New Zealand Women Warriors added another play-maker to their 2025 NRLW roster in Patricia Maliepo and still have a few spots available in their NRLWahine squad. Maliepo is new to rugby league but like many of the players signed for NZWW return to NRLW, she comes from a high performance background and has brings buckets of winning mana.

NZWW coach Ron Griffiths stated in the announcement that Maliepo is "equally adepth with her running, kicking and passing game". This is evident in a wee highlights with her short kicking game especially impressive and it all sounds like Maliepo is an option to play in the halves for NZWW, although there may also be a need to develop into that role with more games in rugby league.

This is funky because NZWW already have Australian half Emily Curtain and Michaela Brake in the squad, along with younger play-makers like Lydia Turua-Quedley, Payton Takimoana and Tyra Wetere. Curtain is the leading contender for a starting role as she has already played nine NRLW games and is listed as a halfback, having also played Under 19 State of Origin for New South Wales.

Brake and Maliepo could be in the mix for the other halves role. They could also fill fullback or centre roles depending on how coach Griffiths selects his team, while the younger trio are more likely to plug holes in the outside backs and at dummy half. Capri Paekau is the only specialist hooker signed so far so that probably means that others like Turua-Quedley could be developed at dummy half.

There are 24 spots in the top tier NRLW squad and there are 'Development List' slots available as well. NZWW currently have 23 players in the top-tier and Mangere East play-maker Danii Gray is the only player who has been signed to the Development List. As is the case in the NRL, there are no restrictions on how much players on the Development List can play NRLW and it is been viewed as an extra tier to pay more players.

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NZWW only have the one player signed on their Development List and the other team entering NRLW this year is Bulldogs who don't have any wahine on that tier. Most teams have two or three players signed to heir Development List and NZWW will probably add more emerging talent to their second tier, especially because NZW have used the NRL Development List and lots of Train/Trial contracts to build out their system of emerging men's talent.

Check in with the other break downs of NZWW signings to learn more about the wahine...

First Wave

Second Wave

Third Wave

Here is a list of all NZWW players signed so far with their clubs/regions...

Patricia Maliepo: Marist (Auckland)
Kaiya Atai: Richmond (Auckland)
Lydia Turua-Quedley: Ponsonby (Auckland)
Lavinia Kitai: Parkwood (Queensland)
Maarire Puketapu: Te Aroha (Wellington)
Felila Kia: Wynnum (Queensland)
Emily Curtain: Eagle Vale St Andrews (New South Wales)
Michaela Blyde: Clifton (Taranaki)
Tysha Ikenasio: Richmond (Auckland)
Payton Takimoana: Mt Maunganui (Bay of Plenty)
Kalyn Takitimu-Cook: Richmond (Auckland)
Makayla Eli: Manurewa (Auckland)
Metanoia Fotu-Moala: Otahuhu (Auckland)
Shakira Baker: Eketahuna (Wairarapa)
Tyra Wetere: Rangataua (Bay of Plenty)
Emmanita Paki: Yepoon (Queensland)
Lavinia Tauhalaliku: Mangere East (Auckland)
Matekino Gray: Rotorua Girls High School (Bay of Plenty
Laishon Albert-Jones: Pt Chevalier (Auckland)
Mya Hill-Moana: Taniwharau (Waikato)
Harata Butler: Taniwharau (Waikato)
Capri Paekau: Turangawaewae (Waikato)
Apii Nicholls: Otahuhu (Auckland)

Development

Danii Gray: Mangere East (Auckland)

Here is the squad broken down by positions...

Outside backs

Apii Nicholls, Emmanita Paki, Lavinia Tauhalaliku, Tysha Ikenasio, Shakira Baker, Kalyn Takitimu-Cook, Payton Takimoana

Halves

Emily Curtain, Michaela Blyde, Patricia Maliepo, Lydia Turua-Quedley, Tyra Wetere - Danii Gray

Hooker

Capri Paekau

Middle Forwards

Mya Hill-Moana, Harata Butler, Matekino Gray, Metanoia Fotu-Moala, Lavinia Kitai, Kaiya Atai

Edge Forwards

Laishon Albert-Jones, Felila Kia, Maarire Puketapu, Makayla Eli

Here is my best attempt at an NZWW top-17…

Fullback: Apii Nicholls
Wingers: Lavinia Tauhalaliku, Tysha Ikenasio
Centres: Emmanita Paki, Patricia Maliepo
Halves: Emily Curtain, Michaela Brake
Hooker: Capri Paekau
Middles: Mya Hill-Moana, Harata Butler, Matekino Gray
Edges: Laishon Albert-Jones, Felila Kia
Bench: Lydia Turua-Quedley, Metanoia Fotu-Moala, Shakira Baker, Maarire Puketapu

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Peace and love.