pushing off four Sharks defenders in the 23rd minute to give the home team an early 18-0 lead. He added another try in the second half.
Following his impressive performance, Kiwis in the stands and fellow teammates paid tribute to the star debutant by performing an emotional haka for Te Whare.
Te Whare then acknowledged the fans and his teammates by joining in before hugging family, friends and supporters in the stands.
Te Whare was praised by league experts and commentators for his performance on Saturday.
“Impossible to stop at close range. There are comparisons physically with an immortal, with Mal Meninga and that was an awesome run to get to the try line,” Fox Sport commentator Dan Ginnane said.
Fellow commentator and Broncos great Corey Parker was astounded by Te Whare’s power.
“On debut, only moments ago he got stood up by Mulitalo. But have a look at this, from a standing start the power and acceleration,” he said.
Ginnane added: “You can see the joy he brings. Talking about cult hero at the end of the season, his first grade career is just 24 minutes old — he’s a cult hero now.”
Last week Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett was made aware of the Val Meninga nickname but wasn’t buying it.
“There is no way you can get that surname out in one mouthful so he is known as Val Smith around here,” he said.
“Val Meninga. I like that line,” Bennett continued.
“I saw that the other day and I thought, ‘What are the similarities between him and Mal Meninga?”
“I coached Mal. He is a great player and a great guy. I thought the only similarity was his shorts. I reckon they are both the same size. He is no Mal Meninga, I can tell you that.”
According to NRL.com, Te Whare was the 183rd player to be given an NRL debut by Bennett with the Dolphins’ clash against the Sharks his 900th in charge.
“He is one of the first players we signed here. (Recruitment manager) Peter O’Sullivan saw him in New Zealand playing rugby in the schoolboys,” he said.
“To his credit he has worked really hard and had to make a pretty big adaption from rugby to rugby league. We have invested quite a bit of time in him. It has worked out for both parties.”
09 May 2023
New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) has been invited to put forward a U23 Women’s 9s team to compete in the 2023 Pacific Games.
The 17th Pacific Games (SOL2023) will take place in the Solomon Islands between November 19th and December 2nd.
This is the first time NZRL have been invited to put forward a team following two successful National 9s tournaments and exceptional growth in the women’s space across the country.
The Pacific Games is another high-performance pathway for young wāhine chasing NRLW and Kiwi Fern opportunities.
Women between the ages of 20-23 currently registered and playing community rugby league in New Zealand are eligible for selection.
“Thank you to the New Zealand Olympic Committee for providing the opportunity for our young female athletes to rep the Black and White jersey on the world stage,” says NZRL GM of High Performance and Football, Motu Tony.
“Any chance to represent your country is a blessing, but doing so on a stage celebrating elite sport and culture will be a special milestone for all involved.”
Rugby league was introduced to the Pacific Games in 2007 and in its current 9s format, will consist of a three-day competition.
“Every four years, the Pacific comes together in friendship to celebrate the Pacific Games. A celebration of sport and culture in common bonds acquired through a shared physical geography and community.” Pacific Games Council (PGC).
“Alternating between different countries of the Pacific Region, the Solomon Islands hosts the Games in its capital city Honiara. Five thousand participants (including athletes, technical officials and support staff) from 24 Countries will compete in 24 sports.”
New Zealand Rugby League mourns the loss of Fullback/Utility Roger (Spud) Tait, Kiwi #440.
Tait played 33 games for the Kiwis, including 11 Test matches. The 1961 season saw him earn the World Record for the most points in a season, totalling 468 points from 34 tries and 83 goals in just 38 games.
Tait played for Waikato and Auckland and finished as captain-coach of the Woden Valley Rams in 1979.
NZRL extends its condolences to the Tait whānau; he will be greatly missed.
As seen on www.stuff.co.nz
When sisters Raecene and Page McGregor played against each other in round three of the NRLW last year, they put family ties to one side. Winning was all that mattered.
This year, the Kiwi Ferns representatives finally get to combine forces, after Raecene signed with the Dragons for the 2023 season, joining sister Page at the club with which she debuted back in 2018.
“I spoke about it with my old coach from the Roosters, Strangey [John Strange] about moving over to the Dragons, just wanting to play with my sister. It was a big chat there, it wasn’t something that I took lightly,” Raecene said.
No-one is more excited about Raecene’s switch than Page, who is 18 months younger than Raecene and preparing for her second year in the NRLW.
“We haven’t gotten to play week-in, week-out together since we were little. We played soccer together, we played touch [football] together, and then we went our separate ways. I went rugby and she went to league, and now that I’ve come back across [to league] I’m super stoked that she’s decided to put the Red V on for the season.”
Raecene, the 2022 Dally M Medal winner and 2022 World Cup Golden Boot recipient, is a massive signing for the Dragons who have a squad full of up-and-coming players in 2023.
“That’s why I’m just glad to have her on board, because I’ve always looked up to her,” Page said. “Having her in the same team now, I’m going to be drawing from her.
“Her knowledge, starting from 2018 to where she is now, she’s only getting better and stronger [mentally] so it’s going to help me and the rest of us young girls. We’re definitely going to be looking up to Rae, and I just can’t wait to start training.”
27 April 2023
New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) is proud to announce that its inaugural Ahi kā Aotearoa under-19s girls team will compete in the Australian Harvey Norman Women’s National Championship in May.
NZRL will select 20 players to represent Ahi kā Aotearoa off the back of the successful ‘RISE’ Talent Development Programme delivered in partnership with the NRL earlier in the year. The RISE programme better prepares young players for the rigours of high-performance environments such as the NRLW, targeting female players aged 17-19.
The formation of Ahi kā Aotearoa follows a successful year of female participation in the rangatahi age group here in NZ, which saw the introduction of the first National 16 & 18 Girls 9s Tournament, National Secondary Schools Girls Tournament, National Youth Tournament and the first National Representative fixtures for 16s & 18s Girls age groups.
The Harvey Norman Women’s National Championship is an elite pathways tournament allowing players across Australia and now New Zealand to showcase their skills in the representative arena.
The tournament consists of 12 teams split into three pools across a four-day draw held in Pizzey Park, Burleigh, from May 18. Ahi kā Aotearoa will be one of three teams alongside NSW and Queensland that feature under-19s talent only, with the remaining nine sides set to be a mix of 19s and open players.
GM of High-Performance and Football at NZRL Motu Tony says, “This is a really exciting opportunity for our young NZ wāhine to showcase their skills across the Tasman, which will hopefully lead to the NRLW and the Kiwi Ferns.
“Thank you to the NRL for extending this invitation, this is an important aspect in the development of female rugby league in New Zealand. I look forward to seeing our game (female) maintain its tremendous growth.”
A tournament draw and squad lists will be released in early May. Entry to the event is free across all four days.
Former captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is re-joining the One New Zealand Warriors in 2024 after signing a three-year contract to the end of the 2026 NRL season.
The One New Zealand Warriors granted Tuivasa-Sheck’s request for an early release to switch to rugby union late in the 2021 season but the club has today announced his return to rugby league for a second term with his hometown club.
“It’s hugely exciting knowing Roger is coming back to us, back to his home at Mount Smart Stadium,” said One New Zealand Warriors CEO Cameron George.
“When he went to rugby union he did so knowing he was always welcome back here if he wished to return to rugby league. We couldn’t be more delighted it’s happening.
“He’s popular with the players and a real fan favourite. It’s going to be so good seeing him back in our jersey.”
When Tuivasa-Sheck switched to rugby union he had made 111 appearances for the Warriors from 2016-2021 with his career tally standing at 195 games. He had also played 20 Tests for the Kiwis.
“Roger is such a high-quality person and leader who will add another layer to our squad with his enthusiasm, experience, skill and professionalism,” said Andrew McFadden, the club’s general manager recruitment, pathways and development.
“He’ll be a tremendous mentor for our younger players while he’ll also bring in a fresh perspective after spending time in rugby union.”
One New Zealand Warriors head coach Andrew Webster is looking forward to renewing his relationship with Tuivasa-Sheck.
“Roger came to the club in my second season as an assistant coach in 2016 and he had a huge impact on the squad,” said Webster.
“That first year was cut short by his ACL injury but it was brilliant working with him. I’m super excited knowing he’s coming back to the club.”
George said the club won’t be adding further comment to the signing announcement to enable Tuivasa-Sheck to focus on his rugby union commitments for the rest of the year.
20 April 2023
Mainstream has extended its commitment to New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) for a further four years as Principal Sponsor of the Kiwi Ferns & Referees and Official Associate Sponsor of the Kiwis.
The extended partnership will see Mainstream continue its tenure with NZRL through to the 2025 World Cup after joining the rugby league whānau in 2017.
Throughout the partnership, Mainstream remained an invaluable supporter of the game at all levels, staying loyal to NZRL through the Covid-19 pandemic when there was zero international rugby league activity for nearly two years.
Mainstream continues to show integral support for the women’s game and has been avid supporters of the Kiwi Ferns since the partnership’s inception.
NZRL CEO Greg Peters says Mainstream is an integral member of the NZRL whānau.
“It’s an exciting milestone to extend our partnership with Mainstream through to a third Rugby League World Cup,” says Peters.
“Mainstream has shown invaluable support through some of our most challenging times, and their support of the women’s game has been felt widespread among our Ferns group.
“I know we are all delighted to continue this partnership, and I look forward to what we’ll be able to achieve over the next three years as we enter one of the most exciting eras in international rugby league.”
Managing Director of Mainstream Greg Haliday says, “Mainstream is looking forward to building on the great relationship we have enjoyed over the last few years with the Kiwis and the Kiwi Ferns. You can be sure that our own team will be closely supporting the men’s and women’s teams right through to the excitement of the 2025 World Cup”.
Written by Matt Manukuo
Mackenzie Wiki, daughter of NRL legend Ruben Wiki, has made a historic deal signing with the Canberra Raiders women’s team.
Wiki will be the first daughter of a former NRL player, to sign with the same club of their parent.
The Cook Island international made her representative debut in last years Women’s Rugby League World Cup, where she picked up two tries in her three games.
Mackenzie, 21, says rugby league is a sport she developed a love for.
“This is only my second year of footy, I always played sevens, netball and I was a swimmer. When I was younger I never had the drive to play league, I was just watching Dad because I love footy.
“Getting into it last year I just found this love for it, actually being on the field rather than watching it.
“It’s an honour to follow my Dad at the same club. His first club was Raiders and now my first club is Raiders. It’s just surreal.”
Mackenzie follows in her father, Ruben footsteps, who debuted for the Raiders 30 years ago. He says once Mackenzie dons the green jersey, it will be an emotional milestone for their family.
“Lost for words sorry it’s an emotional one – if that did come to the fray, it would be a very special moment for our family.
“Due to watching the kids being born here, watching their dad run around and it would be amazing to see her from the grandstand. She does suit the colour, it would be amazing.”
As seen on broncos.com.au
International prop Neta Nu’uausala has become the latest Bronco to recommit for the 2023 NRLW season.
Nu’uausala, with 12 Tests for New Zealand, is fresh off her second World Cup campaign lining up as a starting front-rower in all five of the Kiwi Ferns’ matches at the tournament as they qualified for the final against Australia.
The 28-year-old joined the Broncos last year a, fought back to overcome injury, and played two strong games at the end of the season to showcase the hard-running game she will bring to Brisbane’s 2023 campaign.
Nu’uausala joins a host of returning stars to be locked in by the Broncos including Ali Brigginshaw, Julia Robinson, Chelsea Lenarduzzi, Shenae Ciesiolka, Brianna Clark and Jada Ferguson.
They will be joined by high-quality new recruits Mele Hufanga, Destiny Brill, Gayle Broughton, Romy Teitzel, Tazmin Gray and Ashleigh Werner.
Broncos NRLW Coach Scott Prince said: “Neta brings so much experience and is coming off some great performances at the World Cup for New Zealand, she will bring some really strong form into our NRLW season.
“She will form part of a really strong pack that will lay a platform for us to play some exciting footy this season.”
As seen on www.raiders.com.au
The Raiders are pleased to announce an international representative joining the club for its inaugural NRLW season.
Kiwi Fern Madison Bartlett have signed with the club for the 2023 season.
Bartlett joins Tungai, Simaima Taufa, Zahara Temara, Monalisa Soliola, Ash Quinlan and Sophie Holyman at the club, who were announced last week.
Bartlett has played six matches for the Kiwi Ferns, including being part of their 2021 World Cup campaign.
The 28-year-old has also played four seasons of NRLW, playing two seasons with the Warriors (2019-20), one season with the Dragons (2021) and one with the Titans (2022).
Bartlett is looking forward to relocating to Canberra from New Zealand for the club’s inaugural season.
“I’m super excited to have the opportunity to join the Raiders, especially being a part of the inaugural team,” Bartlett said.
“Bortho (Raiders NRLW coach Darrin Borthwick) is creating something special and I’m very privileged to be a part of it.
“He’s secured some awesome signings and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to learn, train and play alongside them.”
Borthwick is excited to coach both Tungai and Bartlett and see them take to the field when the season kicks off in late July.
“I’m really excited for Shak,” Borthwick said.
“She’s a great person but once again we’ve managed to get a good player as well.
“I think it’s a good change for her too to come down here and I know she’s very excited about it and she can’t wait to get down here and rip in with her teammates.
“Similar to Shak, I’ve worked with Mads before as well and I know what I get with Mads.
“She’s a great girl and she’s also a really good football player.
“She had a good World Cup with New Zealand and I think it’s important what she’s going to add to our team in terms of experience and her knowledge of the game will benefit our team for sure.”
Rugby league is a sport for all New Zealanders, played from the grassroots level to the international stage. The sport is ‘More Than A Game’; it is part of our country’s social fabric and has a critical role in developing young men and women in our communities. Through the ‘More Than A Game’ philosophy NZRL aspires to transform lives and community wellbeing through rugby league. Underpinning this philosophy is ‘The Kiwi Way’ – our organisational ethos representing the culture instilled within all those involved in rugby league.
• We are diverse, we call New Zealand home and we are all Kiwis. • We are inclusive, respectful and humble • We are responsible • We are innovative and courageous • We are family first • We live and play The Kiwi Way every day. In 2019, NZRL developed a new strategic blueprint to take it forward to 2025. ‘More Than A Game’ is central to the new strategy. Our Goals • Rugby league enjoyed by more people • A financially sustainable NZ Game • Women’s game thriving and enhanced opportunities for women in the game • Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns inspirational & aspirational • NZRL to be a model modern sports organisation. The Board comprises eight directors; four appointed, three elected and one permanent Director being the current Chair of Aotearoa New Zealand Māori Rugby League (ANZMRL). Of the seven appointed or elected Directors, at least three must be Independent Directors and three must be Rugby League Knowledgeable. A Board Appointments Panel, comprising of two independent Sport NZ representatives, an individual nominated from the Zones and a nominee of the NZRL Board, is convening this appointment process.
The Panel is seeking applicants for one Appointed (Independent) Director and one Elected Director vacancy. The incumbent Appointed Director is standing again for a second term.
All Board members need to: demonstrate governance knowledge and leadership, apply a futurefocused mindset, understand confidentiality, contribute to highly functional board dynamics be able to work collaboratively within a high trust environment and have an understanding and appreciation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The Board is continually seeking to appoint people who bring diversity of thought and perspective to enhance board decision-making. Accordingly, the Board encourages applications from Women, Tangata Whenua, Pasifika, Other ethnicities, Individuals with a disability, the LGBTIQ community and Provincially-based individuals.
Candidates who have the skill sets set out below and who can bring an element of diversity and strategic thinking to the current board mix will be looked upon favourably by the Appointments Panel. At least one of the Director’s selected through the process must be a women in order to meet Sport New Zealand’s Board diversity requirements.
The desirable skill set and experience the Panel is looking for in the Appointed Director include: Appointed Director (vacancy 1) • Experienced Director, ideally with commercial board exposure • Understanding of the New Zealand sport funding landscape/governance network • Strong network potential linked possibly to commercial experience and/or other sporting organisations • Experience in fund raising through commercialisation of assets • Connections to business and philanthropic networks • Knowledge of high-performance sector • Currency and connectivity to the wider sporting world. especially in high performance sport The desirable skill set and experience the Panel is looking for in the Elected Director include: Elected Director (vacancy 2) • A connection with disability sports • Zone, District, Affiliate or other Board governance experience is preferred • A strong connection to the game of rugby league at an elite level, either through playing, administration, management, coaching or other roles within the sport • Connections within sport at a governance level • Experience in strategic planning around sport • Team focused with strong interpersonal and communication skills
Please note that applications for the Elected Director need to be supported by a nomination letter from a NZRL member (Zone or Affiliate) and written acceptance of that nomination by the nominee.
Nomination letter templates are available if required.
Time commitment and term As a guide, we expect an average time commitment around two days each month per Director. Full day board meetings are held monthly in Auckland or via audio visual link.
We anticipate the roles starting immediately after the AGM which this year is being held on Saturday 24 June 2023. Terms are four years and directors are eligible for re-appointment for one further term. Remuneration Directors fees are set at $10,000 per annum.
Interviews All applicants should be available for interview by Zoom during the week of 29 May 2023.
To Apply Applications for the Appointed Director vacancy should be emailed to: jane.moore@nzrl.co.nz please or apply online at www.appointbetterboards.co.nz. Applications incorporating a Zone/ANZMRL nomination by way of completion of a Zone/ANZMRL nomination form should be emailed to: jane.moore@nzrl.co.nz please or apply online at www.appointbetterboards.co.nz. Applications must be accompanied by the nominee’s full CV, his or her acceptance of the Zone/ANZMRL nomination in writing. The closing date for applications is 5.00pm Friday 5 May 2023.
April 10 2023
It was a dominant showing by Auckland in the 18s finals today as the 09 took home both Championship trophies in the Boys’ and Girls’ divisions.
It was a battle between North and South in the 18s Boys’ final, where Auckland faced up against long-time rivals Canterbury.
Canterbury dropped the ball straight from the kick-off, foreshadowing what would come in the boys’ final.
Auckland were clinical capitalising off the Canterbury error to score back-to-back tries but the 09’s discipline wavered, allowing Canterbury to mount their first points.
Auckland came out firing in the second half rolling 60 metres downfield to score their third try. Canterbury’s errors within their half continued to cost them as Auckland gained attacking momentum setting up their fourth four-pointer.
Auckland’s kick chase placed Canterbury’s fullback under pressure as the 09 would scoop up the loose ball to score, claiming the 18s Boys’ Championship with a 24-4 victory.
