One New Zealand Warriors back rowers Erin Clark and Leka Halasima have both been named finalists for Dally M Awards to be announced in Sydney on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old Clark is in line for the Dally M Lock of the Year accolade while Halasima, just turned 20, has been listed for the Dally M Second Rower of the Year and the Dally M Rookie of the Year.
Clark has picked up two honours in player-judged awards in the past week. His peers voted for him as the lock in the RLPA’s NRL Players’ Dream Team and have also rated him the Recruit of the Year.
Fellow finalists for the Dally M position award are Panthers captain Isaah Yeo and Clark’s fellow Kiwi international Naufahu Whyte (Roosters); Whyte has been named despite being listed to start just the last six of his 23 matches at loose forward.
2025 Dally M Awards: Lock of the Year nominees
One of four players to appear in each of the Warriors’ 25 games, Clark brought up his 100th career appearance early in the campaign, going on to average 147 metres and 34 tackles a game (95 per cent tackle efficiency).
Starting all but the round one match against Canberra, his numbers were career bests by some distance.
2025 Dally M Awards: Second Row of the Year nominees
His total of 1451 post-contact metres is the sixth best in the entire competition bettered by only props Addin Fonua-Blake (Sharks), Naufahu Whyte (Roosters)and Payne Haas (Broncos), second rower Eliesa Katoa (Storm) and winger Daniel Tupou (Roosters).
Among all forwards the only ones to top Clark's total run metres of 3696 are Fonua-Blake, Terrell May (Tigers), Haas and Patrick Carrigan (Broncos); he topped 100 metres in all 25 matches he played, a feat not achieved by renowned metre eaters Fonua-Blake, Carrigan or Haas.
2025 Dally M Awards: Rookie of the Year nominees
For the Dally M Second Rower of the Year, Halasima is up against three State of Origin players in Angus Crichton (Roosters), Liam Martin (Panthers) and Hudson Young (Raiders) plus Tonga international Katoa.
The other two finalists for the Dally M Rookie of the Year are Auckland-born Roosters and New South Wales centre Robert Toia and Parramatta fullback Isaiah Iongi.
After making four appearances last year, Halasima had an exceptional first full season. He, too, played in each of the Warriors’ 25 games finishing with 13 tries, level with Katoa for the most by a forward in the season while he became the first forward in 31 seasons to top the Warriors’ try-scoring list.
Splitting his games between starting and coming off the bench, Halasima dazzled as an explosive attacking force scoring any number of memorable tries, none more so than his breathtaking match winners against the Tigers in round four and his last-second effort against the Knights in round 20.
He averaged 57 minutes, 89 run metres and 25 tackles a game with a total of 62 tackle breaks.
