Players with strong pathways experience dominate the One New Zealand Warriors’ first squad of the season for Sunday’s round one SG Ball Cup (under-19) encounter with the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles at Bruce Pulman Park in Manukau City (11.30am kick-off).
Of the 19 players named by head coach Shannon Rushworth a total of 13 represented the club at either SG Ball or Harold Matthews Cup (under-17) level last season.
Included among them are eight players who will make their SG Ball debuts after being in the squad which won the Harold Matthews premiership for the second year running last season.
Justice Pua, Soane Ma’asi, Parekaahu Keepa, Hinckley Ioka, Bishop Neal and Krushil Koteka all played in the grand final while influential captain Tyson Hansen was cruelly ruled out. As well as those seven, hooker Amasio Tiatia is included from the premiership-winning squad.
Returning from the Warriors’ 2025 SG Ball side are fullback Joseph Ratcliffe, a Harold Matthews grand final winner in 2024, centre-winger Connor Bowden, halfback Rico Lemalie, captain Gordon Afoa and prop-second rower Militoni Sikuvea along with 2024 Harold Matthews premiership winner Lennox Tuiloma, who missed last year’s campaign through injury.
Team Lists
Backs
-
Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Joseph RatcliffeFullback for Sea Eagles is number 1 Cooper Elkins
-
Winger for Warriors is number 2 Alexander PuaWinger for Sea Eagles is number 2 Oscar Crotty
-
Centre for Warriors is number 3 Soane Ma'asiCentre for Sea Eagles is number 3 Andes Johansson
-
Centre for Warriors is number 4 Connor BowdenCentre for Sea Eagles is number 4 Henry Troy
-
Winger for Warriors is number 5 Mark SikuveaWinger for Sea Eagles is number 5 Taj Thompson
-
Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Hinckley IokaFive-Eighth for Sea Eagles is number 6 Onitoni Large
-
Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Rico LemalieHalfback for Sea Eagles is number 7 Lachlan Metcalfe
Forwards
-
Prop for Warriors is number 8 Gordon Pailegutu Taanuu AfoaProp for Sea Eagles is number 8 Freddie Benson-Sparkes
-
Hooker for Warriors is number 9 Amasio TiatiaHooker for Sea Eagles is number 9 Ashton Large
-
Prop for Warriors is number 10 Micah SulaProp for Sea Eagles is number 10 Matthew Payne
-
2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Militonimolela Sikuvea2nd Row for Sea Eagles is number 11 Sifa Oldfield
-
2nd Row for Warriors is number 12 Bishop Neal2nd Row for Sea Eagles is number 12 Beau McKee
-
Lock for Warriors is number 13 Albert BalchinLock for Sea Eagles is number 13 Lukas Butler
Interchange
-
Interchange for Warriors is number 14 Rene FrameInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 14 Jackson Yeates
-
Interchange for Warriors is number 15 Lennox TuilomaInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 15 Hussein Said
-
Interchange for Warriors is number 16 Krushil KotekaInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 16 Corey Kaltenbacher
-
Interchange for Warriors is number 17 Tyson HansenInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 17 Kai Brennan
Reserves
-
Replacement for Warriors is number 18 Parekaahu KeepaReplacement for Sea Eagles is number 18 Kobe Morris
-
Reserve for Warriors is number 20 Lucas Carmine
Last updated:
Micah Sula is another pathways product making his SG Ball debut in the front row. After two under-17 appearances in 2024, he was in the wider under-19 squad last year.
The newcomers are De La Salle product Mark Sikuvea on the wing, ex-St Paul’s College student AJ Balchin at loose forward – back home from stint with the Bulldogs – and bench selections Rene Frame (Lincoln High School, Christchurch) and Lucas Carmine (St Paul’s Collegiate, Hamilton), signed from a rugby union background.
The Warriors’ season-opener is a repeat match-up of last year’s first round when they lost to the Sea Eagles in Sydney. Militoni Sikuvea and Bowden are the only two survivors from that match.