The Girls’ final shortly followed, and Auckland Red were switched on from the whistle; an effective kick-off forced an error, setting Red up for their first try of the final.
Some physical defensive sets by both sides kept the scoring at bay until late in the first half.
A line break and excellent support play by Auckland White earned them a try, equalising the score to 4-4 at halftime.
The second half saw Auckland Red come back firing, dominating possession and gameplay to score four unanswered tries.
Auckland Red claimed victory with a final score of 20-4 over Auckland White, making them the 2023 U18 9s National Champions.
10 April 2023
The third and final day of the NZRL National 9s Tournament kicked off with the 18s boys’ semi-final clash between the North and South.
Canterbury was first to put points on the board with a left edge overlap putting Ezekiel Petelo-Paulo over for their first four-pointer.
Costly Northland errors gifted Canterbury more attacking possession as the Cantabrians quickly answered back with another try and an eight-point leading heading into the break.
It was all the Southerners as they struck again seconds into the half off the back of another Northland error extending their lead.
Canterbury dotted down three consecutive tries with momentum on their side, but a late consolation try to Northland wasn’t enough as Canterbury advanced to the final with a 26-4 victory.
Auckland faced the Capital in the second boy’s semi-final shortly after.
With accurate kicking and excellent pace, a strong start by the Auckland side saw them head to the sheds with a 10-0 lead at halftime. Wellington fought hard to come back in the second half with two well-earned tries and a conversion, narrowly putting them ahead 12-10.
In a last-minute upset, Auckland utilised their swift right edge again to score and secure their place in the final with a 14-12 victory.
Auckland will face Canterbury in the 18s Boys final live at 1:30pm.
Top of the table Auckland White were first to mount points against Waikato in the first girls’ 18s semi-final.
A line break from Auckland saw centre Gillian Fa’aumu run 100m downfield to score Auckland’s second try moments after.
Waikato answered back with a lovely overlap on their right edge, scoring their first points of the day, and bringing the halftime deficit back to within one try.
Waikato put themselves back into good attacking position after barging runs from their middle forwards, but a costly error saw a try go begging. Auckland bounced back, going over their third shortly after shifting momentum back in their favour.
Waikato’s effort never wavered, getting themselves another four-pointer right before the final whistle; however it wasn’t to be as Auckland White head to the final with a 12-8 victory.
The second girls’ semi-final clash was a battle of the ’09 as Auckland Red and Blue faced off.
The match showcased great physicality and ball play between the two girls’ teams. However, it was Auckland Red that came out firing, scoring three unanswered tries within the first half. Following the break, Auckland Blue did well to score but were dominated by the Red side, who took the win 18-4, booking them a spot in the girls’ grand final.
Auckland will face off against one another in the National 18s Girl’s final at 2:00pm today.
Boys 18s FINAL Canterbury v Auckland 1:30pm
Girls 18s FINAL Auckland Red v Auckland White 2:00pm
09 April 2023
The NZRL National District 9s continued at Bruce Pulman Park today, with the U18s grade kicking off their tournament weekend.
Otago v Waikato After a close first half, the Waikato side pulled away in the second half, coming out on top 20-4.
Northland v Auckland A dominant Auckland red side showed their strength, keeping Northland off the board to take the win 16-0.
Canterbury v Waikato The Cantabrians opened the scoring, but Waikato matched them for every point. Both teams came to a draw 14-14.
Manawatu v Auckland A close game going try-for-try, with Auckland narrowly taking the win 10-8 over the Manawatu side.
Otago v Auckland Both sides were evenly matched and kept each other from crossing the try line, leaving the score at 0-0 full-time.
Auckland v Auckland A very physical match-up between the two Auckland sides. Auckland White was tenacious to win 20-6 over Auckland Blue.
Wellington v Canterbury An intense game between two strong teams, with the Wellingtonians coming out on top 8-0 at full-time.
Northland v Wellington The Northlanders did well to get ahead by halftime, with Wellington only a try behind. The momentum shifted in favour of Wellington, with their strong left edge sealing an 18-12 win.
Hauraki v Otago Some early errors from Hauraki put Otago just ahead by a try at halftime. The Hauraki team did well to come back and stay in the contest, drawing the game up at 12-12 full-time.
Manawatu v Waikato The Waikato boys played a dominant 18 minutes, claiming a 26-8 victory over Manawatu.
Canterbury v Auckland Canterbury 18s Boys had a strong performance against the Auckland Rugby League 18s. Canterbury completely outplayed the Auckland side, beating them easily 24 – 4.
Auckland Blue v Wellington The two sides constantly battled for 18 minutes, with Auckland just winning by a conversion. Final score 6-4 to Auckland Blue.
Auckland White v Canterbury A strong Auckland White team dispatched the Canterbury 18s girls with a dominant performance against the South Island team. Auckland White took the win 24 – 4.
Northland v Waikato The two teams battled try-for-try, with the Waikato girls eventually emerging as the victors, 16-10.
Hauraki v Wellington A strong Wellington side controlled possession and the game, finishing victorious with 22 points to Hauraki’s 4.
Northland v Otago The Northland 18s boys came into their next match searching for their first win in the tournament against the Otago 18s boys. Tries came quickly and fast for both teams, but Northland ultimately ran away with the match 22 – 4.
Waikato v Auckland Red Waikato 18s girls and Auckland Red girls came into the third round needing a win. The match-up was close, with nothing between either of the teams 6 – 6 at halftime. In the second half, Auckland Red kicked into high gear and ran away with the match 20 – 6.
Otago v Northland Northland displayed their skill and speed to dominate this game, scoring 26 points for a 26-6 full-time score over Otago.
Canterbury v Manawatu Canterbury 18s Boys came into their last match of the day against Manawatu 18s with confidence after winning their first two matches. The first half of the match was close, with Canterbury leading into halftime 12 – 4. Canterbury battled and kept their lead through the second half to take the win 16 – 8.
Auckland v Waikato The Auckland side played a physical game to produce a 20-4 win over Waikato, who did well to get points on the board.
Auckland White v Wellington The Auckland White 18s took on the Wellington 18s in a close matchup. Ultimately, the Auckland side took the win 10 – 8.
Canterbury v Auckland Blue There was nothing between Canterbury and Auckland Blue. After 18 minutes, the match ended with a draw 8-8.
Northern Swords v Hauraki After a close first half, the Northern Swords extended their lead over Hauraki to win 20 – 10.
Otago v Wellington Wellington had by far the most dominant performance of the day, taking the game with ease 0 – 38.
GIRLS 18s standings
POOL A
Auckland Red WRFL: Waikato RLN: Northland Otago Rugby League: Otago
POOL B
Auckland White Auckland Blue Wellington Rugby League Canterbury Rugby League
BOYS 18s standings
Wellington Rugby League Northern Swords Hauraki District RL Otago Rugby League
Canterbury Rugby League Auckland Rugby League Waikato Manawatu Rugby Football League
9 April 2023
Wellington played Northland in the Girls’ 16s Final, where the girls from the capital put on a dominant performance.
Looking to avenge their finals loss last year, Wellington came out firing drawing first blood. Costly errors kept Northland under pressure in the first half as Wellington went into the sheds with a 10-0 lead.
Wellington continued their momentum into the second half scoring two back-to-back tries. A last-ditch effort from the Northlanders wasn’t enough, as the Wellington Orcas were crowned U16s Girls’ Champions with a 20-6 win over Northland.
Canterbury took on tournament dark horse Manawatu in the Boys’ 16s final.
The Southern 9s Champions opened the scoring with a clever dummy half run as Ill-discipline would cost Manawatu.
Brilliant individual skill gave Canterbury their second; however, Manawatu found their groove as quick play the balls scored them their first points of the game.
Errors from Canterbury in their own half cost them as Manawatu scooped up a loose ball levelling the score right before half-time.
The second half was an arm wrestle with both sides tight on defence. However, Canterbury took their chances with a lovely cut-out pass, putting their winger over to gain the lead.
Manawatu, in a last-ditch effort pulled off a slick draw & pass evening the score at full-time.
The final quickly turned into a golden point match.
A costly error in Canterbury’s play the ball gave Manawatu possession 20 metres out from the Southerners’ line.
Manawatu would use this to snatch the title running over to claim the U16s 9s Championship 18-14.
The U16s playoffs kicked off day 2 of NZRL National 9s, where Wellington took on Auckland in the first girls’ semi-final.
It was all Wellington in the first half as the Capital managed to keep Auckland in their own forty, scoring two unanswered tries. The Capital kept their momentum in the second stint running away with a convincing 20-4 win booking them a spot in the girls’ final.
Canterbury then took on Northland in the second semi, where it was an even match-up between North and South with one try a piece heading into halftime.
But it was the Northlanders that came out firing in the second stint, scoring two back-to-back tries to book themselves a spot in the U16s girls’ final against Wellington with a 12-10 victory.
The boys’ playoffs followed shortly after, where Canterbury took on Otago in the first semi-final. The Cantabrians dominated, scoring four unanswered tries to book their spot in the final, 24-0.
Wellington then took on Manawatu in the second semi. A clever barge through the middle saw Wellington open up the scoring, but Manawatu answered back with four unanswered tries to win 24-6
Wellington will take on Northland in the Girls’ final at 1:30pm and Canterbury will face Manawatu in the Boys’ final at 2pm. Both games live on Sky Sport 4.
08 April 2023
The NZRL National District 9s kicked off at Bruce Pulman Park this Easter Saturday, with the U16s Girls’ grade beginning the tournament weekend.
Wellington earned their first tournament points with an 18-4 victory over Hawkes Bay. A North v South battle soon followed when Northland took on Otago, where an early kick-off error by Northland saw Otago open up the scoring. Northland promptly responded with three tries in the first half, claiming a 24-12 win over the Southerners.
The Otago Boys took on Coastline to kick off the U16s Boys’ tournament. A late comeback from Coastline wasn’t enough as the Southerners proved too strong, earning a 22-10 victory. Manawatu then showed a dominant 24 – 4 display over the Northlanders.
Girls’ U16s 2022 Champions Auckland took on Canterbury to kickstart their campaign. A close first half ended with Auckland narrowly leading at halftime. Reigning champions Canterbury came back with a show of dominance in the second half, scoring four unanswered tries to win the game 30-10.
A close encounter between Waikato and Manawatu girls soon followed, where a strong Manawatu right edge scored two early back-to-back tries. Waikato answered back, but a very close second half eventually saw Manawatu come out on top 12 points to 10.
A rematch of the 2022 Boys’ final saw reigning champions Canterbury take on runners-up Waikato. It was a tight affair, with nothing separating the teams at half-time; however, Canterbury picked up the pace in the second half, running away with it 12-4.
Wellington boys then took on Auckland boys in a tight encounter. The boys from the Captial had the upper hand keeping the 09 scoreless, 8-0. Wellington girls then kept the winning momentum for the black and yellow, with a dominant 24-4 display over Otago.
The Northland girls then showed up against Hawkes Bay, winning four tries to one; however, the Northland boys went down to Otago 12-4. The Manawatu men soon followed with an impressive 28-10 performance against Coastline.
After losing to Canterbury, the Auckland girls redeemed with a two-point victory over Waikato, while Manawatu upset reigning champs Canterbury with a 26-18 win.
Back to the boys’ grade, the Cantabrians got the win over Auckland three tries to one, while Wellington continued their dominance with a 22-4 victory over Waikato. In a tightly contested game, Wellington snatched victory over Northland girls 18-16, while Hawkes Bay ran away with a win over Otago 20-8.
Manawatu kept Otago scoreless in the Boy’s Pool with a 14-point victory before Northland ran away with a 34-24 win over Coastline.
Some great ball play by the Auckland girls saw them beat Manawatu 22-8 before Canterbury pipped Waikato at the post with a four-point victory in the final girls’ match of the day.
The boys continued Canterbury’s dominance beating Wellington 16-14 in what was a top-of-the-table clash before Auckland claimed a 22 to 8 victory over Waikato in what was the final match of Day 1.
Canterbury finished at the top of both Boys’ B and Girls’ B pools, with the Southerners stamping their mark on the U16s grade.
Manawatu had a strong showing in the Boys’ grade finishing top of Pool A, while Wellington took out Girl’s Pool B.
GIRLS 16s standings
Wellington
Northland
Hawkes Bay
Otago
Canterbury
Auckland
Waikato
Manawatu
BOYS 16s standings
Coastline
As seen on https://www.broncos.com.au
Powerhouse Test star Mele Hufanga will join the Brisbane Broncos for the 2023 NRLW season.
Hufanga, 28, was one of the revelations of last year’s World Cup for New Zealand, winning selection in the tournament’s “World Team” after a string of breakout performances in the centres.
The blockbusting back was Player Of The Match in the Kiwi’s narrow loss to Australia in the round games, and was again voted best afield in the Semi-Final win over England where she scored a try and ran for a huge 185 metres.
Hufanga joins Destiny Brill, Gayle Broughton and Romy Teitzel as the Broncos’ high-calibre new recruits for the 2023 campaign.
Brisbane have also locked in the elite talent of returning stars Ali Brigginshaw, Julia Robinson, Chelsea Lenarduzzi, Shenae Ciesiolka, Brianna Clark and Jada Ferguson for another season with the club.
Broncos NRLW Coach Scott Prince said: “Mele is an exciting player who made a huge impact the World Cup and we believe she can do the same at NRLW level.
“She is a powerful athlete with plenty of footy smarts and she will slot right into what we are building here at the Broncos in 2023.”
As seen on https://www.stuff.co.nz
For the first time in a long time the walking, talking punching bag that is Shaun Johnson is experiencing a feeling he had almost forgotten was possible.
“I’m so happy and I love being happy,” Johnson said after his penalty goal helped the Warriors seal a drama-charged 32-30 win over Cronulla on Sunday.
Johnson has good reason to feel that way, given the Warriors are 4-1 to start the season for the first time since 2018 and sit in second spot on the NRL ladder.
He’s two points off the top of the Dally M leaderboard, too, and looks comfortable in his own skin managing Andrew Webster’s durable and dogged Warriors outfit around the park.
It’s a welcome change from a testing few years for the charismatic 32-year-old halfback.
He was shown the door by the Sharks at the end of 2021, got dropped by the Kiwis and had to be separated from wife Kayla and daughter Millah in a testing return season to the Warriors which was mostly spent in Australia.
“People didn’t understand how much that was affecting him, I saw his daughter grow up on the phone with him,” Warriors hooker Wayde Egan said.
“That took a massive toll on him, he’s back around the people he loves and I couldn’t be happier for him.”
Johnson – 231 games and 13 seasons into an NRL career – finally feels like he is in a good space.
Part of that is linked to the fact that Webster has given him a clear vision of his playing style which has been a constant source of debate since his arrival in the NRL as a hot-stepping five-eighth.
“It’s the confidence that I get from the top down,” Johnson said.
“The most common line I hear (from the outside) is ‘you need to run the ball’.
“I’ll look at that and go ‘what do you f…ing mean? I’m not a front-rower’.
“It’s the clarity around the positions ‘Webby’ puts me in within our structure where I can run the ball. It’s my choice if I want to run the ball.”
When the going has got tough – like when they were 20-0 down against Cronulla – Johnson and his Warriors team have found a way to get themselves out of trouble.
“I love winning and working hard for something and achieving it,” he said.
“I love that I get to go home and see my wife and my daughter.
“The whole product is there for me right now, inside and outside of football. I haven’t had that in the past and people won’t get that.
“We get judged on 80 minutes, so the happiness for me is that we’re showcasing the hard work. That’s ultimately what I’m happy about … You can’t pay for happiness.”
As seen on https://www.leeds-live.co.uk
Five months ago Georgia Hale helped wreck England’s Women’s Rugby League World Cup dreams when she featured in the New Zealand line-up that secured a 20-6 win at the LNER Community Stadium in York and a place in their sixth straight final.
Now the 27-year-old Kiwi is relishing the prospect of swapping old rivalries for the Leeds Rhinos and playing alongside some of those players she reduced to tears when she becomes the first former player from Australia’s full-time WNRL to feature in the new Betfred Women’s Super League season.
Hale’s arrival at the Rhinos, who begin their quest for a second straight Grand Final win over last year’s vanquished rivals, the newly-rebranded York Valkyrie, at Headingley on Easter Sunday, marks another hugely significant moment for the domestic game. In the wake of what was widely regarded to be a successful World Cup campaign both on and off the field, Leeds and York announced they would become the first two clubs to pay their players bonuses, and Hale’s arrival will be central to the campaign to maintain momentum.
“I’m excited to pull on a Rhinos jersey and take to the field with the girls,” Hale, a former Auckland Warriors and Gold Coast Titans player who headed to England as part of a pact with her partner, Rhinos men’s front rower Sam Lisone, told the PA news agency.
“We were hugely impressed with the England girls during the World Cup, especially given so many of them were having to juggle all sorts of things like motherhood, university and shift work. To still turn out the product they did was remarkable. The big strides they’ve made is really clear and the important thing now is that we focus on the growth at the levels below England, to ensure strong pathways and good development, so that you’ve got young players who are able to see a way to emulate their heroes.”
Hale’s Rhinos will start as strong favourites to retain their crown, not least because of another statement close-season signing in former St Helens centre Amy Hardcastle and with two more fast-rising England stars, Fran Goldthorp and Georgia Roche, at their disposal.
It is a further testament of the big strides made in the women’s game that Goldthorp and Roche, along with York’s Hollie Dodd, have been in advanced talks to become the first domestic players to sign relatively lucrative deals to move to the WNRL, and all three could yet still depart prior to the start of the Australian pre-season at the end of May.
Far from bemoaning a potential drain of talent Down Under, Hale believes the first full-time move by an English player will spell a hugely-significant moment in raising the profile of the sport and extending those pathways to prove there is way for English women to make a living from the game.
“It will be a massive thing when it happens,” added Hale. “We don’t want it to look like we’re losing talent, because it will show that England has the systems in place to produce players who can go all the way to the WNRL and experience both the sport and a totally different way of life.
“It’s not about putting WNRL on a pedestal, it’s about the whole package. We’ve seen in the men’s game how players go over there and bring back their experience back to the Super League. Personally I would love to see Super League teams develop relationships with WNRL sides so they can learn and feed off each other.”
The women’s curtain-raiser will take place prior to the men’s Super League clash between the Rhinos and Huddersfield, and the pairing of home fixtures, which will be a permanent part of the club’s 2023 calendar, is set to lead to a peculiar dynamic for Hale at her new home.
“Sam and I keep as far away from each other as possible when we’re approaching match day,” laughed Hale. “We prepare so differently, Sam can sleep all day long whereas I hate sitting around and I’ll be bouncing from one wall to the other. It doesn’t get much better than Sunday afternoon footy and we’re really looking forward to getting started.”
