Strapping Melbourne Storm winger Will Warbrick featured in an NRL grand final and won a Kiwis call-up just three years after winning a silver medal for New Zealand at the Tokyo Olympics.
Kawerau-born, Rotorua Boys’ High pupil Warbrick represented the New Zealand AFL team at age-group and senior level, as well as turning out for Ngongotaha Chiefs in the Bay of Plenty Rugby League juniors.
He first represented the New Zealand rugby sevens team in 2019 and featured in the team that went down to Fiji in the Olympic final two years later.
Tall and athletic, Warbrick piqued the interest of Storm scouts and after a season honing his skills with Queensland Cup feeder club Sunshine Coast Falcons, the 25-year-old made his NRL debut in Round 1 of 2023.
Warbrick’s rookie-year tally of 17 tries in 25 games included a four-try haul against Wests Tigers and a hat-trick against St George Illawarra, while he scored the last-minute match-winning try – a trademark aerial effort latching onto a kick – in Melbourne’s semi-final defeat of Sydney Roosters.
The Storm’s Rookie of the Year and Back of the Year finished his first season in the big time by representing Kiwis A against Tonga A at Eden Park.
Warbrick’s follow-up campaign in 2024 was equally impressive, scoring 15 tries, making 16 line-breaks and 74 tackle-breaks, and averaging 163 metres per game as minor premier Melbourne powered into the grand final.
The pain of the 14-6 loss to Penrith in the decider was soothed days later with Warbrick’s naming in the Kiwis’ Pacific Championships squad.
In a memorable Test debut, Warbrick made 182 metres and two line-breaks, and scored a sensational second-half try from a Shaun Johnson kick in New Zealand’s 22-10 loss to Australia in Christchurch, before lining up a week later in the Kiwis’ nail-biting loss to Tonga in Auckland.
