Aotearoa Warriors Diary: What You Are Missing About The 2023 Season
As the NZ Warriors bandwagon picks up passengers with wins and big crowds at Mt Smart, Warriors have an abundance of talent shining below the NRL in a winning NSW Cup team. Folks loved to complain about Warriors recruitment and development of local talent during the pandemic, which along with folks pondering the biggest change from season to season, can be answered quite simply as Warriors were the most notable victims of pandemic NRL footy.
The pandemic era ripped away all Warriors teams below NRL. No one's fault. Warriors had to adapt and the seeds of 2023 success were planted during the Warriors-Redcliffe phase. Two impressive NRL debutants for Warriors this season are Demitric Sifakula and Ali Leiataua, both of whom played key roles in the Redcliffe U21s team who made the Grand Final of Queensland's Hastings Deering Colts competition.
Young lads from Auckland who signed with Warriors, in theory to stay in Aotearoa, were then shuffled over to Redcliffe. Leiataua was a consistet presence at centre for Redcliffe with 13 tries in 13 games and as soon as Sifakula was available for selection, he was quickly promoted from a bench option to starting prop in the final. For anyone worried about the talent in Aotearoa and the Warriors system, these lads were among the best U21 players in Queensland last year.
Zyon Maiu'u and Jacob Laban also played finals footy for Redcliffe U21s last year. While they haven't made their NRL debuts this year, Maiu'u has played 19 games of NSW Cup and Laban has played 11 games in reserve grade. Maiu'u is quietly simmering as one of the best young props in NSW Cup and as Laban dabbled in SG Ball (NSW Under 19) footy this year, the Randwick junior was playing U21s last year while U19 eligible this year.
Laban only dabbled in SG Ball footy before sliding into regular NSW Cup mahi. Along with Laban's promotion, Tanner Stowers-Smith (Halswell) and Selumiela (Leka) Halasima (Mangere East) have also jumped up from U19 SG Ball to NSW Cup this season. Stowers-Smith has played seven games of reserve grade and Halasima has played 15 games, usually as the youngest player on the field.
There is no shortage of impressive youngsters in this yarn, although Halasima may be the pick of the bunch. Halasima was listed as 17-years-old earlier this year and he had a brief stint in U19 SG Ball before moving to NSW Cup, playing 19 minutes in a round four win over Bulldogs. Since then, Halasima has barely missed a game and is currently on a five game streak of 80-minute performances.
Halasima is probably still in school at Southern Cross Campus and he is playing 80mins in reserve grade most weekends. Not only that, but Halasima has played middle, edge and centre in NSW Cup. All of that builds a compelling case for Halasima to be the best prospect in NSW Cup.
Other SG Ball players who have since played NSW Cup are hooker Etuate Fukofuka, Eddie Ieremia and Patrick Moimoi. Moimoi has only played one game at centre, Ieremia has played three games and Fukofuka has played two games after shifting from halfback duties in 1st 15 rugby for St Peter's College to hooker for Warriors.
Most of the SG Ball lads are now playing against men in NSW Cup or Fox Premiership. Halasima, Laban and Stowers-Smith are usually playing NSW Cup. Fukofuka is a consistent presence in Pt Chevalier's team along with his St Peter's 1st 15 homies Presley Seumanu and Siale Faeamani, plus Harry Durbin (Pikiao). Juelz Baker was in the wider SG Ball squad and he also pops up in the Pt Chev team lists some weeks.
Moimoi plays for Mt Albert, alongside Raphael Sio and William Piliu. Ieremia plays for Howick with Kayliss Fatialofa, Phranklyn Mano-Le-Mamea and Rodney Tuipulotu-Vea. Sefanaia Cowley-Lupo is a half for Bay Roskill, while Otahuhu have Christchurch's Makaia Tafua (Linwood) and Ben Peni.
Enjoy this while it lasts. Despite there being benefits for young lads playing against men at this grassroots level, this is a product of Warriors only having an SG Ball and NSW Cup team. Next year Warriors will have an U21 Jersey Flegg team as a bridge between SG Ball and NSW Cup, along with the U17 Harold Matthews Cup team. Regardless, most of the 2023 SG Ball squad are playing against men in NSW Cup or Fox Premiership right now.
Mid-way through round 22 of NSW Cup, Warriors are 2nd on the ladder as they enjoy a bye. Warriors are essentially a top-five team in NSW Cup with Halasima being the leading youngster in most games, numerous SG Ball players and a crop of lads in their first full campaign of reserve grade.
Warriors are boosted by experienced troopers such as James Gavet, Paterika Vaivai and Brayden Williame in NSW Cup. There are hearty reserve graders such as Michael Sio, Eiden Ackland, Nicholas Halalilo and Tahi Baggaley making strong contributions every week as well. Generally though, Warriors NSW Cup selections skew younger with precise recruitment bolstering a squad full of supreme young talent from Aotearoa.
