Captain Tyson Hansen and his stand-in Jeremiah Lemana were named joint winners of the Harold Matthews Cup player of the year title at the One New Zealand Warriors’ combined SG Ball Cup and Harold Matthews Cup 2025 awards presentation at Go Media Stadium on Wednesday night.
The pair were fêted for their outstanding achievements just three days after the Warriors claimed the Harold Matthews under-17 premiership for the second consecutive year.
Picking up the premier accolade for the SG Ball under-19 side was middle forward Paea Sikuvea.
An ankle injury cruelly denied Hansen of the chance of playing in his second straight Harold Matthews grand final after helping the club to its historic 34-16 victory against Western Suburbs last year.
In his absence fullback Lemana led the side in Sunday’s 30-16 triumph over Newcastle at Leichhardt Oval, so becoming the sole player to appear in both premiership triumphs.
Only 15 when he played in the centres in last year’s grand final, Lemana was at fullback for all 11 games of this year’s campaign and over the two seasons has played 21 of a possible 22 games.
The Kelston Boys’ High School student was the Warriors’ second top try scorer with six including a brilliant hat-trick in the preliminary final win over South Sydney.
The impressive Hansen (Rotorua Boys’ High School) led superbly throughout his second Harold Matthews season as he alternated between the halves, second row and loose forward.
Lemana was the club’s 2024 Harold Matthews Cup rookie of the year while Hansen was a nominee for the award.
Head coach TJ Ashford said the two players richly deserved the joint acknowledgement.
“It was impossible to separate Tyson and Jeremiah. They were outstanding all season in all aspects,” he said.
“They epitomise what it takes to be an NRL player on and off the field. As players they train as hard as they play, setting the example in all they do with a professional attitude.”
In other Harold Matthews Cup awards forward Kenny Lafituanai (St Thomas of Canterbury College) was named the rookie of the year and Jacksyn Hill (Rotorua Boys’ High School) the club person of the year.
Sikuvea (De La Salle College) played in seven of the Warriors’ nine SG Ball Cup games in what was a testing season for the team. It was his second campaign after making seven appearances last year.
“Paea is a natural leader who leads by his actions,” said SG Ball head coach Shannon Rushworth.
“He led our stats in running metres with an average of 100 plus a game while he also excelled in all effort areas.”
Connor Bowden (Botany Downs Secondary College), who scored nine tries in seven games, was recognised as the SG Ball rookie of the year and Gordon Afoa (St Paul’s College) the club person of the year.
One New Zealand Warriors | 2025 Pathways Awards
SG Ball Cup
Rookie of the year
Nominees | Connor Bowden (Botany Downs Secondary College), Rico Lemalie (Christ’s College), Joseph Ratcliffe (Palmerston North Boys’ High School).
Winner | Connor Bowden
Club person of the year
Nominees | Gordon Afoa (St Paul’s College), Tepatasi Laumalili (De La Salle College), Militoni Sikuvea (St Peter’s College).
Winner | Gordon Afoa.
One New Zealand player of the year
Nominees | Kahu Capper (Spotswood College, Waverley College), Paea Sikuvea (De La Salle College), Hiraka Waitai-Haenga (Hamilton Boys’ High School).
Winner | Paea Sikuvea.
Harold Matthews Cup
Rookie of the year
Nominees | Asolelei Fretton (Kelston Boys’ High School), Tusi Fanolua (De La Salle College), Kenny Lafituanai (St Thomas of Canterbury College), Kaian Olsen (Kelston Boys’ High School).
Winner | Kenny Lafituanai.
Club person of the year
Nominees: Ronan Byford (Trident High School, Mount Albert Grammar School), Jacksyn Hill (Rotorua Boys’ High School – Raukura), Krushil Koteka (Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate), Alapati Soagia (St Peter’s Cambridge).
Jacksyn Hill.
Winner | Jacksyn Hill.
One New Zealand player of the year
Nominees | Ronan Byford (Trident High School, Mount Albert Grammar School), Tyson Hansen (Rotorua Boys’ High School – Raukura), Jeremiah Lemana (Kelson Boys’ High School), Dreytin Marriott (Te Kōpuku High School).
Winners | Tyson Hansen and Jeremiah Lemana.
