Born: 7 September, 1994 – Auckland
Test record: 1 Test (2018) – 0 points

Auckland-born Samoa international Herman Ese’ese represented New Zealand in one Test in 2018.

The Mangere East junior was spotted by Canterbury Bulldogs and headed across the Tasman in 2011, before playing for the club’s NYC team in 2013-14.

Boasting a imposing frame and great mobility, Ese’ese was a 20-year-old NRL debutant in 2015 but made only a solitary appearance in the top flight for the Bulldogs before being released over an off-field incident.

Brisbane handed Ese’ese a lifeline and he gradually became a regular in Wayne Bennett’s line-up, debuting for Samoa against England midway through 2017 and playing in all four of the island nation’s World Cup matches that year after featuring in Brisbane’s run to the preliminary final.

After joining Newcastle in 2018, Ese’ese was one of seven Kiwi debutants fielded against England in the historic mid-season Test in Denver, coming off the bench in the 36-18 loss. He racked up 22 tackles and five carries in 25 minutes of game-time.

Ese’ese played 62 games for the Knights over three seasons, but his career stalled somewhat after linking with Gold Coast Titans. He made just 16 top-grade appearances across the 2021-22 campaigns before being recruited by the fledgling Dolphins for their 2023 NRL entry.