5 April 2023
The New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) board has today announced that Kiwis’ Head Coach, Michael Maguire and Kiwi Ferns’ Head Coach, Ricky Henry, will remain in their positions through the 2025 World Cup.
NZRL recently concluded its 2022 Rugby League World Cup (RLWC) debrief, where both Maguire and Henry’s roles as Head Coaches have been extended, with the board confident they are the right people to lead New Zealand to victory come 2025.
In addition, NZRL has identified key areas where further support is needed to ensure success in the next campaign.
“Overall, there were many positives to take away from both campaigns,” says NZRL CEO Greg Peters.
“However, we recognise where NZRL has to provide further support to put us in the best position to be victorious in 2025.”
Improved depth, a culture change, and evident growth since 2017 were all positive talking points in the RLWC debrief.
“Since Michael came on board, NZRL and the Kiwi playing group have made significant strides since their last World Cup appearance,” says Peters.
“No doubt the semi-final heartbreak still stings, but the growth the squad has experienced under Michael gives the board confidence he is the coach to lead the Kiwis to victory in 2025.”
“The board has the same confidence in Ricky”, Peters adds.
“He has done great work with the Ferns. Despite one of our more inexperienced world cup squads, nearly defeating the Jillaroos in pool play and a convincing win over England in the semi-final are positive takeaways.
“Of course, we were all disappointed in the final result; however, with increased support from NZRL, the board is confident Ricky remains the right man for the job.”
Henry is grateful for the continued opportunity and is determined to nurture New Zealand’s pathways.
“It’s an exciting time to be involved in women’s rugby league and a privilege to lead the Kiwi Ferns through to 2025,” says Henry.
“The women’s game is evolving rapidly, and I’m determined to create the best pathways to nurture and develop New Zealand’s female talent. My focus will be getting us back to number 1 in the world and bringing that World Cup trophy back home to New Zealand.”
Maguire remains confident in the direction and progress of the Kiwi team, with his eyes set on victory in 2025.
“We have achieved enormous growth since 2017,” says Maguire.
“To be only inches away from the final still hurts; however, this playing group is more determined than ever to take home a World Cup for themselves, their families and their country.
“There is a strong culture among the boys, the passion for the Black and White jersey is undeniable, couple that with the exciting talent coming through, we’re in a positive place.”
“No doubt, there’s unfinished business,” adds Maguire.
“Thank you to the NZRL Board for continuing their faith in me as Head Coach. It’s a privilege to coach this Kiwi team, and I’m confident in what we can achieve over the next three years.”
NZRL CEO Greg Peters emphasises the need for regular international programmes.
“The lead-up to the 2022 campaign was heavily disrupted due to Covid, with New Zealand not playing Australia since 2019. The added delay of the 2021 tournament means there’s only a two-year window before the next RLWC.”
“Consistency and yearly international programmes have never been more important,” he adds.
“We need an annual end-of-year International competition with regular Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns Tests that become permanent fixtures in the rugby league calendar.
“We’re working closely with the NRL and IRL to flesh out what this looks like and will be in a position to announce the 2023 International programme soon.”
Expect a “warts and all” look at several former top rugby league players in the new season of Match Fit as they try to get themselves back in shape – both physically and mentally.
This time the show focuses on a group of ex-rugby league players who have come together to train, bond and improve their health.
Match Fit fans can expect more tears, laughter, banter and frank discussions in the show’s new season.
Former Kiwi internationals Tawera Nikau and Ruben Wiki, the two coaches for Match Fit’s new season, say the players really showed their vulnerabilities but they were enormously proud of them as well.
“One of the key things for us,” says Nikau, “was warts and all, the boys really showing themselves around their vulnerability. But also they stepped up to the challenge, they rose to the occasion and really pushed themselves.
“And a lot of them haven’t done that for 15-20 years. So the transformation and transition from where they were as elite athletes to where they were in normal life and the challenge that was set to them, man, it was just so inspirational.
“I was so privileged and proud to be part of this journey as the coach along with Ruben.”
As with the rugby seasons of Match Fit, the former top-level athletes will go through various training sessions and tests as they work towards taking part in a big match – this time against the Australian Kangaroos.
The aim is to improve overall wellbeing which includes physical as well as mental health.
Gone are coaches Sir Graham Henry and Sir Buck Shelford who have been replaced by Nikau, 56, and Wiki, 50, who are coaching former top league players including Jerry Seuseu, Clinton Toopi, Ali Lauiti’iti and Lesley Vainikolo.
“I think for us, as a league fraternity, it was reuniting our brotherhood that the Kiwis have had for a long, long time, going back to 1908,” says Wiki, who has also played for the Warriors and the Canberra Raiders.
“There is a lot of history in the Kiwi jersey and to be together with these gentlemen who are going through this transformation – also with the likes of Tawera – it was good to reconnect and see them go through this awesome journey.
“It was a family reunion all over again. It’s totally going to be different to what they (viewers) have seen in the last two (seasons of) Match Fit.”
Nikau, who played for the Melbourne Storm and Cronulla Sharks, echoes Wiki’s sentiments.
While Wiki and Nikau didn’t want to give too much away about individual players’ transformations and journeys, being involved in Match Fit clearly had a positive impact on all of them.
“For me it was really being able to go on the journey with the boys once again,” says Nikau.
“You go through these different stages within your life, in your career. In terms of that, I suppose I’m at the far end of the spectrum, but it was really enlightening. For me, I took a lot personally out of that, physically and mentally.
“Physically, I sort of got involved in the training with the boys. Because I’ve been through some challenges in my life, I share some of that in the programme…
“Being a mentor to some of the boys is about sharing some of the journey that I’ve been on. It was great, I loved it.”
Wiki also enjoyed being involved in Match Fit.
“Going on this journey Tawera and I as coaches, we walked the walk,” he says. “We backed it up by doing what the boys were doing. We wanted to be amongst as much as we could physically and mentally. So it was great to be there right beside them and going through the whole journey with them.
“Tawera has touched on the personal things he wanted to get out of it. For me, it was just to reconnect with my boys. I still miss the game.
“I still play it a little bit but not too much. Just enough for me to get my little fix. But to be involved with these gentlemen throughout the show was just what I needed for my mental space.”
One of the main themes of the previous two Match Fit seasons was mental health and the importance of opening up, sharing and being vulnerable. The topic is explored this time around too.
So how do Wiki and Nikau look after their mental health?
“Mental health is a big thing especially with men, you know?,” says Wiki.
“When you’ve been at the highest peak in your professional career and then it’s gone, what do you do?
“So I’ve known a few people that have gone through depression…
“I think most of us, when our footy season finished, it was the ‘How do we adjust to normal life as being the average Joe and not in the limelight?’.
“For me, personally, my beautiful wife was a massive advocate of keeping me busy so we went into the group fitness side of things.
“So when I retired in 2008, I transitioned into going back to school, getting my papers to become a trainer. Now I own a gym with my beautiful wife.
“We have a men’s programme in the gym that we run every fortnight. It’s my cousin and I trying to get men to open up more and not bottle things up and turn to the drink or whatever.”
Nikau, who is based in the Waikato, credits farming as helping his mental health.
“When you’re farming you’re out every day,” he says.
“You’re exercising, you’re doing a lot of physical stuff – just keeping me on that training. I’m involved with our marae quite a bit.
“As Ruben said, we’ve all been through our challenges, we’ve all had different things and you’ll get to see a lot of that in the show.”
Match Fit: League Legends, Three, from Wednesday April 12.
It’s no wonder Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, who’ll play fullback against the Sharks on Sunday, has one of the biggest smiles at the Warriors this season.
Everything is going good for the 27-year-old. He’s playing well for a winning team and enjoying being around his family away from the footy field.
But turn the clock back to a time last season and it was a very different story.
He picked up a high hamstring injury playing for the Raiders against the Rabbitohs in May, after being the team’s regular fullback up until then.
By July, and still injured, it was announced the Raiders would release him from the last year of his contract to join the Warriors in 2023.
When he got back on the footy field later that month, he made an appearance for the Raiders in the New South Wales Cup. And that’s where he stayed for the remainder of his time at the club.
He’d gone from being the first choice No 1, to on the outer at a club he’d given his all for, over four seasons.
While he’s enjoying life now, he reflects that it was a tough end to his time in Canberra.
“It was hard, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t,” Nicoll-Klokstad said.
“Towards the back end of my stint there, I was really wanting to finish on a high with the Raiders and to not be able to get that opportunity was gutting.
“But we had a good captain in Jarrod Croker, who’s a legend of the club, and he was playing reserve grade at that time.
“He was coming into training every day with a smile on his face and trying to get the boys up for their game.
“If a legend of the club can go down to reserve grade with a smile on his face, come back and try to get the boys up, then what should make me any different?”
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart stuck with Xavier Savage as his fullback for the remainder of last season, and it raised the question whether Nicoll-Klokstad was being punished for wanting to return to the Warriors.
“It’s a hard one. Ricky Stuart picks his team on what he believes is best for the club and he thought it was better to go another way,” Nicoll-Klokstad said.
“There was nothing I could have done or said to have changed that. But I couldn’t kick stones around and I really enjoyed my time down at NSW Cup.
“There were a couple of boys there who are going to have a really good NRL career and it was cool to rub shoulders with them.”
Being stuck playing reserve grade footy meant it looked like Nicoll-Klokstad would have no chance of playing for the Kiwis at the World Cup at the end of last season.
With so many quality players available, New Zealand coach Michael Maguire could have easily looked elsewhere. But he wasn’t shaken in his belief that Nicoll-Klokstad was the man he wanted.
“It was a massive highlight,” Nicoll-Klokstad said.
“To play for the Kiwis is one thing, but to play for them at a World Cup is another.
“For myself, there was massive doubt. I didn’t think I’d be an option or even have a look in for the team.
“But I’d have to give full credit to Michael Maguire, he was massive for me throughout that whole stint, even that first time I dropped down to reserve grade.
“He was calling me, telling me to play my game and why I made the Kiwis team in the first place.
“He gave me that confidence I needed to kick on and I thought I did that, until I got injured.
“But once again, he came through and called me and we had the same conversations, for me to do what I could do and look after the process, then the outcome will take care of itself.”
If anyone had any doubts whether Nicoll-Klokstad was still able to play at the NRL level after being cast aside at the Raiders last year. Those fears quickly evaporated in his superb performance in the season opener, where he scored a try in the comeback win over the Knights.
He admits it hasn’t always been plain sailing over his career, but he’s gone through it all by giving everything he has and always trying to keep that smile on his face.
“If I’m being honest, it’s been a journey,” he said.
“There were times when you feel like your back is against the wall and you’re trying to fight your way out.
“But being back home has been so refreshing for me and being under Andrew Webster as well, myself and a lot of the boys have said we haven’t felt like we’ve learnt this much about training and playing footy in a long time.
“That’s exciting for us, we’re really enjoying the change and enjoying getting to learn more about the game as an individual player.”
Nearly 15 years after dragging his big brother Jesse to training in Melbourne, Kenny Bromwich was cooking him a celebration dinner ahead of his 300th NRL game.
The Dolphins skipper will notch the milestone against St George-Illawarra on Saturday, one he admits felt impossible to reach as a “late blooming” teenager well off the radar of clubs and managers.
It was Kenny who the Storm were keen on in 2008 with 19-year-old Jesse dragged along to training “just to watch”.
But Parramatta coach Brad Arthur, Melbourne’s under-20s coach at the time, urged him to put some boots on.
He impressed, was selected to play in their final game of that campaign and was then named NYC prop of the year when the Storm won the title the next season.
The pair then forged brilliant NRL careers in Melbourne and have hit the ground running for the 3-1 Dolphins in the new club’s exhilarating debut.
“We got asked the question in pre-season, ‘What are you most proud of’,” Jesse Bromwich said on Wednesday.
“In rugby league, it was that I’ve been able to spend my whole career playing alongside my brother.
“He got me my start … I never had a club [chasing him], wasn’t 16 and signed to a manager.
“I didn’t get a look-in until I was about 19. Grateful to turn up at the right place at the right time and took it with two hands and ran as far as I could.”
Kenny “got the Weber (BBQ) out and bought some expensive steaks and said a couple of words” at a family dinner on Tuesday night that touched the Dolphins skipper.
“We don’t really do formal things like that, so it was really special,” the 33-year-old captain said.
“I’m very proud … it means a hell of a lot to myself and my family.
“I’m super grateful to Melbourne Storm for giving me a chance and helping me become the person I wanted to become.
“And to the Redcliffe Dolphins for the opportunity … to try something different and do something really special for a different place and community.”
Meanwhile hooker Jeremy Marshall-King has extended his contract with the club for a further year, until 2025.
The New Zealand international will return from a two-week suspension this week, in a boost given his hot form in the opening fortnight.
1 April 2023
The Counties Manukau Stingrays have been crowned the 2023 NZRL National 20s Champions after upsetting South Island 28-16 in a finals match thriller.
The South Island Scorpions were first to draw blood as Jaedon Wellington opened the scoring account in the first ten minutes of the encounter. Counties Manukau struck back as they were rewarded for their defensive pressure as winger Esau Meleisia would recover a loose ball and dot over the line.
The first half continued to be an arm-wrestle as both teams would scramble to keep each other away from their own red zones. However Counties Manukau would benefit off South Island’s errors as Malachi Tony would score their second try to make the score 12-6 going into halftime.
South Island came into the second half firing as they would build pressure completing their set deep into Counties half as the Scorpions centre, Izayah Hesp would collect Caleb Murphy’s grubber kick to even the score. South Island would quickly add to this shifting the ball out wide to set up winger Saki Loma to score in the corner.
With South Island building momentum it looked as if they would step into a new gear much like their previous encounter. However, Counties Manukau would completely blindside South Island to string together three consecutive tries to complete an upset over the competition favourites and capture the National 20s Ruben Wiki Cup 28-16.
31 March 2023
New Zealand Rugby League is pleased to announce the National U20s Pirtek competition team for 2023, with South Island Scorpions second-rower Te Kaio Cranwell earning National 20s Pirtek Competition MVP.
A standout in each game for the Scorpions, Cranwell has been instrumental in his side’s journey to the final. A large frame dominant on both sides of the ball, Cranwell has proved to be a handful for any side he has come up against.
Cranwell a lethal ball-runner, rose to prominence through the competition navigating his way to the try line in every game played. Cranwell’s partnership with Scorpions halfback Caleb Murphy contributed to South Island’s success through the Ruben Wiki Cup. Cranwell led from the front as South Island advanced to the final as the only undefeated team.
Te Kaio Cranwell is joined by an extremely talented pool of players, including fellow teammates Caleb Murphy, Jameson Wellington and Sakiusa Lamanikava, along with Counties Manukau fullback Robin Herbert and Akarana hooker Khalan Clyde.
Congratulations to the following selected for the 2023 Pirtek Competition team:
Ruben Wiki Cup competition MVP: Te Kaio Cranwell (South Island Scorpions)
As seen on https://www.1news.co.nz
St George Illawarra have pulled off a major coup on the first day of the NRLW contract window, luring reigning Dally M medallist Raecene McGregor from the Sydney Roosters.
The 25-year-old playmaker was a member of the Dragons’ inaugural squad in 2018 before leaving to join Brisbane, where she won the 2019 and 2020 premierships.
After two further seasons at the Roosters, McGregor is set to mastermind the Dragons’ attack in 2023 as they look to bounce back from their semi-final defeat last year.
“I’ve been a massive fan of hers for a long time now,” coach Jamie Soward said of McGregor.
“I’m so stoked she’s going to be joining the Red V.”
McGregor is set to play alongside her sister Page for the first time at NRLW level after St George Illawarra re-signed her on a bumper day at the trade table.
The Dragons secured Newcastle premiership winner Bobbi Law as the first official signing of the NRLW off-season, before adding Brisbane second-rower Sara Sautia and rising stars Angelina Teakaraanga Katoa, Jamilee Bright and Cortez Te Pou to the roster.
As well as the younger McGregor sister, the Dragons have re-signed hooker Renee Targett and young middle forward Tarah McGrath-West.
McGregor said she looked forward to returning to the Dragons.
“It’s really awesome to be back at the club, can’t wait to put the Red V back on,” she said.
Elsewhere, the Roosters are closing in on Millie Boyle, the NRLW’s most recognisable player.
Boyle won her third premiership last season while playing for the Knights but has since joined the Roosters’ NSW Women’s Premiership side, making her club debut on Monday.
AAP understands the Roosters will begin locking players in over the coming days, with captain Isabelle Kelly the club’s top priority and Boyle to be confirmed once other key Roosters are retained.
The signings come after the NRL and RLPA last month announced a significant financial increase for NRLW players as part of an in-principle agreement to the NRLW’s first collective bargaining agreement.
Each NRLW club will have a $900,000 salary cap for its top-24 squad, up from $350,000 last year, with a guaranteed minimum salary of $30,000 for the season beginning on July 22.
The league has also expanded following the introduction of Canberra, North Queensland, Cronulla and Wests Tigers, with 48 games to be played this season as compared to the 18 last year.
The 10 NRLW sides have until May 24 to fill their top-24 squads and are able to sign players to multi-year contracts from this season.
New Zealand Rugby League mourns the loss of Allan Glasgow who passed away last week. Allan was an active member of the Glenfield Greyhounds Rugby League Club as a Player, Coach, Manager and Trainer. Allan was a trainer for the Junior Kiwis and New Zealand Warriors in the 90s. Allan passed away at the age of 68. A service is being held for Allan on Friday 31 March 23, 1.30pm at Romaleigh Chapel, 31 Ocean View Road, Northcote, Auckland.
30 March 2023
New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) is proud to announce that 2023 will see the much-awaited return of the National District 9s. This will be the second instalment of the National District 9s after the inaugural event’s success.
This year the National District 9s will be held at Bruce Pulman Park over the course of the Easter Weekend, with the 16s Boys and Girls competition being played on the 8th of April, the 18s Boys and Girls competition being played on the 9th of April and the finals of all four age group divisions culminating on the 10th of April.
Ten districts will be represented at the Nationals spanning Northland, Auckland, Coastline, Hauraki, Manawatu, Hawkes Bay, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago.
The top qualifying eight district teams (per age group) will compete in the National 9s Tournament. The National District 9s Tournament will collectively see 32 teams compete with a 16s Boys Champion, 16s Girls Champion, 18s Boys Champion and 18s Girls Champion, all crowned at the conclusion of the tournament.
