Fullback Joseph Ratcliffe and prop Kenny Lafituanai took out the premier player of the year accolades at the One New Zealand Warriors’ SG Ball Cup and Harold Matthews Cup awards presentation at Go Media Stadium on Monday night.
The 19-year-old Ratcliffe won the club’s SG Ball Cup (under-19) title while Lafituanai – 17 on May 19 – was singled out as the Harold Matthews Cup (under-17) side’s best player.
Both players came into the club’s development system from outside Auckland, Ratcliffe from Palmerston North Boys’ High School and Lafituanai from New Zealand rugby league’s burgeoning nursery St Thomas of Canterbury College in Christchurch.
Ratcliffe is a foundation member of the Warriors’ history-making Harold Matthews Cup team which won the under-17 premiership on debut in 2024.
Graduating to the SG Ball under-19 competition last year, he stamped himself as the Warriors’ most outstanding player in this year’s side despite playing just five of the eight games.
In a battling year for the team, Ratcliffe scored five tries including two doubles before moving up to the club’s Jersey Flegg Cup side where he has also been impressive with eight tries in seven games.
Ratcliffe won the player of the year title ahead of other nominees centre-second rower Connor Bowden and hooker Amasio Tiatia.
Lafituanai was named the rookie of the year after featuring in the Warriors’ grand final-winning Harold Matthews Cup side last year and returned this season as one of a handful of players having a second campaign in the grade.
The powerful front rower was ever-present playing every one of the team’s eight matches in what proved to be a challenging season which saw the Warriors fail to make the finals for a third straight season.
Lafituanai headed fellow middle forward Tusi Fanolua and fullback Kaian Olsen for the honour.
Named the club person of the year for the two teams were Bowden (SG Ball) and Fanolua (Harold Matthews) while the rookie awards went to Tiatia (SG Ball) and winger Chris S’au (Harold Matthews).
2026 SG Ball Cup and Harold Matthews Cup Awards
SG Ball Cup
Rookie of the year
Nominees | Krushil Koteka (Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate, Auckland), Justice Pua (St Paul’s College, Auckland), Amasio Tiatia (Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Whānau Tahi, Christchurch)
Winner | Amasio Tiatia
Club person of the year
Nominees | AJ Balchin (St Paul’s College, Auckland), Connor Bowden (Botany Downs Secondary College, Auckland), Miltoni Sikuvea (St Peter’s College, Auckland),
Winner | Connor Bowden
One New Zealand player of the year
Nominees | Connor Bowden (Botany Downs Secondary College, Auckland), Joseph Ratcliffe (Palmerston North Boys’ High School), Amasio Tiatia (Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Whānau Tahi, Christchurch)
Winner | Joseph Ratcliffe
Harold Matthews Cup
Rookie of the year
Nominees | Thomas Christensen (Christchurch Boys’ High School, Christchurch), Jackson Robinson (Timaru Boys’ High School, Timaru), Chris Sa’u (Manurewa High School, Auckland)
Winner | Chris Sa’u
Club person of the year
Nominees | Blake Bruce (Kelston Boys’ High School, Auckland), Tusi Fanolua (De La Salle College, Auckland), Kenny Lafituanai (St Thomas of Canterbury College, Christchurch)
Winner | Tusi Fanolua
One New Zealand player of the year
Nominees | Tusi Fanolua (De La Salle College, Auckland), Kenny Lafituanai (St Thomas of Canterbury College, Christchurch), Kaian Olsen (Kelston Boys’ High School, Auckland)
Winner | Kenny Lafituanai
