Team captains and hookers Jaydee Auloa and Kaawyn Patterson were acknowledged as the players of the year at the One New Zealand Warriors’ combined SG Ball Cup and Harold Matthews Cup awards presentation night in Auckland on Monday.
St Paul’s College product Auloa (19) has made exceptional progress during a season which has seen him co-captain the club’s SG Ball Cup (under-19) team before earning promotion to the One New Zealand Warriors’ New South Wales Cup side.
Westlake Boys’ High School pupil Patterson, just turned 17, led the Harold Matthews Cup (under-17) team to history-making success when the Warriors did what no other club had done since the competition’s first season in 1970 by winning the premiership on debut.
With the Warriors running a full stable of pathways teams for the first time this season, Auloa and Patterson both faced several worthy contenders for the major awards.
The other nominees for the SG Ball Cup accolade were second rower Kayliss Fatialofa (De La Salle College), fullback Motu Pasikala (Liston College) and prop Jason Salalilo (St Thomas of Canterbury College).
For the Harold Matthews Cup award, the other finalists were winger Ezekiel Davidson-Fa'aiuaso (St Paul’s College), fullback Joseph Ratcliffe (Palmerston North Boys’ High School) and back rower Lennox Tuiloma (St Thomas of Canterbury College).
Also named for both teams were the clubman of the year and the rookie of the year.
From the Harold Matthews squad, prop Hudsyn Frost (De La Salle College) was acknowledged as the clubman of the year while centre Jeremiah Lemana (Kelston Boys’ High School) picked up the rookie category.
The SG Ball clubman was Fatialofa with back rower Augustino Filipo (De La Salle College) the rookie of the year.
With players’ families attending in big numbers, a feature of the night was a reunion of most members of the champion Harold Matthews Cup squad just two weeks after sealing a 34-16 victory over Western Suburbs in the under-17 grand final.
One New Zealand Warriors head coach Andrew Webster was in attendance along with NRL rookies Ali Leiataua, Jacob Laban and Zyon Maiu’u.
2024 PATHWAYS AWARDS |
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SG Ball Cup (under-19) |
| Rookie of the year Nominees | Augustino Filipo (De La Salle College), Junior Sikuvea (De La Salle College), Hiraka Waitai-Haenga (Hamilton Boys’ High School), Maui Winitana-Patelesio (St Patrick’s College Silverstream). Winner | Augustino Filipo. |
| Clubman of the year Nominees | Kayliss Fatialofa (De La Salle College), Motu Pasikala (Liston College), Jason Salalilo (St Thomas of Canterbury College), Rodney Tuipolotu-Vea (De La Salle College). Winner | Kayliss Fatialofa. |
| One New Zealand player of the year Nominees | Jaydee Auloa (St Paul’s College), Kayliss Fatialofa (De La Salle College), Motu Pasikala (Liston College), Jason Salalilo (St Thomas of Canterbury College). Winner | Jaydee Auloa. |
Harold Matthews Cup (under-17) |
| Rookie of the year Nominees | Ronan Byford (Trident High School; Mount Albert Grammar School), Tyson Hansen (Rotorua Boys’ High School), Jeremiah Lemana (Kelston Boys’ High School), Dreytin Marriott (Te Kōpuku High School). Winner | Jeremiah Lemana. |
| Clubman of the year Nominees: Hudsyn Frost (De La Salle College), Turama Paranihi (Nga Taiatea Wharekura), Zion Sitani (Sacred Heart College), Romana Whitiora (Te Wharekura o Rakaumanga; St Paul’s College). Winner | Hudsyn Frost. |
| One New Zealand player of the year Nominees | Ezekiel Davidson-Fa'aiuaso (St Paul’s College), Kaawyn Patterson (Westlake Boys’ High School), Joseph Ratcliffe (Palmerston North Boys’ High School), Lennox Tuiloma (St Thomas of Canterbury College). Winner | Kaawyn Patterson. |