The National District 9s is one of the most significant events in rugby league calendar as David McMeeken, National Football Operations Manager at NZRL, says: “The 9s format is a proven successful entry point for rugby league as it nurtures and grows the game at a district level.”
After a successful 2022 competition, districts will look to build momentum off the back of last season both in boys and girls’ age groups. One of the event’s initial intentions was to bring that competition back at a regional level while fostering and developing rangatahi talent throughout the country, something that was a proven success as many of the talent that played within last year’s competition went on to represent their districts in the girls and boys youth tournament held later that year.
The growth in interest and participation in the girls game across the country is something to note as formats like the 9s help enable to push the girls game. Luisa Avaiki, Head of Women’s Rugby League at NZRL, says: “I’m beyond delighted that we can continue this momentum. It’s a significant event in our calendar and one that encourages girls from every district across New Zealand to get involved and fall in love with rugby league.”
One New Zealand Warriors CEO Cameron George today announced leading rugby league administrator Nadene Conlon has been appointed in a new role to create a development and pathways programme for the club’s planned return to the NRLW in 2025.
Conlon, a pioneering figure in New Zealand rugby league, has a long list of achievements including being the Kiwi Ferns’ inaugural captain in 1995 and the first woman appointed as the Kiwis’ fulltime manager, a position she has held since 2016.
Her appointment as the One New Zealand Warriors’ NRLW academy manager is the result of the club and the New Zealand Rugby League joining forces for the betterment of the women’s game in the country.
“Working with (NZRL CEO) Greg (Peters), we have a shared passion and commitment to strengthen women’s rugby league domestically with the end goal of ensuring the One New Zealand Warriors are in the strongest position possible to return to the NRLW in 2025,” said George.
“In Nadene we can call on unmatched experience and knowledge of the women’s game in New Zealand.
“We’re grateful to Greg and the NZRL for making it possible for Nadene to fill this role with our club as well as still working for the NZRL.”
Conlon has been tasked with creating a women’s development and pathways programme for the club and also assisting in the recruitment area with Andrew McFadden, general manager recruitment, development and pathways.
“Both the NZRL and the Warriors will benefit from this joint approach,” said Peters.
“There’s enormous potential for improvement in women’s rugby league in New Zealand. Playing numbers have increased at a tremendous rate and we need to be better placed to make the most of this.
“Nadene is the ideal person to create a vision and plan for the short-term and long-term future. Ultimately this will benefit the women’s game across the board.”
The One New Zealand Warriors were forced to withdraw from the NRLW during the Covid pandemic in 2021 after being one of the foundation clubs in the competition in 2018.
28 March 2023
The National 20s Ruben Wiki Cup culminates this weekend at Navigation Homes Stadium in Pukekohe as the South Island Scorpions will meet the Counties Manukau Stingrays.
South Island enter the contest as the only team unbeaten in the competition which included a tough victory over their finals competitors Counties Manukau along the way winning 38-24.
South Island have looked dominant in every game that they have played, where they have looked sharped in defense creating defensive pressure to force errors whilst also dominating possession against their opponents.
Big performances from the Scorpions key players such as Caleb Murphy and Jaedon Wellington will be crucial if South Island want to lift their first National 20’s Ruben Wiki Cup.
Road to the final
South Island Scorpions 46 vs Waikato Mana 8
South Island Scorpions 58 vs Wellington Orcas 6
South Island Scorpions 38 vs Counties Manukau Stingrays 24
South Island Scorpions 0 vs Waikato Mana (Defaulted)
However, although South Island have had a successful road to the finals. Do not count the Counties Manukau Stingrays out in any way. Off the back of an upset victory last week over the Akarana Falcons in the semi-finals, Counties will look to continue to build momentum heading into the finals.
In their previous showdown against the South Island Scorpions, Counties had South Island scrambling at one point as they were leading in front only to let the game slip away in the final fifteen minutes of the game.
An 80 minute effort will be needed if Counties Manukau are to come out victorious over their finals opponents. Huge efforts from key players such as Malachi Tony and Anthony Naitoko is crucial in order for Counties to pull of the big upset against South Island.
Road to the Final
Counties Manukau Stingrays 38 vs Wellington Orcas 4
Counties Manukau Stingrays 54 vs Bay of Plenty 26
Counties Manukau Stingrays 24 vs South Island Scorpions 38
Counties Manukau Stingrays 28 vs Akarana Falcons 22
As seen on https://www.newshub.co.nz
Former NZ Sevens representative Will Warbrick has scored his first try in the NRL, as Melbourne Storm outclassed Wests Tigers 24-12 at AAMI Park.
Warbrick, 25, traded sevens for rugby league at the end of 2021, after helping New Zealand to silver at the Tokyo Olympics.
After signing with the Storm and spending 2022 learning the game, the winger has started all Melbourne’s first-grade matches this year, after impressing supercoach Craig Bellamy in pre-season.
Warbrick has taken his next step towards becoming a regular first-teamer, holding off Tigers opposite Junior Tupou to cross in the corner for the opening try and his first points in the 13-man code.
As well as his try, Warbrick also made 21 runs for 202 metres, two linebreaks, two offloads, three tackles and three intercepts for his night’s work.
Further first half tries to fullback Nick Meaney, Justin Olam and Cameron Munster gave the Storm a 22-6 halftime lead, before an additional Meaney penalty were Melbourne’s only points in the second half.
For the Tigers, centre Asu Kepaoa and hooker Api Koroisau scored either side of halftime, but their efforts weren’t enough to seriously challenge the Storm on the night.
Victory moves Melbourne to eighth on the NRL ladder, with two wins and two defeats to start the 2023 season.
Meanwhile, the Tigers are bottom, with four defeats from four and winless since the end of last July.
As seen on https://www.nrl.com
At 32 years of age Shaun Johnson is the first to tell you the days of his dazzling footwork are mostly gone, but on Sunday he wound back the clock with a trademark run to score the match-winning try against the Bulldogs.
In a throwback to the type of plays he built his game around when he burst onto the NRL scene in the early 2010s, Johnson bamboozled the Canterbury-Bankstown defence with a dummy and swerve to score the final try in a 16-14 victory.
Mixed in with that flash of the old was plenty of the new ‘SJ’ too, which so far this year has included being a much-improved defender, and against the Dogs the No.7 had to pull off a string of crucial tackles to help prevent tries.
“I thought he owned the [big] moments today, Shaun. Defensively I thought he was great, he took the moments and he won us the game,” Warriors coach Andrew Webster said.
“Shaun’s toughness is what’s most important for us, the way he’s tackling, the way he handled [Viliame] Kikau today I thought was unbelievable. His marker work to go and chase people, if there’s a loose ball he’s fighting for it.
“His kicking game was the difference, and that try.”
Johnson made 20 tackles without a miss against the Bulldogs and his efforts in Round 4 sum up the improvements the club has made off the ball since Webster took over at the end of last year.
“I feel really confident in my defence, I feel like we are solving a lot collectively, which is helping me individually,” Johnson said.
“I have got an emphasis on my defence. It’s not long ago, I haven’t forgotten it, Round 1, the first try of the season was through my inside shoulder, so I know how quickly it can turn.
While there was plenty to like about the win, which sees the Warriors move to a 3-1 record, another sluggish start which saw them leak eight points in as many minutes to open the game has left Webster with plenty to think about ahead of this week’s trip to face the in-form Sharks.
The Warriors have now given up the first try in all four of their games this season.
“It’s like they all want that to happen so they get a bit of blood in the water or something,” Webster joked.
“If you don’t laugh you cry. It’s killing us. We have got to fix it because you just can’t compete like that.
“I actually don’t know [what to do to fix it]. I have addressed it every week, the boys have addressed it, they’ve got a positive attitude, it’s gonna have to click.”
Some of the locals reckon the secret sits in the ironsand deposits which dust this tiny village each time a breath of wind flows in from the Tasman Sea.
Others say it’s simply because there’s little else to do in this isolated part of the world except pick up a ball and play with your friends.
Whatever the secret is, the village of Tahāroa, home to a lone shop and roughly 171 people, punches well above its weight when it comes to producing elite sporting talent.
Last Saturday night, as Tahāroa exports Te Maire Martin and Taine Tuaupiki played key roles in the Warriors’ victory over the Cowboys, the town basked in the temporary glory of being the rugby league capital of the world.
Most of the people who live in Tahāroa (or Tahaaroa in the local dialect) are directly related to Te Maire or Taine, who themselves are whānau (family).
If you somehow don’t share a bloodline, you know them and their families well enough that it feels like it anyway.
It’s no surprise then that the pair’s first game together, which was Taine’s NRL debut and Te Maire’s third game as a Warrior, was the talk of the town, and it quickly becomes clear how immensely proud they are of their boys.
“A place this small having two NRL players in the same team? It doesn’t happen,” Brendon King, the owner of the pub in neighbouring Kawhia tells NRL.com.
The Tuaupiki grandparents, Morris and Maureen, had a busy week fielding congratulatory calls after news broke of the impending debut for their mokopuna (grandchild).
At first it was a particularly strange experience for Morris, an old school no-nonsense type who made his living as a shearer and fitter-welder prior to retiring.
“We’ve been trying not to go out,” he tells NRL.com with a smile.
“They were all ringing us up, but you have got to be humble. But yeah, I was really rapt, I don’t say much, but I was really rapt.”
Even when both players moved to Australia in pursuit of their NRL dream years ago, the Tahāroa connection was vitally important, with Te Maire making a home away from home in Sydney with a shared uncle and aunty on the Tuaupiki side.
“His aunty and uncle, which is my aunty and uncle as well, they took me in when I was at the Tigers in the U-20s and I sort of needed that family support,” Te Maire says.
“I owe his family a lot. It’s good to see him get a game, he’s worked so hard for it.
“It’s a lot more special when you get to play for your home side or for your country, and that’s what it feels like for the Warriors.”
Te Maire and Taine aren’t the only top sporting talents to come from Tahāroa, with New Zealand women’s rugby union representative Tenika Willison and former Māori All Black Jackson Willison also hailing from the village.
Sitting on the extreme limb of New Zealand’s West Coast, Tahāroa boasts the largest deposits of ironsand (titanomagnetite) in New Zealand, which is used in the production of steel.
The town is built on the mining business and prior to ironsand exploration starting in 1968 the town didn’t even have road access.
It employs most of the area’s working people and almost all of the local league team – which is named the Steelers in a nod to the industry.
In Tahāroa, rugby league is the game and has been since 2012 when the club was formed, with no other senior sport in the town.
This year, the Steelers will field two men’s sides and a women’s side, which is brimming with numbers to the point it could almost be split into two teams.
Not all of the players reside in Tahāroa or anywhere near the town for that matter, with many travelling up to an hour from neighbouring districts in order to represent the Steelers.
“It adds a bit more meaning playing here, playing for home,” Steelers prop Jack Maikuku says.
The geographical makeup of the squad, and the fact that they almost all work at the mine, makes organising the season a nightmare.
Players have to race each other to secure time off from work, with some inevitably missing out, and trainings are often not well attended, but still they make it work.
After Te Maire Martin was cleared to play again, following the discovery of a brain bleed which forced him to step away from his NRL career in 2020, he could have gone to any rugby league club he wanted.
But he chose to stay in Tahāroa and play with his people, a decision which sums up how important this town and club are to the local people.
The return of a recent Kiwi international and NRL player to the club scene was obviously big news, and Martin carried a huge target with him each time he took the field, with plenty keen to get one over him.
They couldn’t and didn’t.
Martin was the best player in the local Waikato competition with ball in hand, and in defence he made a habit of humbling those who tried to steamroll him.
“It just brought out the best in him. He knew it was coming, his teammates knew it was coming, and he thrived because of it,” Steelers co-coach Cliff Willison says.
“He made us all better and elevated us when he was back here. From the players to the coaches.”
Maikuku, who played alongside Te Maire at the Steelers, says his one regret from that season was not being able to fully enjoy it.
“When I had the chance to play with him, I was actually too busy trying to catch my breath”, while adding that their star playmaker refused to divert from the high standards which got him to the NRL in the first place.
“He wasn’t shy to let us know when we got stuff wrong. It was good to pick his brain and learn about how it all works at NRL level.
“I looked at him playing for Brisbane when he went back to the NRL and thought ‘he was yelling at me a couple of months ago!’.
“It was mean to see him go back to the NRL from us, that’s a fairytale story that.”
This Sunday, at the Warriors’ first game in Auckland for the year, Tahāroa will be well represented in the crowd with a large section of both Te Maire and Taine’s whānau, and with that most of the town, heading up to cheer on their boys.
As seen https://www.newshub.co.nz
Indigenous former NRL players are calling for more cultural competency work across the game.
They say there is a lack of diversity within all levels of the code, and to make any impactful change there needs to be more indigenous people in leadership positions.
For instance, according to our research, there are currently no indigenous head coaches in the NRL men’s competition.
Seventeen teams are competing this year, with more than 500 players.
Newshub couldn’t get official numbers, but our research suggests around 65 percent are indigenous with 45 percent of that number Pasifika, 10 percent Māori, and 10 percent Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
They carry the game, but cop an unhealthy dose of racism.
Former player Billy Moore was famously proud of his own background, but notoriously flippant when talking about NZ Warriors’ Polynesian flair, describing it as “coconut style”.
Even NRL staffers made racial comments like “dance monkey dance” about Tongan supporters.
NRL indigenous pathways manager Dean Widders said it’s got to stop.
“Racism comes back and it just strikes you back to the old times again,” he said.
“We haven’t gone anywhere and things are never going to change. The things that I battled through, things my grandparents and my ancestors battled through, will my grandkids, my great-grandkids have to battle through the same thing?
“That is frustrating as a black fella.”
Widders said players’ lives are so visible now, more needs to be done to support indigenous players.
“The game has gotten away with probably just having these immensely talented athletes,” he told Newshub.
“These gifted, gifted footballers that they’ve been able to overcome that and shine through.
“But now, rugby league, any sport is bigger than just what you do on the field now.
It comes with all the other baggage or all the other responsibilities that the player has to hold.”
Widders works alongside former dual international Timana Tahu, who now works as the NRL’s indigenous pathway manager.
“It’s just a matter of starting to identify this stuff,” he told Newshub.
“I think that’s why people like me are in these roles. They start identifying, researching and giving it to my commissioners and leaders.”
While there are lots of indigenous players, there are no head men’s coaches, and few NRL staff who are indigenous.
It’s an old problem, as one former chief executive put it after yet another racism scandal, when David Gallop decreed “there’s obviously racism everywhere”.
“How far you progress will come down to your ability to be able to handle stress and pressure off the field,” added Winders.
“Culture is a big part of that. Culture might not matter to a lot of people, to a lot of non-Indigenous people.
“But to us, that’s all that matters. Particularly when we come along hardships in particular, we come up against setbacks, and particularly when we are dealing with tough issues, culture is the only thing that’s gonna get us through that.”
When Apirana Pewhairangi arrived at Newcastle Knights as a 17-year-old, he told the manager in front of a team group that he was studying a bachelor of arts in Māori Knowledge.
“His response to me was ‘oh is that hangi making 101 and canoe making 101’,” he said.
“Everyone, the whole room broke out in laughter. I just remember feeling really, whakamā [embarrassed], really sad.
“I guess I sort of went into my shell and sort of realised that I couldn’t bring my culture and I couldn’t talk about my culture.”
Former NZ Kiwis captain Adam Blair grew up in Northland, steeped in Māoritanga. He left it behind to fit into the NRL – but it was a struggle.
“When I felt like the walls are caving in on me, or if there was pressure on me, my outlet was the bush, was the ocean because it just made me peaceful,” Blair told Newshub.
“It made me feel like I was grounded, I belong to something.”
Widders said more indigenous in NRL leadership roles would be proof that they’re valued.
“Our people are capable, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of access to those roles for our people.
“So there’s barriers and we need to find out what those barriers are and knock them down and then create a pathway for our people to come through.”
Knocking down barriers and creating a pathway – something that comes naturally on the field – but still waiting for its moment off the field.
25 March 2023
In the semi final for the National 20s Ruben Wiki Cup. The Counties Manukau Stingrays met the Akarana Falcons at Navigation Homes stadium in Pukekohe.
The game was a back and forth thriller with Counties Manukau capturing the win 22-28 with a late push in the final minutes.
Akarana started out of the gate firing scoring couples tries early in the fold. However Counties Manukau’s persistent effort and constant pressure would keep them in the game as they would continue to answer back to Akarana’s points.
The game would continue to be an arm wrestle as both teams would complete their sets. The conditions and pressure would eventually get to Akarana as Counties would capitalise on Akaran’s fatigue to scoop up a try to tie the game up 22 all.
Akarana’s mistakes around the halfway line would cost them as Counties would use to get an early shift out the left edge. Quick play the balls and beautiful draw and pass action would see Counties Manukau’s winger Esau Meleisea in for the winning try to book Counties Manukau’s spot in the final against South Island next week.
Sunday 19th, March
In the third round of the Ruben Wiki Cup, the South Island Scorpions met the Counties Manukau Stingrays at Forsyth Barr stadium in Dunedin.
South Island came out of the blocks firing on all cylinders as their execution on attacking and defensive plays were clinical. The Scorpions forced Counties Manukau to commit errors in their own half due to heavy defensive pressure as they scored two tries from centre Izyah Hesp and winger Saki Loma.
Counties answered back with a try of their own as Malachi Tony scored with a nippy run out of dummy-half. South Island would go on to score another try before heading into halftime with the score at 18-6.
Counties would come out of halftime determined as they were first to strike in the second half with fullback Robin Herbert scoring under the post. Counties would continue their momentum as they managed to score again gaining the lead for the first time in the game.
The game would continue as an arm-wrestle as both teams would go back and forth however South Island would show their class as they slowly started to dominate possession and gain quick play the balls which converted into tries for the Scorpions.
Counties Manukau would score a late try however it was too little too late as South Island would come away with the victory 38-24 as they advance into the semi-finals next week against Waikato.
In the third round of the 2023 National 20s Competition, the Waikato Mana met Bay of Plenty in Rotorua at Puketawhero Park.
It took almost 20 minutes of battling between the two teams before we saw the first points on the board. Waikato opened the match up with the first try to Cowan. Quickly followed by another try from teammate Sulusi. Connelly was the next Waikato player to score that pushed his team out to a comfortable lead to close out the scrappy first half.
Bay of Plenty came into the second half firing with a first try within the first five minutes to Hebden-Penitoa. Jackson-Williams was next to score a try for Bay of Plenty closing the gap between the teams. Waikato hit back with a try of their own through Baretoka. Bay of Plenty scored under the posts with less than two minutes to go in the match through influential number twelve Pereira but it wasn’t enough to see his team through to the semi-finals.
