Four of the most significant figures in the One New Zealand Warriors’ history were celebrated as the first inductees into the club’s Hall of Fame launched in Auckland on Tuesday night.
One New Zealand Warriors CEO Cameron George announced the creation of the hall of fame as the club staged its 32nd annual awards presentation at the New Zealand International Convention Centre.
“After more than 30 years in existence, the time is right for us as a club to honour and celebrate people who have made an extraordinary and enduring contribution to the One New Zealand Warriors,” he said.
“This is about recognising individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment, represented the club with honour and integrity and left an impact that will forever form part of the Warriors’ legacy.
“At the heart of every induction is one question: Did this person leave the Warriors better than they found it?”
George said the four pillars for consideration for the One New Zealand Warriors’ Hall of Fame are:
- Significant contribution
- Honour and character
- Loyalty and commitment
- Above and beyond
Unveiled as the first inductee was Sir Peter Leitch who, as the Mad Butcher, is forever aligned with rugby league and especially the Warriors since the days when the club was first conceptualised.
Known as the 19th Warrior, he has supported the club in unmatched ways through his generosity, passion and energy. The club’s #19 jersey was retired to him in 2001 in acknowledgement of all he did for the club. With boundless enthusiasm, he was very much the face and voice of the Warriors.
The second inductee, going hand in hand with Sir Peter, was club legend Stacey Jones, a player the Mad Butcher championed at every opportunity.
Jones became Warrior #24 in the club’s debut season in 1995, the future club captain going on to become the Warriors’ first superstar as he put together a record-breaking career of 261 appearances from 1995-2005 and 2009.
Helping the club to its first grand final in 2002, Jones has had an involvement with the Warriors across most of their 32 seasons as both a player and a coach. The epitome of humility, he is always cherished as one of the most gifted halfbacks the game has seen.
Inductee #3 was Jones’ former teammate the exceptional Simon Mannering (Warrior #125). Cut from the same cloth in the humility stakes, the Nelson-raised back rower never chased the spotlight but the quality of his performances were such that he couldn’t escape the accolades.
For 14 seasons from 2005-2018 – six as captain - he pushed himself beyond all limits for the jersey as he became the first and only player to appear in 300 games for the Warriors (including the 2011 grand final). Named the club’s best a record five times, the supreme player award was named the Simon Mannering Medal in his honour on his retirement in 2018 as a rare one-club player.
The fourth inductee was Mark Robinson, who, through his company Autex, initially bought a share in the Warriors in 2018 before becoming sole owner in 2019.
He was motivated to buy the club by his lifelong passion for rugby league and a desire to bring premiership success to the club.
Robinson provided critical backing to ensure the Warriors survived the Covid years, emerged to reset in 2023 and quickly became the force they have on the NRL landscape today. Central to the club’s progress is the pathways programme he has invested in heavily.
