NSW Cup Grand Final: Warriors name unchanged lineup

NSW Cup Grand Final: Unchanged lineup to face Dragons

Author: Richard Becht & photosport.nz
Timestamp: Tue 23 Sep 2025, 04:59 PM

An unchanged team has been named for the One New Zealand Warriors’ bid to win the New South Wales Cup premiership for the first time in Sunday’s grand final against St George Illawarra at CommBank Stadium (3.15pm kick-off off local time; 6.15pm NZDT).

The David Tangata-Toa coached side heads into the title decider buoyed by a potent performance in last Saturday’s preliminary final when they eliminated the Parramatta Eels 42-14, their 22nd win in 26 matches this season.

Captain Kalani Going, the competition’s player of the year, leads a side boasting significant NRL experience, not least from departing 145-game first-grade veteran Bunty Afoa. Fellow prop Tanner Stowers-Smith, hooker Sam Healey, second rower Eddie Ieremia-Toeava and Going have all played on the NRL stage along with halfback Tanah Boyd, centres Ali Leiataua and Moala Graham-Taufa, winger Edward Kosi, fullback Taine Tuaupiki and interchange front rower Tom Ale.

Completing the starting lineup are exciting young second rower Kayliss Fatialofa (20), promising standoff Luke Hanson (21) and experienced winger Setu Tu (26), who has scored 11 tries in 13 matches this year and 42 in his 66-game NSW Cup career for the club.

Grand Final - Grand Final - Sunday 28 Sep

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Dragons

Warriors

Team Lists

Backs

Fullback for Dragons is number 1 Cody Ramsey

Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Taine Tuaupiki
Winger for Dragons is number 2 Mathew Feagai

Winger for Warriors is number 2 Setu Tu
Centre for Dragons is number 3 Hayden Buchanan

Centre for Warriors is number 3 Ali Leiataua
Centre for Dragons is number 4 Tyler Peckham-Harris

Centre for Warriors is number 4 Moala Graham-Taufa
Winger for Dragons is number 5 Jesse Williams

Winger for Warriors is number 5 Edward Kosi
Five-Eighth for Dragons is number 6 Jonah Glover

Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Luke Hanson
Halfback for Dragons is number 7 Lachlan Ilias

Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Tanah Boyd

Forwards

Prop for Dragons is number 8 Blake Lawrie

Prop for Warriors is number 8 Bunty Afoa
Hooker for Dragons is number 9 Connor Muhleisen

Hooker for Warriors is number 9 Samuel Healey
Prop for Dragons is number 16 Hame Sele

Prop for Warriors is number 10 Tanner Stowers-Smith
2nd Row for Dragons is number 11 Raymond Faitala-Mariner

2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Kayliss Fatialofa
2nd Row for Dragons is number 12 Nick Tsougranis

2nd Row for Warriors is number 12 Eddie Ieremia-Toeava
Lock for Dragons is number 13 Jacob Webster

Lock for Warriors is number 13 Kalani Going

Interchange

Interchange for Dragons is number 10 Ben Murdoch-Masila

Interchange for Warriors is number 15 Jason Seu Salalilo
Interchange for Dragons is number 14 Haele Finau

Interchange for Warriors is number 16 Tom Ale
Interchange for Dragons is number 15 Ryan Hutchinson

Interchange for Warriors is number 17 Jett Cleary
Interchange for Dragons is number 17 Cyrus Stanley-Traill

Interchange for Warriors is number 22 Freddy Lussick

Reserves

Replacement for Dragons is number 18 Kade Reed

Replacement for Warriors is number 18 Geronimo Doyle

Last updated: 9/28/2025 4:58:01 PM

Joining Ale on the bench are three more of the club’s most promising prospects in hooker Makaia Tafua (21) and prop Jason Salalilo (20) – both from Christchurch – plus halfback Jett Cleary (20).

As the minor premiers, the Warriors earned and needed their second life in the competition after falling to a disappointing 10-24 loss to the Dragons in their first play-off.

That took the second-ranked St George-Illawarra directly into the grand final while the Warriors needed to account for the Eels to earn a rematch.

That they did convincingly as they ran in five tries and 26 unanswered points in the second half to stay on course for the premiership. They completely flipped the script from the previous week dominating all aspects of the contest.

The Dragons, though, will be challenging opponents and desperate to bring success to their club.

In their three meetings this year the Warriors and Dragons have split the honours with the Warriors winning 40-12 at Go Media Stadium in April followed by a 14-14 draw in round 22 in Wollongong and then the Dragons prevailing at Leichhardt Oval.

Across history the Warriors have an 11-6 winning edge in 20 contests between the two clubs while three matches were drawn.

Apart from Tu, the Warriors have try-scoring strike across the park with Graham-Taufa sixth on the try-scoring chart with 16 from 22 games just ahead of Kosi with 15 from 19 and Fatialofa with 14 (while he has also distinguished himself by playing all 26 games this season). Injured winger Sio Kali has 12 tries in 12 games.

NSW Cup Highlights: Second half onslaught seals deal against Eels

The Warriors are well clear of their nearest opponents for most points (849) and tries (116) while they also conceded far fewer points (424), an average of just 16 a game.

Among other measures they have made the most line breaks (173), post-contact metres (13,725), tackle breaks (1005) and run metres (42,104).

This will be the fourth time the Warriors have featured in a reserve grade grand final.

They lost 12-14 to Cronulla Sutherland in 1996 and then 12-40 in the 1997 Super League reserve grade grand final before heartbreak in the 2011 decider. The Auckland Vulcans – a Warriors-Auckland Rugby League collaboration - were leading 28-26 when future Warrior Jonathan Wright scored with 20 seconds to play to give the Bulldogs a 30-28 victory.