Waikato come away with the win over Bay of Plenty 20-18. The action continues next week as we move into the semi-finals stage of the competition.
15 March 2023
The New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) is proud to announce the ‘RISE’ Talent Development Programme, in partnership with the NRL, will now be delivered in New Zealand to young aspiring wāhine players.
The NRL’s RISE programme, which has been highly successful across Australia, aims to better prepare young players for the rigours of high-performance environments such as the NRLW, targeting female players aged 17-19 years of age.
The programme enhances skills, teaches the fundamentals of strength & conditioning, and emphasises the importance of player wellbeing.
The NRL extended the invitation following a successful year of female participation in the rangatahi age group here in New Zealand.
2022 saw the introduction of the first National 16 & 18 Girls 9s Tournament, National Secondary Schools Girls Tournament, National Youth Tournament and the first National Representative fixtures for 16s & 18s Girls age groups.
With the NRLW growing from six to 10 teams in 2023, female players have more opportunities to be recognised and establish themselves as elite athletes.
The RISE programme is the next step for young aspiring Kiwi players to become NRLW players and future Kiwi Ferns.
GM of High-Performance for NZRL Motu Tony says, “Thank you to the NRL for inviting our New Zealand players to participate in such a successful programme.
“It’s exciting that our young wāhine will get to experience the benefits of RISE, which will aid their growth and development into future elite athletes.
“Our women’s game has experienced incredible momentum over the past couple of years, and we look forward to seeing this continue as more development opportunities are made available to our rangatahi across Aotearoa.”
As seen on stuff.co.nz
‘The Iceman’ is back in the form of Dolphins winger Jamayne Isaako, who has credited being coached by Wayne Bennett again for his superb start to the 2023 NRL season.
“I owe Wayne everything. He’s helped bring my confidence back,” Isaako told AAP.
The 26-year-old scored two tries in the Dolphins inaugural 28-18 win over the Sydney Roosters and landed four from four in the 20-14 victory over Canberra in wet and wild conditions at Redcliffe to be the competition’s leading point-scorer after two rounds with 24 points.
In Isaako’s breakout season under Bennett at the Broncos in 2018 he was Dally M rookie of the year and the competition’s leading point-scorer, making history to be the first player to achieve the double.
“Wayne has always backed me. We have a great connection,” Isaako told AAP in the Dolphins sheds after the Raiders win.
“Running out on the field I obviously have full confidence in my coach, but knowing the full confidence he has in me helps me play to the best of my ability.
“Obviously errors were a major concern with me, so Wayne wanted me to eliminate the errors out of my game.
“At the start of this season he had a couple of other boys ahead of me here at the Dolphins but I am not one to kick cans.
“I was willing to work hard and earn another opportunity and I got given my chance in round one.
“I knew I couldn’t disappoint. I went out there and did my best, and more than anything I am just glad we have been able to win both weeks.”
Isaako signed a three-year deal with the Dolphins in December 2021, when he was still at the Broncos, keeping him at the club until the end of 2025.
Three months later he joined the Gold Coast for the rest of 2022. Reuniting with Bennett was a dream come true.
“I didn’t think it was going to happen. I definitely thought that ship had sailed but the opportunity came up when Wayne got appointed head coach here at the Dolphins,” Isaako said.
“I was on my last year of a contract at the Broncos and I thought it was just meant to be.
“I am definitely happy to be back under Wayne again.”
As seen on NRL.com
The Roosters have been at the forefront of conversations around premiership favourites in 2023 but centre Joey Manu said his side must first prove to themselves that they’re worthy of being in that esteemed company.
You might not recognise him at first, with the 26-year-old star set to wear headgear in his return from a pre-season facial fracture, but Manu is determined to help his side bounce back from a nightmare season-opener against the Dolphins.
Injuries before the game and during it may have contributed to the loss but the Golden Boot winner said there’ll be no excuses come Saturday’s home clash with the Warriors.
“Everyone knows the end goal is to win and while we’ve got a good team here… we haven’t proven anything,” Manu said.
“There’s a few young boys here and there’s some great leaders but we’ve got to prove to ourselves first of the team we want to be.
“Just playing as a Rooster and playing that style of footy is what we’re trying to chase.
“We’ve had a few injuries and we’ve got a few young boys in there, but I think that’s when we play our best and that’s when we really go after it.”
Manu’s return offers the first look at a potentially dynamic centre pairing with young gun Joseph Suaali’i, who played on the wing in all of his 19 games last year but now shifts closer to the action.
The Kiwi International said the pair have forged a close friendship during their time at the club and have worked hard to help each other develop in the role.
“You see what he does on the field but he’s just scratching the surface there. He’s someone that wants to get better everyday and that’s what I really like about him,” Manu said.
“It’s good to see him in the centre position, I feel like it’s always been a solid position in rugby league where you can really battle opponents and I know he’ll be up there with the best centres so I look forward to seeing how he goes.
“I’m always trying to help him out and he’s definitely helping me out too, so it’s been good.”
After missing the Roosters’ sudden-death semi-final last year against Souths last year with a calf injury, Manu will be itching to don the famous red, white and blue for what will be just his second appearance at the refurbished Allianz Stadium.
And coach Robinson said the 2022 Dally M Centry of the Year has given the side every confidence he’s ready to make his mark on the 2023 season.
“I know from what I’ve seen at training and the confidence he’s got from attacking the physical parts of the training,” Robinson told the media on Friday.
“I’ve seen him in the wrestle room, I’ve seen him on the field, so I feel like he’s ready to go.”
Robinson was adamant there’d be no major changes to the game plan despite some uncharacteristic errors in the loss to the Dolphins.
“We weren’t happy with the way we played on the weekend but the thing is you’ve got to fix some things but you don’t need to jump at shadows,” he said.
“You’ve got to hold your cool early in the season, fix some things and go after it.
“We’re still focused on how we want to start this year and that’s no different so don’t get too concerned too early about one game.”
This year the NRL began delivering the Pasifika Culture Competency Training, a module which encapsulates identity and culture, and how they link into the culture of a club, as part of its mandatory program delivery to players and football staff.
Former New Zealand and Samoa international David Solomona, who is now the NRL players wellbeing program manager based in Queensland, sees it as a crucial step forward and says it is evidence of the benefits that come from having diversity in decision-making roles.
“A lot of it comes down to the people that have a say in the creation of programs. I think in the past because it was such a new space, the NRL would create programs based off the ideas of two or three people in the office and then send it out,” Solomona said.
“Having input from people in different communities with different backgrounds, understanding where people sit, even just the difference between New South Wales and Queensland, is important.
“I feel like it’s a bit of a turning point for the game.”
The module was developed alongside Dr David Lakisa, who among his long list of achievements completed a PhD on ‘Pacific Sport and Diversity Management’.
Solomona says the sessions are run with Māori and Pasifika cultural customs in mind, and while tailored to those groups, they have value for everyone in the game.
“We sit in a circle because we understand the importance of having a hui (gathering in Māori), having a talanoa (a term for a gathering commonly used by Tongans, Samoans, and Fijians) and being able to have everyone equal and part of the conversation,” Solomona said.
“That allows everyone to feel part of the group, no matter their culture, and this is good for non-Māori and Pasifika players to hear stories about why teammates might do the things they do.
“When you celebrate one culture it allows the game to kind of celebrate everyone’s culture as well.”
A similar approach is being rolled out across the ditch, with the New Zealand Rugby League wellbeing team leaning on a collection of former star players to help them further tailor their delivery.
A league club with a particularly large Samoan contingent might have the message delivered to them by former Toa Samoa superstar Ali Lauiti’iti, a predominantly Tongan group could get six-time Mate Ma’a Tonga rep Epalahame Lauaki, while Māori women’s great Krystal Rota is on the crew too.
The NZRL work alongside Pasifika support organisation Le Va and suicide prevention training program LifeKeepers to deliver their Wellbeing Waka and Find your Front programs.
NZRL wellbeing manager Cliff Thompson said the overall goal is to educate key people in rugby league communities to enable them to drive the wellbeing message.
“It’s asking them, what do these things mean in your culture or community? What’s the closest concept to wellbeing in your culture?” Thompson says.
“Because that’s all wellbeing is, it’s not what I think you need, a big part of it is listening to the individual about what helps them.”
In the end Solomona hopes the efforts to deliver a wellbeing message through a more multicultural lens will help current and future players avoid some of the issues he faced as a young NRL prospect at the Roosters.
“Man, I made my mum and little brother move to Sydney for three or four months because I got too homesick.
“Those experiences go into what I am trying to do in the game now. Hopefully this will make things a bit easier for the next group of players.”
12 March 2022
In the second round of the Ruben Wiki Cup, the South Island Scorpions met the Wellington Orcas in Christchurch at Ngā Puna Wai. South Island came into the game as strong favourites after a dominant performance last week, adding to their winning streak by beating Wellington 58-6.
From the first minute of the game, South Island dominated in all facets of the game as they would keep possession for the majority of the first half notching up tries in entertaining fashion. Strong defensive pressure from South Island forced Wellington to commit errors within their own half as the Scorpions would go into the second half 28-0.
In the second half, South Island wasted no time as they continued to pile on the tries scoring most of them from forty meters out. Great pressure on the kick chase from South Island’s outside backs ensured that Wellington was always trapped deep inside their own half. Wellington however managed to score a consolation try.
South Island looked clinical all game which will give them confidence heading into a tough matchup next week against Counties Manukau Stingrays.
In the second round of the 2023 National 20s Competition, the Counties Manukau Stingrays met Bay of Plenty in Auckland at Navigation Homes Stadium. Counties came into the match as favourites again this week and continued their winning streak with a 54-26 win over Bay of Plenty.
Within the first few minutes of the first half, Counties crashed over the line through Ben Fonotalaga with two back-to-back tries. Bay of Plenty was quick to come up with points of their own in the corner through Jayden Gilles. Bay of Plenty number 15 scored a try off the back of a Counties knock on to bring the score within a two-point margin. Bay of Plenty showed plenty of spirit with an excellent shift on the left to take the lead with a try to Christian Letoa. Counties not willing to go down scored another try through Sima Tau. The contest continued to heat up as Bay of Plenty scored a try through their Fullback Wairua Jackson-Williams to take his team into the sheds with the lead.
The second half started with a bang, Stanley Hingano struck first with another set of back-to-back tries for Counties. The tries continued to roll in for Counties with another to Niu-Alinghi Peni, Jeroyme Pritchard and Harlem Te Namu. Bay of Plenty number 15 scored an excellent solo try with less than five minutes remaining in the match. Counties closed out the match with a try to number nine Malachi Tony.
Counties Manukau came away with their second win of the season over Bay of Plenty 54-26. The action continues next week as Counties take on the South Island Scorpions and Bay of Plenty come up against Waikato in Rotorua.
The power of this statement is that it is rugby league language, technique and, most important of all, a way in which we can frame building resilience and looking after ourselves. We have been on a campaign to grow well-being across the motu by raising well-being champions and ambassadors, connecting them with sports chaplains and having our zones learn to provide well-being as often as required. We are excited about our progress but are also up for the challenge to grow and improve in this space.
You can see one of our ambassadors here https://www.instagram.com and hear what well-being is to him.
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Ali’s tips for well-being as you prep for the start of the season
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad made a wonderful return to the Warriors on Friday night, scoring and saving tries in the 20-12 win over the Knights in Wellington.
After spending the last four years at the Raiders, the fullback was outstanding in his team’s gritty win that showed new coach Andrew Webster has already stamped his mark at the club.
The 27-year-old was class at the back and made amends for an early error to put in a performance that was up there with the ones Roger Tuivasa-Sheck had in the No 1 jersey a couple of years ago.
This was the start of a new era for the Warriors, Webster wanted to toughen them up and get rid of the ‘same old Warriors’ mentality when it came to not being able to grind out wins.
The squad had been given an impressive overhaul, with experienced players brought in and going up against a side like the Knights, who aren’t expected to feature in the top eight this season, they were perfect opposition.
But there were 16 other teams feeling good about themselves before they played their first game this weekend and Warriors’ optimism didn’t last long.
Nicoll-Klokstad turned over the ball in the opening minute and Lachlan Fitzgibbon then brushed through a tackle by Shaun Johnson to score the opening try.
It was a scrappy first half, played in front of 16,676 spectators, with both teams making errors and struggling to get try scoring opportunities.
But with 15 minutes of the period to Mitch Barnett made a great break up the middle, Johnson threw a peach of a pass out wide to Ed Kosi, who was a late replacement for Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, and scored in the corner.
A few minutes later the Warriors hit the lead with Bunty Afoa charging in after taking a ball from Wayde Egan at dummy half.
The Knights had back to back sets close to the Warriors’ line early in the second half and when the ball was moved to the left edge Hymel Hunt found himself with all the space he needed to score.
In the 51st minute the Warriors scored the best try of the game, with Brayden Wiliame finding some space to make a long run, then popping a pass to Nicoll-Klokstad, who still had plenty of ground to cover before reaching the try line.
Phoenix Crossland was sin binned in the 57th minute for not being square at the marker as the Warriors were under the Knights’ posts and from the next play Egan had his head slammed in a tackle and needed to go off for a HIA.
It was the fourth penalty in a row the Knights had given away inside their 10m line but they didn’t concede any points from it as on the last tackle Te Maire Martin grubbered the ball straight to Jackson Hastings.
It was then the Knights’ turn to have all the pressure and there was some outstanding goal line defence from Nicoll-Klokstad and Kosi to keep them out.
The Warriors sealed the game when Egan took on the defence from a ruck a few metres from the line and went over.
Saturday 4th March
In the opening round of the Ruben Wiki Cup the South Island Scorpions battled against Waikato Mana at League Park in Ngaruwahia.
South Island came in as heavy favourites and confirmed their dominance against the Orcas with a 46-8 victory to start their season.
South Island started off in fine fashion as they scored early in the contest. Waikato struck back with a try of their own to even out the scores however, South Island continued to put pressure on Waikato dotting over the line another three times before half-time.
As second the second half kick off, Waikato showed a glimmer of hope as centre Fale gathered a beautifully weighted chip kick to put their captain Tupou in for a try.
However, that was the only glimpse of fight that Waikato showed as South Island continued where they left off in the first half. Great defensive pressure turned into offence as South Island continued to pile on the points against Waikato with the final score being 46-8.
In the opening round of the 2023 National 20s Competition, the Counties Manukau Stingrays met the Wellington Orcas in Wellington at Wise Park. Counties came into the match as strong favourites and proved their dominance over the Orcas with a 4-38 win to kick off their campaign.
After ten minutes of back and forth, Counties Manukau put the first points on the board with a try in the corner by Caleb Meleisea. Counties Manukau number 8 Stanley Hingano crashed over the line ten minutes later to extend the visitor’s lead. Counties Manukau’s Toaiti Ramsay had an excellent line break to set up another try from teammate Jeremiah Tamatimu. Twenty-five minutes into the match Counties Manukau’s Meleisea scored his second try to close out the first half.
As the first half continued, Counties Manukau’s ruck speed was too much for the Orcas with an opening try from Niu-Alinghi Peni. The Wellington Orcas finally found their opportunity to score halfway through the second half of the match through number 14 Junior Telea. Counties Manukau’s ball retention continued to dominate as tries rolled in by Malachi Tony, Jeroyme Pritchard, and Ramsay.
Counties Manukau came away with their first win of the season over the Wellington Orcas 4-38. The action continues next week as Counties take on Bay of Plenty and the Orcas come up against the South Island Scorpions in Christchurch.
Raiders skipper Elliott Whitehead has full confidence in centre Seb Kris to handle the fullback position in Saturday’s season opener against the Cowboys.
With regular fullback Xavier Savage set to be sidelined for up to eight weeks with a broken jaw, coach Ricky Stuart had a choice between Kris and Kiwi veteran Jordan Rapana to wear the No.1 jersey.
After being named at centre for the Raiders’ second Pre-season Challenge match against Wests Tigers, Kris shifted to fullback but had limited opportunities to shine with five runs for 43 metres.
Kris enjoyed a fine season in the centres in 2022 with 14 tries and 12 line breaks but Whitehead is adamant the 23-year-old has found confidence training at fullback in recent weeks and can make a big impact with his talk.
“I thought he was really good in that first half, obviously a different role for him at fullback but he fits in there really well and the more he trains and plays there the more comfortable he’s going to get,” Whitehead told the media.
“He’s had another good week there at training and we’re making him talk a lot more so he’s getting a lot louder and more confident out the back.
“It is a hard role but he’s a fit kid and his talk is starting to get there now as well so you can feel him getting a lot more confident in that role. I’m sure he’ll fit in very well and get better and better each week.
Kiwis Te Maire Martin, Charnze Nicoll-Klockstad and Marata Niukore have been named in the starting line-up for the Warriors in their opening NRL clash for the season against the Newcastle Knights in Wellington on Friday night.
Martin has played 68 games for Penrith, North Queensland and Brisbane, but will make his Warriors NRL debut at Sky Stadium, teaming up with Shaun Johnson in the halves.
He is one of six off-season signings to make their first NRL appearances for the Warriors, while a seventh player, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, resumes his career for the club after 66 matches for the Canberra Raiders over the past four seasons.
The others are Brayden Wiliame, who will start in the centres after a career that has taken in matches for Parramatta, Manly Warringah and St George Illawarra; former Newcastle prop Mitchell Barnett; second rowers Jackson Ford, from St George Illawarra and Kiwis international Marata Niukore; and utility Dylan Walker, who has made 186 appearances for the Rabbitohs and Sea Eagles.
February 28 2023
The premier 20’s competition, The Ruben Wiki Cup, is back this year, kicking off on Saturday, the 4th of March, with Bay of Plenty hosting Akarana.
The Ruben Wiki Cup provided a level of competition not seen before in Aotearoa, culminating in a slew of grassroots players signing with professional NRL clubs.
The cup consists of six teams across the motu, with Wellington and Bay of Plenty being the newest additions to the competition replacing upper Central. The six teams will be placed into two pools where they will battle it out over three weeks, where the top two teams from each pool will advance to the semi-finals, with the finals being played on March 4.
All games will be televised on Sky.
Week 1 draw:
Bay of Plenty v Akarana – 12pm – Puketawhero Park, Rotorua
Counties Manukau v Wellington Orcas – 2pm – Wise Park, Wainuiomata
Sunday 5th March
Waikato v South Island – 12pm – League Park, Ngāruawāhia
Forget the flashy highlight reel tries, the freakish speed and step, Shaun Johnson, now 32, is a different player and person to that fresh-faced kid who lit the NRL up in 2011.