Taine Tuaupiki was an excellent piece of recruitment after he dominated Queensland Cup with Burleigh last year. Setu Tu had a train and trial contract with Dolphins before returning to Auckland and is a creative force on the wing. Sanele Aukusitino left Wellington to pursue opportunities with Raiders and Sea Eagles, before returning to Aotearoa to offer powerful wing mahi.
Moala Graham-Taufa and his twin brother Lani were in the Roosters system as Marist juniors at Mt Albert Grammar School, while making most NZRL representative teams. Both returned to Auckland this year and after making his NRL debut for Roosters in 2021, Moala has played 19 games of NSW Cup for Warriors this season. Moala has made significant contributions to Warriors NSW Cup as he covers centre and wing, while Lani is playing for Marist in Fox Prem.
Ben Farr joined Warriors from Wynnum in Queensland Cup and the 22-year-old Aussie is also providing value with his versatility. Farr has played most games this season, mainly in the halves alongside Ronald Volkman but also at fullback and covering outside back positions. Farr and Tuaupiki are examples of nifty recruitment from Australia, both are young lads with sneaky experience who provide leadership and winning mahi.
Warriors also picked up Northland's Kalani Going who left Aotearoa to enter the Raiders system before joining Tweed Heads in Queensland Cup. Going returned to Aotearoa and played for Northland in NPC before joining Warriors and playing 80mins in nearly every game this season. Going has played edge and middle for Warriors, offering a similar package to Dylan Walker when playing through the middle.
Solomon Vasuvulagi returned to Glenora from the Cowboys system and he is yet another example of a nifty pick up. Vasuvulagi may be the biggest bopper below NRL for Warriors and while someone like Maiu'u is next in line behind Sifakula as emerging forwards, Vasuvulagi's size offers a different twist. Having only played six games in NSW Cup this season, Vasuvulagi is a funky prospect to keep track of.
Isaiah Vagana also offers size as a young prop and the Te Atatu/Mt Albert junior is an undercover youngster who has scope to blossom into NRL opportunities. Vagana played Jersey Flegg for Warriors before the pandemic and came off the bench for NSW Cup Warriors in their only game of 2020. Vagana didn't move to Redcliffe during the pandemic but has played 19 games this year, forming a dynamic middle forward duo with Maiu'u.
All of which builds out a Warriors depth chart that offers cover in every position. Tuaupiki, Leiataua, Edward Kosi, Ronald Volkman, Freddy Lussick and Sifakula are all youngsters who are ready to plug holes in the NRL team. Te Maire Martin and Jazz Tevaga have missed the last few months with injury and they add to this depth. Here is a depth chart of players who are not top-17 lads right now...
NZ Warriors Depth
Backs
Taine Tuaupiki, Edward Kosi, Ali Leiataua, Brayden Williame, Viliami Vailea, Moala Graham-Taufa, Setu Tu, Sanele Aukusitino
Halves
Te Maire Martin, Ronald Volkman, Ben Farr
Hooker
Freddy Lussick, Michael Sio, Etuate Fukofuka (SGB)
Forwards
Jazz Tevaga, Demitric Sifakula, Zyon Maiu'u, Kalani Going, Isaiah Vagana, Jacob Laban (SGB), Selumiela Halasima (SGB) , Solomon Vasuvulagi, Tanner Stowers-Smith (SGB), Eddie Ieremia (SGB)
Worried about that Bulldogs partnership with Canterbury Rugby League? Warriors already have Stowers-Smith and Tafua from Canterbury as SG Ball/NSW Cup lads. Warriors also signed four players from Canterbury for next season with Bishop Neal and Lennox Tuiloma joining the Harold Matthew squad, while Jackson Stewart and Ezekiel Faga-Ieti will join SG Ball.
That announcement of the Canterbury quartet also included the signing of Aussie youngster Tom Summer who played for Tweed Heads and will join the SG Ball squad next year. Summer appears to be a robust middle forward with a slick passing skillset, which is notable considering how important passing in the middle has been for Warriors this season.
There have been reports that Warriors may sign Jett Cleary from the Panthers system. This would be a lovely move as Jett's pathway is blocked by older brother Nathan at Panthers and as Andrew Webster worked with the Cleary whanau at Panthers, Warriors could be a trusted environment for Jett to develop. Following this theme of young Aussie play-makers, Byron Bay Rugby League announced that Jesse Soric would be moving to Warriors for next season.
NZ Warriors are winning in the NRL and cooking up one of the best game day atmospheres in the NRL. They have clear game plans, can rip teams apart with varied attacking shapes and they are gritty in defence. All of which shines every time Warriors play while below the NRL, Warriors have depth in every position and a NSW Cup team that isn't just one of the best reserve grade outfits, they have some of the best youngsters in NSW Cup.
This is merely what is happening in 2023, before immense expansion next year. Warriors continue to sign players with specific skillsets and they have enough mana to lure impressive Aussie youngsters to Aotearoa. The two Andys have quickly made an impact at Warriors with Andrew Webster leading the NRL group through a successful phase, while Andrew McFadden builds one of the best development pipelines in the NRL.
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Peace and love.