Born: August 28, 1986 – Napier
Test record: 45 Tests (2006-15, 2017) – 7 tries (28 points)
Tours: 2006 Tri Nations, 2007 tour of Britain and France, 2008 World Cup, 2010 Four Nations, 2011 Four Nations, 2013 World Cup, 2014 Four Nations, 2017 World Cup

Simon Mannering became a modern era standard-bearer for consistency, durability, mental toughness and professional preparation during 14 seasons at the elite level. Meanwhile, the versatile Nelson product’s lead-by-example captaincy garnered glittering achievements in a career that encompassed 45 Tests for New Zealand and 301 games for the Warriors.

Born in Hastings before moving to Motueka as a child, Mannering was a handy first XV rugby player at Nelson College when rugby league development officer Paul Bergman encouraged him to try the 13-a-side code. Mannering made the 2003 New Zealand Secondary Schools team after a handful of games of rugby league, then represented Junior Kiwis and New Zealand A the following season after turning out in the Bartercard Cup for Wellington Orcas as a 17-year-old.

Getting an NRL grounding as a centre in 2005-06, Mannering received his maiden Kiwis call-up just weeks after his 20th birthday for the 2006 Four Nations – starting all five matches in the back-row. He lined up at centre in the 2007 Anzac Test and featured in the pack throughout the Kiwis’ post-season schedule.

Mannering made a permanent move to the second-row for the Warriors in 2008 and won the first of five club Player of the Year awards, a prize that would eventually be renamed in his honour. But he moved back to the centres in the Kiwis’ World Cup final line-up and did a superb job up against Kangaroos dangerman Greg Inglis in a stunning 34-20 triumph.

Installed as Warriors captain in 2010 at just 23, he was a backline rock once more as the Kiwis again rolled the Kangaroos at Suncorp Stadium in the Four Nations final. Mannering was firmly established as one of the NRL’s premier second-rowers and leaders as he guided the Warriors to the 2011 grand final, while his adaptability saw him switch between centre, second-row and lock for the Kiwis.

Mannering assumed the New Zealand captaincy for the 2013 World Cup, a memorable campaign that ended with a loss to Australia in the final at Old Trafford. But he skippered three Test victories over the Kangaroos in the next two seasons, including the 2014 Four Nations final in Wellington and a drought-breaking Anzac Test victory in Brisbane in 2015.

Unavailable for the Kiwis’ end-of-year commitments in 2015 and their 2016 schedule, the stoic workhorse relinquished his Test and club captaincy roles but remained an unwaveringly reliable contributor for the Warriors.

Mannering returned for New Zealand in 2017 and had his international swansong at the World Cup, before helping the Warriors end a seven-year finals absence during his 2018 farewell season. He became the first player to make 300 appearances for the Warriors, just the 16th player in history to reach the mark at one club and only the second Kiwi to bring up a triple-century in the premiership.

The indefatigable Mannering’s Test appearances tally was behind only Ruben Wiki, Gary Freeman and Stacey Jones when he donned the Kiwis jersey for the last time.

Mannering was inducted into the NZRL Legends of League in 2024.