But the Warriors’ halfback doesn’t see that as him going backward, far from it, he believes 2023 – his 13th in the NRL – can be one of his best seasons yet, even if it’s in a different role from how he made his name.
Ahead of Friday’s season opener against the Newcastle Knights in Wellington, Johnson says he’s still growing and improving.
“Obviously with me, coming into the league I was the flairy, fast, steppy guy and now everyone’s going “he doesn’t have the speed,” Johnson said on Monday.
A fact Johnson, who re-joined his junior club from the Sharks last season, doesn’t debate but also refuses to be defined by.
“I think as you get a bit older you probably get a bit stronger in the head, you adjust your game, you learn to play to your strengths and what suits the team around you.”
One of the most polarising figures in the club’s history, Johnson’s talk of a big season will fall flat with some Warriors fans until they see some deeds to back up the words.
Last year was far from his best and the veteran of 227 NRL matches has, at times, been plagued by inconsistency, claims that he goes missing in games, and no longer takes the defensive line on with his running game – now the once electric speed isn’t quite what it was.
“That might frustrate people at times when they don’t see the highlights stuff that they want to see,” Johnson said.
“For me, I’m continuing to grow, I’m continuing to learn, just in different areas.”
Johnson, who confirmed he will be in the halves alongside Te Maire Martin when Andrew Webster names his first team on Tuesday, is no stranger to the weight of expectation.
“Those things get put on my shoulders most years but I think for myself, it’s a pretty privileged position to be in.
“And if that means for some reason it’s not the accolades or the highlights or whatever but we’re winning, that’s fine by me,” Johnson said.
“Whatever it takes to win.
“We don’t roll through these doors and want to improve every day not to win and that’s what we want to do.”
With maturity, the former Kiwis halfback now understands who his most important critics are.
“The only opinions I probably really care about are the ones of the boys downstairs, that’s all that really matters to me, so I’m driven to prove myself to them and I’m driven to prove to myself that I still belong in this arena.
“I’ve still got something to offer, because I’m still getting better.”
Webster has challenged Johnson to think about how he wants his legacy to be remembered at the club and it has inspired him to be hungry to re-establish himself at Mt Smart.
“It’s probably something I never thought about until the question was asked,” Johnson said.
“I never played my career thinking about how am I going to be remembered, I’ve just played it in the moment.”
A major part of Johnson’s 2023 confidence comes from having his first full pre-season in years, after missing the Kiwis squad for last year’s World Cup, and training injury free before Christmas. Factors that have seen him tip the scales at more than 2kg lighter than his playing weight in recent seasons.
There will always be doubters but Johnson said the support of genuine fans also matters to the playing group.
“We’ve got a real chance this year to re-establish ourselves back here and connect with our fans, which we haven’t been able to do and inspire some of the young Kiwi kids coming through.”
The much-maligned halfback has also copped plenty of criticism when it hasn’t always been warranted too.
Johnson was unexpectedly isolated from his family during the 2022 NRL season, including his wife Kayla and young daughter Millah, when the Warriors remained in Australia because of the surge in Covid-19 cases from the Delta variant.
“Being home, being around family, being able to be a dad, being able to see my mum, my dad, friends, all the stuff that you probably take for granted when you’ve never not had it, so it has certainly been the key factor,” Johnson said of his pre-season.
Dolphins captain Jesse Bromwich is hoping the emotion of yet another ‘first’ for the club will be behind his team when the side run out for their opening round match against the Roosters in Round 1.
While it was a long build up for fans to see their team finally hit the field, for the players that went down to the Gold Coast Titans in their Round 2 Pre-season Challenge match at Kayo Stadium, the preparations have been comparatively short, with full squad only training together for six weeks before the game.
“It felt surreal; felt like a long time coming,” Bromwich told media following the game about running out in front of a home crowd for the first time.
“I think it’s a bit of emotion running out (tonight), hopefully we’ve got that out of the way and we’ll look on to a very tough game against the Roosters.
“It’s our first game here and running out to a packed-out Kayo Stadium, it’s really nice, a lot of the fans are sticking around and you can see they all love the place and they’ve been a part of this place for a long time.
“We’re obviously the first NRL side, but this club has been here for a long time, so it’s nice to be part of a bit of history for this club.”
Since the start of pre-season training late last year, the Dolphins have been busy off of the field as well, with preparations for their inaugural season in the NRL involving more than just getting players on the field.
Their recent club season launch saw the official unveiling of Bromwich as their captain, while during this past week; club representatives and the full top squad of players attended the launch of Stan’s three-part documentary series ‘Dawn of the Dolphins’, outlining how the club came to be the first expansion club in the NRL since the Titans in 2007 and the build-up to their first official game.
Speaking at the launch, club CEO Terry Reader said the important thing for him was “the ability to tell our story, which isn’t about wins and losses, it’s about what went on to build a club inside 12 months”.
However, the club will be judged on their on-field performances and captain Bromwich didn’t shy away from the hard work needed following their 40-16 loss to the Gold Coast.
It seemed the occasion did overawe the players who were slow off the mark from the kick-off, allowing three quick tries within the opening 11 minutes in the game to put the whole side on the backfoot, with Jack Bostock’s try late in the first half preventing too many blushes.
“I didn’t like the way we started in both halves, we gave up too much possession with our penalties and our completion rate … I think a few of our guys did fairly well, but we played like a team where this was our first game together and I think it showed,” Bromwich said.
“Of course we need to be better; we’re not really happy with the way we performed, but we’ll take the positives out of what we’ve done.
“Obviously, there’s a few things we need to work on, some of our defence and our edge defence there was pretty leaky at times, but we’ll go back with the video and work extremely hard … to make that better.
“We had a decent pre-season, (but) obviously … we didn’t want to play that way and that’s not how we prepared to play.
“I think it probably wasn’t ideal for the club having six guys coming back after Christmas [following the Rugby League World Cup] and (we) probably would have liked to have gotten together before that, but it is what it is, that’s past.
“But we know what we need to work on and we’ll go and work really hard at doing that. It’s our first game together; we had a very short preseason together (and) we’re only going to get better from here.
“This this going to probably be a tough game to watch back, but one that’s needed and we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
A Selwyn Cobbo hat-trick propelled the Indigenous All Stars to a 28-24 victory over a gutsy Māori All side in the Saturday’s NRL Harvey Norman All Stars clash in Rotorua.
Cobbo scored his three tries in the space of 12 minutes in the final quarter of the match to help his side overcome a Māori outfit who led for the opening 44 minutes and fought back to make it a one-score game with two minutes to go.
Halfback Nicho Hynes was at the heart of the win for Ronald Griffiths’ side, scoring a try and then setting one up either side of half-time to claim the Preston Campbell Medal as player of the match.
With the Māori leading 18-16 with 20 minutes to go, Cobbo took it upon himself to put his side ahead with a try that showed off all of his athletic talent, before grabbing another two in quick succession to put the result beyond doubt.
A spirited pre-match Indigenous war cry was met with a stunning haka – performed to a chorus of cheers from most of the 17,644 fans in attendance – it was a nervous drop from Cobbo on his first touch which gifted the Māori with the opening try.
After the Indigenous hit back through Tyrell Sloan, who grabbed onto a Brent Naden flick pass, Cobbo left a try begging when he dropped the ball with an open line in front of him.
The sides then traded converted tries to Jesse Arthars and Hynes to leave the Māori up 12-10 at the half-time, with Josh Kerr being sent to the sin bin just before the break for a high contact with his shoulder on James Fisher-Harris.
But the numerical disadvantage did little to hurt the Indigenous side, who scored four minutes into the second half, with Hynes again at the heart of it with a break which ended in Naden crossing.
Jordan Riki’s try stopped the rot temporarily, before Cobbo took over the game with his treble.
A late try to Preston Riki did reduce the gap to four, but wasn’t enough to change the result.
They may be no-names now, but by the end of the season these players could transform into stars of the NRL. Here are the 10 rookies set to make their NRL debut in 2023, with the first three having Kiwi origins.
Position: Halfback
Age: 18
Wellington-born Katoa was at the centre of a tug-of-war between Penrith and the Dolphins last year. With Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary blocking his path, he opted to join Wayne Bennett on a lucrative deal for a player without NRL experience.
Katoa was banished from Penrith midway through last year after signing with the Dolphins, but returned in the finals series to lead the Panthers to premiership glory in the NSW Cup. Made his international debut for Tonga at the end of the year and showed that he has a long and bright future in the sport.
Position: Back row
Age: 19
Almost got the chance to make his NRL debut last year, but the Roosters decided to hold him back. Wong was impressive in the lower grades in 2022 and showed he belongs on the big stage with an impressive outing for Fiji at the World Cup.
Born in Auckland, Wong is a rugby union product of Sydney’s Scots College. Wong started last season in SG Ball, leading the team to a grand final. He finished the year as one of the best players for the Bears in a disappointing NSW Cup finals campaign before heading over to England for the World Cup.
Raised in Wellington and a former Randwick junior, Oloapu recently signed a four-year deal to link up with the Bulldogs this year following a messy exit from the Brisbane Broncos.
Oloapu is so highly regarded that the Bulldogs forked out a reported $500,000 transfer fee to secure his services for this year. While Kyle Flanagan will be given first crack at the Canterbury No.7 jersey, the teen will join Khaled Rajab pushing for a spot later in the season.
Oloapu, who had been part of Brisbane’s system from the age of 13, refused to train late last year after what he claimed was a series of “broken promises”. New Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo recently convinced him his future was at Belmore.
Position: Centre
Canterbury have big expectations of Alamoti, who turned 19 a fortnight ago. The powerful centre is expected to start the season in Ciraldo’s strongest 13.
Alamoti graduated from Kogarah Marist, where he also excelled in basketball and athletics. The Bulldogs have struggled to produce local talent in recent seasons but Alamoti is straight out of local team the Milperra Colts. He’s been a star through all the lower grades, playing for NSW in the under 18’s Origin and also selected in the Australian Schoolboys merit team.
Age: 20
This could be the one that got away for Newcastle. Jonah is the son of former NRL player Troy Pezet. He finished with four try assists for NSW in the under 19’s State of Origin game last year, playing a leading hand in the Blues’ 32-4 win.
Could make his NRL debut during the representative window. A star in the making. Was already contracted to Melbourne for 2023 but recently extended his deal to commit his future to the Storm until the end of 2025.
Position: Hooker
Another product of Queensland’s Keebra Park State High School. There are high hopes for Mozer to be the club’s long-term No 9. It’s a position the Broncos appear to be short on depth with Billy Walters tipped to start the season at dummy-half.
Some say he’s a throwback to some of the game’s more creative hookers like Robbie Farah and Cameron Smith. While his footy IQ is at a high standard, he still has to improve his physicality. A work in progress but a player with a bright future. Played for Queensland in the under 19’s Origin last year.
Position: Fullback, centre, wing
The Australian Schoolboys star is expected to win one of Penrith’s last remaining top 30 spots in 2023. Everyone at Penrith is talking about the progression of the kid who can play fullback, wing or centre.
He won Penrith’s SG Ball Emerging Talent award last year, scoring a double in the grand final victory over the Roosters. While no one at Penrith wanted to lose Stephen Crichton, they also knew that McLean was coming through the ranks and will be vying for a regular spot in 2024.
His preferred position is fullback but he may have to wait a while judging by the performances of incumbent Dylan Edwards. McLean, a Blacktown and Doonside junior, is tipped to get his debut during the Origin period for the Panthers.
Position: Five-eighth
Age: 17
He won’t be able to play in the NRL until his 18th birthday on May 28, but the excitement around the younger brother of Manase Fainu is undeniable. While Josh Schuster will be given first crack at the No 6 jersey following the departure of Kieran Foran, there is pressure from underneath.
Manly knew from a young age that Fainu was destined for the NRL. It’s why they handed him a lucrative four-year deal as a 16-year-old. The Guildford junior is another one from the crop of western Sydney talent the Sea Eagles have snared in recent years.
Feledy struck up a combination with Latu Fainu at Manly, but decided to join the Wests Tigers this year. The Tigers are short on quality outside backs and have identified Feledy as a star of the future.
Unlikely to get time in the NRL the first half of the year, but we know coach Tim Sheens isn’t afraid to throw a teenager into the NRL.
He did it with Chris Lawrence and Benji Marshall and could do it again with Feledy in 2023. Has speed to burn and an attacking game that will excite Tigers fans.
The Dolphins thought they had secured Hassett’s services in a major coup for the NRL’s newcomers. But at the 11th hour Hassett had a change of heart and decided to remain at the Panthers.
Penrith came in late with a revised offer to keep him at the club. While the Panthers have plenty of depth in the forwards, Hassett could come into calculations during the Origin period.
Hassett, a St Marys junior, was part of Penrith’s SG Ball-winning side last year, scoring six tries and racking up 29 tackle busts in 10 games.
25th January 2023
The first ever NRL Harvey Norman All Stars in New Zealand will feature Premiership and representative stars alongside some of the best up-and-coming talent in the men’s and women’s games, as the NRL today announced the teams for the showcase at Rotorua International Stadium on Saturday 11 February.
The home crowd will see Māori superstars including Joseph Manu, James Fisher-Harris, Joseph Tapine and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, up against visiting Indigenous All Stars including Latrell Mitchell, Josh Addo-Carr, Nicho Hynes and Selwyn Cobbo.
The Harvey Norman Women’s All Stars will feature Māori stars including Kennedy Cherrington, Zahara Temara and Olivia Kernick, taking on an Indigenous line-up that includes the likes of Shaylee Bent, Caitlan Johnston and Jaime Chapman.
The women’s and men’s matches will follow a curtain-raiser between the Māori and Indigenous All Stars Touch Football teams.
Tickets are available from NZD$40 for adults and NZD$85 for families via nrl.com/tickets.
Jesse Arthars
Daejarn Asi
Nelson Asofa-Solomona
Zach Dockar-Clay
James Fisher-Harris
Corey Harawira-Naera
Morgan Harper
Royce Hunt
Joseph Manu
Zane Musgrove
Briton Nikora
Hayze Perham
Adam Pompey
Jordan Rapana
Jordan Riki
Joseph Tapine
Starford Toa
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
Dylan Walker
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
Coach: Ben Gardiner
Josh Addo-Carr
Bailey Butler
Selwyn Cobbo
Tyrell Fuimaono
J’maine Hopgood
Nicho Hynes
Ryan James
Josh Kerr
Ezra Mam
Latrell Mitchell
Shaquai Mitchell
Kierran Moseley
Brent Naden
Tyrone Peachey
Tyrell Sloan
Chris Smith
Will Smith
Jamayne Taunoa-Brown
Cody Walker
Jack Wighton
Coach: Ronald Griffiths
Brooke Anderson
Destiny Brill
Gayle Broughton
Harata Butler
Kahu Cassidy
Kennedy Cherrington
Laikha Clarke
Zali Fay
Mya Hill-Moana
Olivia Kernick
Shannon Mato
Capri Paekau
Aaliyah Paki
Shanice Parker
Ashleigh Quinlan
Tiana Raftstrand-Smith
Jasmin Strange
Zahara Temara
Kailey Thompson
Amy Turner
Coach: Keith Hanley
Essay Banu
Shaylee Bent
Jaime Chapman
Bree Chester
Kirra Dibb
Quincy Dodd
Taliah Fuimaono
Tallisha Harden
Caitlan Johnston
Keilee Joseph
Bobbi Law
Mia Middleton
Sareka Mooka
Jasmine Peters
Kaitlyn Phillips
Shaniah Power
Jada Taylor
Tahlulah Tillett
Coach: Ben Jeffries
All Stars matches will be broadcast live on the Nine Network, Fox League, Kayo and Sky Sport NZ.
19 January 2023
Adam Blair knows from personal experience the significance of wearing the Māori jersey and wants to see a full house for the NRL Harvey Norman All Stars: Māori v Indigenous clash in Rotorua in February.
The former Kiwi and NZ Māori player and fellow former Kiwi league star, Isaac Luke, were recently announced as assistant coaches, alongside head coach Benny Gardiner, for the Māori All Stars.
Blair who hails from Te Tai Tokerau, played for 14 years in the NRL and has worn both the Kiwi and Māori jerseys says he is looking forward to returning to Rotorua, this time as assistant coach. Both he and Luke played for the Kiwis in the one-off test against Tonga in Rotorua in 2009.
“First and foremost, I’m really privileged and honoured to be named as an assistant coach. From afar, I have always wanted to be a part of it, once I had finished up playing. I’ve played a couple of times for the Māori All Stars and I really loved my time back then.
“But for me now [as an assistant coach], it is actually the most nervous I have been in a long time because it has become a reality to coach, and to coach Māori at this level is what I have always wanted to do.”
Blair is encouraging Rotorua locals to get behind the event and come support all the teams taking part, especially the Indigenous All Stars.
“It’s a great opportunity to bring this game home and display our people, our culture and what it means to us. I know the Indigenous All Stars are really excited to come over as well and experience our culture.”
New Zealand Māori Rugby League chairman John Devonshire says the Harvey Norman NRL All-Stars will “kick 2023 off in a positive light”.
The exciting clash of cultures between New Zealand Māori and the Australian Indigenous men’s and women’s teams is happening on Saturday, 11 February 2023, at the Rotorua International Stadium.
It will be the first time the event will take place outside of Australia, and Devonshire says Rotorua was the perfect location.
“You could ask any league player or supporter from Rotorua the significance of having a game like this in Rotorua. It’s a great opportunity and a game of this magnitude is good for the city.
Devonshire, whose whakapapa is Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa says the recent appointments of Blair and Luke showed that New Zealand Māori Rugby League was looking to the future.
“There are no more passionate Māori warriors than these two and they will soak it up and they will learn. The other beauty of Benny’s appointment is that they will learn from Benny and, in terms of a succession plan, they are it.”
Coaches for the Māori women’s indigenous team are Keith Hanley (Ngāpuhi) assisted by John Strange (Ngāpuhi), who was with the Sydney Roosters NRLW, and manager Stephaine Spooner (Ngāti Kahungunu).
Prior to the kick-off of the main event between the Aotearoa New Zealand Māori versus Australian Indigenous All Stars, fans will be treated to a mixed touch game between the Māori All Stars and Australian Indigenous All Stars as well as a league clash between the New Zealand Māori Women and the Australian Indigenous Women’s All Stars.
Details can be found here.
Gates open at 1.15pm and the main game kicks-off at 5.45pm. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster click here.
18 January 2023
The National 20s Ruben Wiki Cup returns for 2023, with Bay of Plenty and Wellington joining the competition.
