NRL Review: New generation banking experience

In a season marked by the 10th NRL finals appearance since 2001, one of the standout features was the significant first-grade experience banked by the burgeoning collection of next generation players emerging from the One New Zealand Warriors' pathways programme.

Over the previous two seasons Demitric Vaimauga, Ali Leiataua, Jacob Laban and Leka Halasima had been handed first-grade debuts.

Middle forward Vaimauga had just turned 19 when he debuted against the Sydney Roosters in round nine in 2023 while centre Leiataua, then 20, played his first NRL match against Canberra in round 15.

Last year second rower Laban had his first taste of the top flight just short of his 20th birthday against South Sydney in round five followed by the then 18-year-old Leka Halasima in round 18 against Canterbury Bankstown.

By the end of 2024 that quartet could count 25 NRL appearances between them.

A year on they’ve been joined by two more new age forwards in prop Tanner Stowers-Smith and back rower Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, Stowers-Smith stepping into the ring at the age of 21 against the Dolphins in round 11 and Ieremia-Toeava the club’s newest debutant at 20 also against the Dolphins in round 22.

It says so much about their development that the six of them now boast a total of 112 NRL appearances between them notwithstanding Leiataua and Laban having their campaigns significantly reduced through injury.

Halasima was one of only four players to appear in all of the Warriors’ 25 games to take his career tally to 29 while Vaimauga missed just one match in lifting his career total to 31.

Added to that hooker Sam Healey came out of the Cronulla-Sutherland to make his NRL debut with the Warriors at the age of 22 and has finished the year with seven appearances.

Apart from Halasima, loose forward Erin Clark, second rower Marata Niukore and centre Adam Pompey featured in all 25 games with Pompey having the distinction of being on the field for every minute of the season (2002 minutes in total including the golden point game against the Broncos).

Pompey had easily the most prolific try-scoring campaign of his career finishing with 11 (his previous best was five) while Roger Tuivasa-Sheck ended with 12, equalling his best in 2015.

Topping the try scoring charts with 13 was the remarkable Halasima, becoming the first forward in the club’s 31 seasons to finish top try scorer.

Standoff Chanel Harris-Tavita was another in career-best try-scoring form with eight, double his previous best of four last year, and likewise halfback Luke Metcalf who had eight tries (two better than his six in 2023) when injury ended his season. He also finished as the team’s top points scorer with 117.

2025 NRL squad | Statistics