Kicking off Friday, March 3rd, six teams will battle it out for the National 20s title; reigning champions Akarana, Counties Manukau, Waikato Mana, South Island and newcomers Bay of Plenty and Wellington Orcas.
The Ruben Wiki Cup games will be broadcast live on Sky Sport 4 to domestic and international audiences, working as a key development pathway for future high-performance opportunities.
The Ruben Wiki Cup showcases New Zealand’s U20s domestic game and provides clubs and districts with the opportunity to recruit and retain rangatahi talent, an age group notorious for significant drop-offs in sporting activity.
NZRL is looking to expand the National 20s competition in 2024 with the inclusion of an additional two to four District teams, as well as a women’s grade.
NZRL GM of High Performance and Football, Motu Tony, says: “Each year, the competition has provided players with opportunities to further their careers with NRL or NRL-affiliated clubs.
“With each game being broadcast, the competition shines a spotlight on our best young players; not only that, it’s a key development opportunity for coaches, managers, trainers and match officials across the country.
“The Ruben Wiki Cup gets bigger and better every year, and I look forward to a great competition this 2023.”
By Sam Ackerman as seen in Bay of Plenty Times
One of the most promising young sporting talents in the Bay of Plenty is about to leave the country.
This isn’t a story about a disgruntled athlete throwing his toys and taking his talents elsewhere – rather a grateful one who plans to represent the region as he chases his dreams.
Fifteen-year-old Marley Igasan is taking up a contract with NRL heavy hitters the Brisbane Broncos as part of its contracted elite development squad, his recruitment putting him on a pathway towards rugby league’s big time.
It wasn’t a hard decision from a sporting point of view, but it was from a personal perspective.
“I look at it as a bit of inspiration,” Igasan said. “It’s a big privilege to be able to say that I’m from Tauranga and make all my friends and family proud that I’ve achieved this goal from here.
“In a way, I think I represent all the Kiwi kids that want to go over there and play footy. So it’s a good opportunity for me to take that one on my back. It’s just good to represent where you’re from and I plan to never forget that.”
Igasan has crammed much into the last six years since his parents, James and Michelle, decided to bring their son and his sister Piper ‘home’.
Igasan said being in Tauranga allowed him to connect with his culture and fully understand who he is, where he comes from, and what he represents.
“I’ve always been proud of being Māori and a Kiwi but to be surrounded by that culture is something that will always stay with me.”
Born in New Zealand but raised in Perth, Igasan has been playing league since he was 4. Since relocating to his adopted province in 2017, he has become embedded in the Coastline Rugby League environment. Igasan has pulled on the jerseys of the Otūmoetai Eels, the Whalers, and the Upper Central Stallions, going on to be crowned the district’s supreme player of the year.
Igasan (Ngāpuhi and Ngāi Tahu) has grabbed every opportunity to represent his heritage. For the past two years, he was named MVP in his age grade at the Rangatahi Māori Rugby League Tournament while starring for the Pikiao Warriors, going on to co-captain the NZ Māori U15 team at the Pasifika Youth Cup last year.
He also co-captained the Aotearoa Whānui U16 side (made up of players South of the Bombays) that competed against the Auckland Invitational squad.
All this in between jetting back and forward across the Tasman to train with and finally represent the Broncos elite development squad.
Some junior athletes stand out with flashy skills or blistering pace. What sets Igasan apart is his versatility and on-field work ethic.
While comfortable running attacking plays from within the halves and at hooker, his unrelenting defensive drive has also seen him spend time at prop – though it would appear the number 13 jersey is the best fit to mix his ball-playing skills with his thirst for physicality.
His oval ball skills aren’t limited to the 13-man code. Igasan, a former BOP Roller Mills Rugby rep, made the Mount Maunganui College 1st XV not long after his 15th birthday, helping them to the Baywide championship in 2022.
The sportsman hardly sat idle during his Tauranga summers.
A qualified lifeguard, you can find Igasan’s name engraved on numerous awards at the Mount Maunganui Surf Lifesaving Club, as well as racking up a string of national titles at the country’s mecca of junior surf lifesaving, the Oceans Festival. The Igasan siblings have also been two of the prominent athletes featured in TVNZ’s Life Savers series.
He also works as a rippa rugby referee and volleyball coach and said his parents raised him right.
“They’ve taught me to use my manners and be confident but not cocky. I owe a lot to them, for helping me be a good sportsman and good person in general.
“They’ve always told me to keep putting in the mahi, to never stop unless you want to quit, which in our family is not really a thing to do.”
It’s also part of what drew the Broncos – as well as interest from other clubs like the powerhouse Sydney Roosters and NRL newcomers the Dolphins – to Igasan in the first place. Broncos academy manager Mick Kennedy explained why Igasan’s signature has been so highly sought after.
“Marley’s not only a talented kid, but he has high attention to detail. He does a lot of clean-up work, particularly defensively, that goes unnoticed a lot of the time but certainly not unnoticed to his teammates.
“The main attribute that attracted me to Marley is his competitiveness, his will to win out on the field. Every time he steps on the field, he’s doing everything he possibly can to win the game for his team. Players with those types of attributes generally do really well.
“He’s a nice, humble young man – as long as he’s prepared to work hard over the next few years, I’m sure he’ll have a really good opportunity.”
That shouldn’t be an issue for Igasan, never one to complain about a heavy workload.
In a week in June, Igasan played four games in two days at the Māori tournament in Rotorua, drove to Auckland to fly to Brisbane for physical conditioning testing before the return trip 24 hours later, then straight back to Tauranga for school the next day. On top of that, he squeezed in three rugby training sessions and, oh, a game of social basketball.
And it would have been more had bad weather not cancelled his club game.
Igasan was buzzing about joining the Broncos development system that has the legacy of turning juniors into superstars.
“You see all the photos on the wall of premierships won with the likes of Darren Lockyer and you look at the honours board with all of the players you looked up to when you were growing up. It’s amazing, it’s a real professional place to be.”
So highly is Igasan regarded that the Broncos were prepared to allow him to stay based in Tauranga, commuting Trans Tasman regularly for testings, training and games while following a personalised training programme.
But the opportunity to get more regular quality football and have more tournaments at his disposal was one Igasan knew he needed to take – and the sacrifice of moving with his family one they were willing to make.
“The long-term goal is to make it into the NRL and have a really good career but also to be a good person while doing that, finding a way to support different charities and the community. But on the rugby league front, hopefully I will give it a good crack and be one of the greats to come from New Zealand.”
That sounds like a lofty and bold ambition, but Igasan has already shown he doesn’t sit around waiting for his goals to happen. He’s willing to do what it takes to make them a reality.
14th December 2022
As our communities returned to the field post two Covid-disrupted years, a full-strength domestic rugby league calendar saw some stand-out talent across the motu. NZRL is pleased to announce the 2022 Domestic Rugby League Award recipients.
The Grassroots Club of the Year was highly contested in 2022. NZRL would like to recognise runner-up clubs; Ravens (Hukanui / College Old Boys) (Upper Central); Linwood Keas (South Island), He Tauaa Rugby League Club (South Island) and Dannevirke Tigers (Mid Central). All clubs achieved outstanding results regarding participation growth, sideline behaviour, volunteer upskilling and implementing Kiwi Way values across the game.
The Porirua Vikings’ (Wellington) impressive on-field results and representation across all grades, coupled with the impact of their community programme,s has seen them awarded the 2022 Grassroots Club of the Year.
The club was recognised in the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards for outstanding volunteer service to their community. This included a community health day promoting COVID vaccinations and pandemic support and the implementation of an employment programme encouraging unemployed players to undertake education and training to assist with future job prospects.
The 2022 Men’s and Women’s Domestic Player of the Year awards have gone to Tevin Arona (Auckland Vulcans) and Abigail Roache (Counties Manukau).
Arona had an outstanding year leading the Vulcans to their promotion to the 2023 NZRL Premiership after a dominant Championship display. Arona was crowned Championship Final MVP and took home top try-scorer and goal-kicker for the 2022 tournament.
Roache took home the ARL Cathy Friend Women’s Player of the Year before being called up to make her Test debut for the Kiwi Ferns at the Rugby League World Cup in England. She played an integral role at five-eighth guiding the Ferns to a finals appearance at Old Trafford.
The 2022 18s Boy’s and Girl’s Player of Year awards have gone to Rodney Tuipolotu-Vea (Counties Manukau) and Alexis Tauaneai (Upper Central / Wellington).
Tuipolotu-Vea played an integral role in De La Salle’s success story at the NZRL Secondary Schools Tournament, which he followed up with an impressive performance for the NZRL18s Boy’s Schools team.
Tauaneai was crowned National 9s Tournament MVP, playing an integral role in the Orcas’ win. She then impressed at NZRL Youth Girl’s competition for Upper Central making the Girl’s 18s Club squad for 2022.
Counties Manukau stars Augustino Filipo and Braxton Sorensen-McGee, have taken home the Boy’s and Girl’s 16s Player of the Year awards.
Filipo captained the 16s Stingrays to a National Championship victory before making the Auckland Invitational representative squad. He’s described as “a natural born leader who always thinks of others and shows opponents respect on and off the field, win or lose.”
Sorensen-McGee was voted MVP in the Auckland Secondary School final and played an integral role in Auckland Girls’ journey to the National Secondary School final. She was rewarded with a New Zealand Secondary School representative selection before impressing in Counties’ National 16s Girls Youth Tournament victory.
The South Island region has produced the Coach, Manager and Trainer of the year for 2022.
Archie Jacobs has been awarded 2022 Coach of the Year after coaching the South Island 20s, South Island Scorpions 18s Boys and the NZSS 18s Boys.
Canterbury’s Lee Mou has taken home Trainer of the Year after working as head trainer for the Canterbury Bulls, the South Island 20s and the New Zealand 18s Boys Clubs side who were victorious against the NZSS side last month.
Sabrina Manu has been awarded Manager of the Year after a busy 2022 managing the Canterbury Women’s side, South Island Scorpions 16s Girls, 16s Girls Aotearoa Whaanui Team and the Linwood Women’s side.
Paki Parkinson has taken home Match Official of the Year for the third year running after being selected to officiate at the Rugby League World League Cup in England.
Northland’s Gina Allan has been awarded Pirtek Volunteer of the Year for her dedication towards growing rangatahi and female participation in the Northland region. For more information on Gina’s story, click here.
NZRL CEO Greg Peters says, “These awards recognise exceptional work in our domestic and community space both on and off the field.
“Thank you to those in our rugby league communities who continue to go above and beyond for our game. It’s the dedication of our people that keeps rugby league thriving – thank you for another great year.”
2022 NZRL DOMESTIC WINNERS
Grassroots Club of the Year – Porirua Vikings (Wellington)
Men’s Domestic Player of the Year – Tevin Arona (Auckland Vulcans)
Shortlist: Jamel Hunt (Counties Manukau); Jordan Campbell (South Island).
Women’s Domestic Player of the Year – Abigail Roache (Counties Manukau)
Shortlist: Kelly Maipi (Counties Manukau); Cassie Siataga (South Island); Jamie Tautari (Upper Central).
18s Boys Player of the Year – Rodney Tuipolotu-Vea (Counties Manukau)
Shortlist: Jordan Chapman (Wellington); Makaia Tafua (Wellington).
18s Girls Player of the Year – Alexis Tauaneai (Upper Central / Wellington)
Shortlist: Tamisha Tulua (Counties Manukau); Kyla Lynch-Brown (South Island); Kimoana Niupalau (Upper Central).
16s Boys Player of the Year – Augustino Filipo (Counties Manukau)
Shortlist: Joshua Totara Kopua (Counties Manukau); Mangaroa Mark (Waikato); Maui Winitana-Patelesio (Wellington); Ezekiel Faga-Ieti (South Island); Marley Igasan (Upper Central).
16s Girls Player of the Year – Braxton Sorensen-McGee (Counties Manukau)
Shortlist: Molly Byford (Upper Central); Trinity Tauaneai (Wellington); Anya Clark (South Island).
Coach of the Year – Archie Jacobs (South Island)
Shortlist: Andrew Palepale (Counties Manukau); Damian White (Upper Central); Ake Pereira (Wellington); Jed Lawrie (South Island); Steve Buckingham (Akarana).
Trainer of the Year – Lee Mou (South Island)
Shortlist: Nicole Liesching (Counties Manukau); George Smyth (Upper Central); Willie Vunipola (Mid Central).
Manager of the Year – Sabrina Manu (South Island)
Shortlist: Deborah Tupou (Counties Manukau); Cindy Petero (Upper Central).
Match Official of the Year – Paki Parkinson (Upper Central)
Shortlist: Marissa Puketapu (Wellington); Daniel Price (Mid Central); Jack Feavers (Southern Zone).
Pirtek Volunteer of the Year – Gina Allan (Northland)
Off the back of impressive international seasons and Golden Boot accolades, Joseph Manu [Kiwi #815] and Raecene McGregor [Kiwi Fern #140] have both been awarded Player of the Year for 2022.
Breakout performances at debut World Cup campaigns see Dylan Brown and Brianna Clark take home the Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns Rookie of the Year awards, while an outstanding 2022 season sees Ronaldo Mulitalo [Kiwi #824] earn Kiwis Young Player of the Year.
Manu ended the 2022 season solidifying his status as one of the best players in rugby league. He impressed at fullback for the Kiwis, playing out of his usual Dally M centre position, earning MVP of three out of six Kiwis’ internationals for the year. The Tokoroa star ran a world record 401 metres in the Kiwis’ mid-season Test against Tonga and ran more than 300 metres in each of his five World Cup appearances, scoring three tries.
Kiwis’ Head Coach Michael Maguire says, “Joey is a special player and has made his mark as one of the best in the world.
“In a year that’s seen him take home a Dally M, a Golden Boot and now the Player of the Year for his country, he’s well on his way to becoming one of the great Kiwi players.”
Raecene McGregor [Kiwi Fern #140] has earned herself Kiwi Ferns Player of the Year after a spectacular 2022 season. The premier half claimed the 2022 Dally M award and the prestigious Golden Boot to cement her place as one of the best in the world. McGregor led the Kiwi Ferns to a World Cup final and scored three tries with seven try-assists and six line-breaks throughout her international season.
Kiwi Ferns’ Head Coach Ricky Henry says, “Rae is one of those rare players, a leader and a playmaker who’s the best in her position.
“Having her in our campaigns gave the girls a lot of confidence. Her ability to manage a game effectively and make players around her play well are special talents. She’s had a fantastic year and I can’t think of anyone more deserving.”
Dylan Brown [Kiwi #826] has been named the Kiwis Rookie of the Year after an outstanding international season in the Black and White. In June, he debuted for the Kiwis in front of a sold-out Mt Smart Stadium, where he produced two try-assists, 94 metres, and 27 tackles in the 26-6 victory against Tonga. The 22-year-old went on to feature in four matches at the RLWC, scoring his first Test try against Lebanon and dotting down again in a standout individual performance in the valiant semi-final loss to Australia.
Head Coach Michael Maguire says, “Dylan has had an outstanding year full of career milestones, and he’s only just getting started.
“He is an integral member of our Kiwi spine alongside last year’s Player of the Year, Jahrome Hughes. As they spend more time together in the Kiwi jersey, they’re well on their way to becoming one of the strongest pairings in Test football.”
Brianna Clark [Kiwi Fern #164] has taken home Kiwi Ferns Rookie of the Year after a breakout Rugby League World Cup campaign for the Kiwi Ferns.
Clark was a standout, kicking seven goals across the opening two pool wins against France and Cook Islands despite starting on the bench. She came into the front row for the group-stage classic against Australia and scored a try in the semi-final defeat of England taking the Ferns to the World Cup final.
Head Coach Ricky Henry says, “Bri was instrumental for us; she stood out in every game she played.
“She led from the front, put her body on the line and brought energy and momentum to every play. She’s a special player and we’re lucky to have her in our squad.”
Ronaldo Mulitalo [Kiwi #824] has been awarded Kiwis Junior Player of the Year, an accolade that looks at both NRL and international performance. Mulitalo flourished out wide for a burgeoning Cronulla combination in 2022, producing 30 line-breaks and scoring 17 tries in 24 games (equal-third in the NRL) as the club powered to a top-four finish.
The Ellerslie Eagles junior had a stellar Test debut performance as the Kiwis prevailed 26-6 against Tonga in June. He scored on debut, made two line-breaks and ran for 147 metres. Mulitalo, widely regarded as arguably New Zealand’s No.1 winger then shone on the world cup stage, scoring tries against Ireland and Fiji, before producing a brilliant display in the Kiwis’ gallant semi-final exit, capping off an impressive year for the 22-year-old Kiwi.
Head Coach Michael Maguire says, “We have an exciting group of young Kiwi players and Ronnie is a part of that special group.
He’s a very proud Kiwi, and you could see the passion with which he played when he wore the Black and White jersey. If he keeps on the path he’s going, he can become one of the great wingers of our game.”
New Zealand Rugby League would also like to congratulate Roko Nailolo on taking home the Kiwis Physical Disability Player of the Year.
Roko was sensational at the Physical Disability Rugby League World Cup, scoring a hattrick in 12 minutes against Australia and leading the team to a World Cup final against England. He was an integral playmaker in every game and arguably the best in the competition.
2022 NZRL AWARD WINNERS
Kiwis Player of the Year – Joseph Manu
Kiwi Ferns Player of the Year – Raecene McGregor
Kiwis Physical Disability Player of the Year – Roko Nailolo
Kiwis Rookie of the Year – Dylan Brown
Kiwi Ferns Rookie of the Year – Brianna Clark
Kiwis Young Player of the Year – Ronaldo Mulitalo
24 November 2022
2022 sees the return of the prestigious Pirtek Volunteer of the Month award, where our rugby league community gets a chance to see their hard mahi recognised across the motu. This award is gifted to a volunteer who displays the core values of NZRL’s Kiwi Way: being family first, innovative, inclusive, respectful, respectful and humble. We are excited to announce that the final winner of 2022 and the month of November is Siosiua Kailahi.
Siosiua Kailahi delves his hat into many roles across the rugby league community. Kailahi is the head coach for the U13 Wolfpack rugby league side, the U13 Hakula Tonga representative side, the St. Pauls Junior squad while also holding roles with the New Zealand Canterbury Bulldogs academy and U18s Dean Bell North White side (Assistant coach).
Dedicated to a role where he works with young men, Kailahi is much more than a coach. Siosuia acts as a role model, counsellor, mentor and father figure to all the youth that oversees. For Sosh (as he is known), it is more than just rugby league. The game is a vehicle that allows him to connect and mentor teenagers into becoming men. It is about how they represent themselves and their families on and off the pitch.
Sosh encourages the boys he coaches to be accountable, to be respectful and, most importantly, to be connected.
His energy never wavers between the three teams he coaches, and his efforts show that rugby league can be a driver for creating young role models in the community.
Pirtek CEO Chris Bourke commented on Kailahi, “Siosiua Kailahi is a worthy winner of the Pirtek Volunteer of the Month award for November. Kailahi displays and delivers on all of the core values of NZRL’s Kiwi Way.
He is innovative with his coaching methods and values respect and humility in his teams. Importantly, Siosuia is humble and teaches the young boys to be modest in life via his involvement with the teams he is associated with.“
Volunteers need to be recognised for their commitment and dedication, and Siosiua epitomises those values.
Congratulations Siosiua!
15 November 2022
New Zealand’s Joey Manu and Raecene McGregor, and England’s Sebastien Bechara, are the 2022 IRL Golden Boot winners as the Men’s, Women’s and Wheelchair international player of the year.
Manu, McGregor and Bechara received the Golden Boot awards in Manchester on Tuesday after a comprehensive judging process involving former Test greats, rugby league pioneers and members of the media.
Golden Cap recipient Adrian Morley, who is one of just nine players to have played 50 or more Tests, presented the Men’s Golden Boot to Manu – the sixth Kiwi to win the award since its inception in 1984.
McGregor is the first New Zealander to be awarded the Women’s Golden Boot, which was introduced in 2018 and won by Jillaroos centre Isabelle Kelly, who passed the honour to team-mate Jessica Sergis the following year.
The Wheelchair Golden Boot was introduced in 2019, with Bechara’s England team-mate Jack Brown being the inaugural winner but due to COVID the award has not been presented for the past two years.
Manu has been a revelation at fullback for the Kiwis – a position he doesn’t usually play for the Sydney Roosters – and was a stand-out in the mid-season Test against Tonga, as well as each of New Zealand’s World Cup matches.
Significantly, McGregor and Bechara also played mid-season Tests and their performances helped them to edge out Golden Boot rivals.
“Joey and Raecene have been a standout players for New Zealand this entire year,” said NZRL CEO Greg Peters.
“Out of the six Test matches the Kiwis have played, Joey has been MVP of half of those (v Tonga, Lebanon and Fiji) and has been one of our best throughout the World Cup. Raecene was only recently crownded Dally M Player of the Year and to add the best player in the international game to her calibre of awards is outstanding.
“Players like Joey and Raecene inspire generations of young Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns coming through at every level. They wear the jersey with pride and play an integral role in our game.
“I can’t think of any two more deserving, this is a great day to be a Kiwi and they have both done their countries proud.”
IRL chair Troy Grant said: “The IRL Golden Boot is one of the oldest and most prestigious awards in rugby league, and recognises performances at international level.
“In the past it has been won by some of the greatest players to have played the game, such as Wally Lewis, Mal Meninga, Ellery Hanley, Andy Farrell, Peter Sterling, Andrew Johns, Benji Marshall, Stacey Jones, Darren Lockyer, Johnathon Thurston and Cameron Smith.
“Now Joey, Raecene and Sebastien join them after each producing a series of outstanding performances for their nations, from the mid-season internationals to the World Cup.
“On behalf of the IRL, I would like to congratulate Joey, Raecene and Sebastien, as well as the players who were selected on the short lists for the Men’s, Women’s and Wheelchair Golden Boot awards.
“In each case, the stand-out performances of the winner in the mid-season Test gave them an edge over other contenders coming into the World Cup, which may have helped to decide the awards.
“I would also like to thank all who helped participate in the judging process, including giants of the international game, Cameron Smith, Honey Hireme-Smiler, James Graham, Karen Murphy and Ruben Wiki.”
Smith (Australia), Graham (England and Great Britain) and Wiki (New Zealand), who are Golden Cap recipients, helped selected Manu as the Men’s Golden Boot winner after a panel of journalists and commentators chose a short list of candidates.
Manu ran a world record 401 metres with the ball in New Zealand’s mid-season Test against Tonga and has ran more than 300 metres in each of his five World Cup appearances.
Kiwis Head Coach Michael Maguire says, “Joey has definitely been a standout this year. He set the bar high in a great mid-year Test match against Tonga and continued on the form throughout the World Cup.
“Joey has a big career in the Kiwi jersey ahead of him. If he keeps going the way he is, I’m sure he will get a few more Golden Boots, along with going down as one of the greats for the Kiwis.”
The Women’s Golden Boot was chosen by a panel, which included Jillaroos and Kiwi Ferns greats Murphy and Hireme-Smiler, commentator and former England star Danika Priim, refereeing pioneer Julia Lee, and members of the media.
McGregor’s award caps a stunning year for the Kiwi Ferns halfback, who was uncontracted for the postponed 2021 NRLW season until winning player-of-the match for the Māori All Stars.
After helping Sydney Roosters to the NRLW Premiership early in the year, she was awarded the Dally M Medal as the best player of the 2022 NRLW season.
Kiwi Ferns Head Coach Ricky Henry commented, “Rae is a special player, she’s one of those rare players, it’s been a fantastic year for her.
“She’s grown in this space not only as a leader but as a playmaker, she’s quality and the best in her position.
“Having her in our campaign has given us a lot of confidence not only with her ability to game manage but how she makes the players around her look good too.
“To be awarded Golden Boot is a massive achievement considering the amount of high-profile players that have been around the game for a long time.”
The Women’s Golden Boot award was presented to McGregor, who was accompanied by sister and Test team-mate Page, by long serving RFL executive and RLWC2021 director Karen Moorhouse.
Bechara has also been consistently one of the best players every time he has played, starring in England’s mid-season Test win over France, who they will again meet in the World Cup final at Manchester Central on Friday night.
He edged England team-mate Jack Brown, who is based in Australia and did not play the mid-season Test, and France’s Jérémy Bourson.
The IRL Wheelchair Golden Boot was presented by Wheelchair Rugby League pioneer, Malcolm Kielty, MBE, who was on a panel of officials, coaches, referees and members of the media to choose the award.
Short lists:
Men: Josh Addo-Carr (Australia), Jarome Luai (Samoa), Joey Manu (New Zealand), Victor Radley (England), George Williams (England).
Women: Elsie Albert (Papua New Guinea), Tarryn Aiken (Australia), Amber-Paris Hall (New Zealand), Raecene McGregor (New Zealand), Courtney Winfield-Hill (England).
Wheelchair: Sebastien Bechara (England), Jérémy Bourson (France), Jack Brown (England), Nicolas Clausells (France), Diab Karim (Australia).
Golden Boot Winners
MEN’S 1984 Wally Lewis (AUS) 1985 Brett Kenny (AUS) 1986 Garry Jack (AUS) 1987 Hugh McGahan (NZL) 1987 Peter Sterling (AUS) 1988 Ellery Hanley (ENG) 1989 Mal Meninga (AUS) 1992 Garry Schofield (ENG) 1991-98 No award given 1999 Andrew Johns (AUS) 2000 Brad Fittler (AUS) 2001 Andrew Johns (AUS) 2002 Stacey Jones (NZL) 2003 Darren Lockyer (AUS) 2004 Andrew Farrell (ENG) 2005 Anthony Minichiello (AUS) 2006 Darren Lockyer (AUS) 2007 Cameron Smith (AUS) 2008 Billy Slater (AUS) 2009 Greg Inglis (AUS) 2010 Benji Marshall (NZL) 2011 Johnathan Thurston (AUS) 2012 Kevin Sinfield (ENG) 2013 Johnathan Thurston (AUS) 2014 Shaun Johnson (NZL) 2015 Johnathan Thurston (AUS) 2016 Cooper Cronk (AUS) 2017 Cameron Smith (AUS) 2018 Tommy Makinson (ENG) 2019 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (NZL) 2020 No award given 2021 No award given 2022 Joey Manu (NZL)
WOMEN’S 2018 Isabelle Kelly (AUS) 2019 Jessica Sergis (AUS) 2020 No award given 2021 No award given 2022 Raecene McGregor (NZL)
WHEELCHAIR 2019 Jack Brown (ENG) 2020 No award given 2021 No award given 2022 Sebastien Bechara (England)
Cameron Murray’s second-half try carried Australia into the World Cup final at New Zealand’s expense as the Kangaroos edged a breathless encounter 16-14 at Elland Road.
The Kiwis led 14-10 at the break through scores from Jahrome Hughes and Dylan Brown but Murray found a gap on 55 minutes to settle a contest which lived up to the pre-match hype and swung both ways throughout.
New Zealand saw two Peta Hiku tries disallowed in the second half as Australia, for whom Josh Addo-Carr and Valentine Holmes also crossed, continued their record of not missing a men’s World Cup final since 1954.
Much of the pre-match discussion had centred around the full-back battle between James Tedesco and Joey Manu and it was the latter who had the first key involvement as the Kiwis drew first blood on 11 minutes.
Manu rose highest to claim Brown’s perfectly judged kick and his offload gave Hughes a simple finish for a score converted by Jordan Rapana.
Rapana was soon in defensive action, delivering a heavy hit on Addo-Carr, but it left no lasting impact on the flying wing as Australia quickly levelled matters.
Ben Hunt sent the ball skywards from 40 metres out and it landed on a sixpence for the jet-heeled Addo-Carr to dot down on the left for his 12th try of the tournament, equalling teammate Holmes’ 2017 record for the most tries scored in a men’s World Cup.
Rapana’s boot edged New Zealand 8-6 in front, Cam Munster penalised for offside when Tedesco spilled Hughes’ grubber kick into him, but the Kangaroos again bounced back quickly.
This time it was Holmes who applied the finishing touch following an incisive run by Jack Wighton, who sold Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad a dummy and offloaded to the Cowboys wing for a try which survived a check by the video referee.
Cleary’s conversion attempt slid across the face of the posts and a pulsating first half had time for one more twist as the Kiwis struck again.
Ronaldo Mulitalo was released down the left and once he had evaded Wighton’s despairing dive, he had time to assess his options and release inside for Brown to run in unopposed.
Rapana’s kick gave Michael Maguire’s side a 14-10 lead at the interval and they thought they had extended it further five minutes into the second half when Hiku crossed following fine work by Moses Leota.
But the try was disallowed for offside, Rapana having been in front of the kicker when boot was put to ball, and the Kangaroos swiftly made the most of their reprieve when awarded a penalty five metres out.
A simple two points were on offer but Australia had bigger plans and when the ball was popped to Murray, he caught the Kiwi defence napping to power under the posts.
There was no let-up in the physicality as the game approached the hour mark, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui crunching into Manu to force a knock-on before Cazoo Player of the Match Liam Martin’s brutal hit on Nelson Asofa-Solomona led to a spot of handbags as the on-field temperate continued to rise.
Harry Grant’s dart was held up by last-ditch Kiwi defending as the Kangaroos interchange looked to inject a spark but New Zealand, who had spent much of the second half defending, soon upped the ante in search of a dramatic late winner.
They were inches away from finding one courtesy of Hiku, who was again denied after he ran out of space, grounding Hughes’ grubber on the touchline.
That proved the last of the Kiwis’ chances as Australia held on to seal a ninth win in their last 10 World Cup matches against New Zealand and book their place at Old Trafford next weekend.
York, England, November 11, 2022 – Prop Moses Leota is confirmed on the bench while Isaiah Papali’i and Briton Nikora form a new second row combination for the New Zealand Kiwis’ Rugby League World Cup semi-final against the Kangaroos at Elland Road in Leeds today (7.45pm kick-off local time; 8.45am Saturday NZT).
Leota will make just his second appearance of the tournament as he returns on the interchange alongside Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Isaac Liu and Kieran Foran.
After using Asofa-Solomona and Kenny Bromwich in the second row in last week’s quarter-final against Fiji, head coach Michael Maguire has selected the 24-year-olds Papali’i and Nikora in the second row after both were on the interchange against Fiji.
Bromwich is 18th man and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak is 19th.
NZ KIWIS v AUSTRALIAN KANGAROOS
Elland Road, Leeds
7.45pm, Friday, November 11 2022
Jordan Rapana’s late show ensured New Zealand survived a major scare to beat Fiji 24-18 and set up a mouth-watering semi-final clash with Australia.
In a classic encounter, the Bati had threatened to repeat their famous upset win at the same stage in 2017, as they led the quarter-final 12-6 at half-time after tries from Maika Sivo and captain Kevin Naiqama were followed by Ronaldo Mulitalo’s effort for the Kiwis.
Naiqama’s quick-thinking restablished his side’s 12-point cushion at the start of the second period but the number one ranked side in the world were at their imperious best, fighting back through tries from Briton Nikora and Joey Manu to level at 18-18 and set up a dramatic finish.
Rapana’s crucial penalty kick then gave the Kiwis the lead for the first time in the game, before the winger’s try sealed it in the closing stages.
Fiji will leave the tournament with their heads held high after arguably an even better performance, than the one that saw them knock New Zealand out in Wellington five years ago in what was undoubtedly the game of the tournament so far.
It was the Bati who got the dream start in Hull when winger Sivo barged through the tackles to go over in the corner for his fourth score of the tournament.
The lead was nothing less than Fiji deserved and when skipper Naiqama cut a superb short line through the Kiwi defence to cross the favourites were in real trouble.
But the Kiwis got themselves back in the contest when the pacey Mulitalo flew over in the corner for his second try of the tournament, with Rapana putting their kicking difficulties firmly behind them with a perfect touchline conversion.
New Zealand continued to bang on the door, Dylan Brown’s high kick causing a scramble in the left-hand corner and although they kept the ball in play the Kiwis could not find a way over the whitewash.
Mulitalo looked New Zealand’s main threat throughout the opening 40, but Fiji’s ability to withstand the pressure and maintain their physicality across the pitch ensured Wise Kativerata’s team led at the break.
The Kiwis had started the second half with a renewed purpose in their sets, but were dealt a further blow when Naiqama dummied from dummy-half and went down the short side before faking another pass to spin through the challenges to restore the Bati’s 12-point lead.
Undeterred, New Zealand responded when interchange Briton Nikora took advantage of Fiji’s defence dropping off the tackle close to the line to find the whitewash.
Only minutes later they went mightily close to levelling when Mulitalo looked to have grounded the ball in the corner only for Brandon Wakeham to produce a sensational last-ditch tackle, video referee Tom Grant confirming the on-field decision of no try.
Despite the half-back’s try-scoring save the 2008 world champions kept up the pressure, and they restored parity when Mulitalo’s clever burst infield gave magic man Manu his third try of the tournament.
Then came a thrilling last ten minutes, with Rapana showing no nerves to slot his penalty between the posts after New Zealand’s captain’s challenge overruled Gerard Sutton’s original knock-on call and saw Viliame Kikau penalised for stripping the ball illegally from Manu.
That swung the quarter-final the Kiwis way but there was still time for Fiji to throw everything at them in the closing minutes.
But they couldn’t take advantage of some sustained territory and Rapana had the final say by diving over in the corner in the dying seconds to close the book on a last eight classic
Hull, England, November 5, 2022 – Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad has been brought into the centres and Nelson Asofa-Solomona will again start in the second row in the New Zealand Kiwis’ Rugby League World Cup quarter-final against Fiji Bati at MKM Stadium in Hull today (7.30pm kick-off local time; 8.30am Sunday NZT).
In confirming the line-up for the match, head coach Michael Maguire has recalled Nicoll-Klokstad after using Briton Nikora in the centres in last week’s 48-10 win over Ireland.
The starting side is otherwise unchanged from the one used against the Wolfhounds.
Kieran Foran, Isaiah Papali’i and Isaac Liu are again on the interchange along with Nikora.
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has been withdrawn from the squad due to a hamstring injury. Scott Sorensen is 18th man and Jeremy Marshall-King is 19th man.
NZ KIWIS v FIJI
MKM Stadium, Hull
7.30pm, Saturday, November 5, 2022
For inquiries please contact:
Media Manager
New Zealand Kiwis
Mobile: +64 21 814 537
Email: mediamanager@nzrl.co.nz
3 November 2022
The Kiwis enter the Rugby League World Cup finals this weekend, and what better way to watch the boys than to head down to your local rugby league club and watch as a community! The quarter-final features the Kiwis going up against a robust Fiji Bati side this Sunday, whilst our Kiwi Ferns take on a tough Jillaroo’s side hot off their 46-0 victory over France.
Both games will be streamed at Mt Albert and Mangere East, with the opportunity to send some messages of support to the players and send some questions for your favourite players to answer! Both clubs will provide a menu for both breakfast and coffee.
We encourage everyone to come and support our men and women representing Aotearoa!
Upcoming Watch Parties:
QUARTER FINAL: Kiwis vs Fiji – 6th November 8:30 am (Doors open at 8 am)
Kiwi Ferns vs Jillaroos – 11th November 8:30 am (Doors open at 8 am)
31 October 2022
2022 sees the return of the prestigious Pirtek Volunteer of the Month award, where our rugby league community gets a chance to see their hard mahi recognised across the motu. This award is gifted to a volunteer who displays the core values of NZRL’s Kiwi Way: being family first, innovative, inclusive, respectful, respectful and humble. We are excited to announce that the winner for the month of October is Grant Woodgate
Grant Woodgate has been a servant to the Hornby Rugby League Club since he donned the jersey in 1952. From there, he went on to play not just for Hornby but for Canterbury too.
Woodgate then moved into coaching, managing, trainer and strapper roles as he remained passionate about serving the Hornby club and his community. Woodgate eventually became Club President and is now a Life Member of the Club, a rugby league club he has poured his heart and soul into.
To this day, Grant never questions the calls for help or support; he serves the club where he can with a smile on his face. His selfless gift is his time; Woodgate remains at the grounds after training and games, interacting with the players or mentoring the juniors. He offers his services as a strapper or trainer, providing valuable insight where he can.
After so many years of service to Hornby Rugby League Club, Woodgate’s enthusiasm and energy never wavers. He always makes time for the club, its staff and its players and has been a pivotal part of the Panthers’ growth.He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, He tangata, He tangata!
Pirtek CEO Chris Bourke commented, “The acknowledgment of Grant Woodgate’s commitment and importance to Hornby Rugby League Club is supported by all of the people associated with the club.”
Grant has done it all for the club, starting as a player in 1952 and still shows his dedication to the club after many years.”
“Grant’s dedication to the club and game goes beyond normal volunteering expectations, and that’s why Grant is a very worthy winner of the Pirtek Volunteer of the Month.”
Congratulations Grant!
