They have come from all over.
asserted
They → come → ?
So many of them have come home to New Zealand.
asserted
many → come → Zealand
They have come from $1200-a-week train-and-trial chances.
asserted
They → come → chances
They have come out of the Kiwi bush, with a grin and a dirty great pig on their back.
asserted
They → come → back
They’ve ditched a backpack, or shelved the grubby play that threatened to rub them out of the game.
asserted
that → ditch → game
They’ve taken a second or third chance offered by the Warriors, who have taken a few chances themselves.
asserted
who → take → chances
Like the rising young star who “didn’t know which way he was running,” but they backed him anyway.
asserted
they → rise → him
Recruitment manager Andrew McFadden makes clear – he and Andrew Webster haven’t assembled this roster themselves.
asserted
he → make → roster
Predecessor Peter O’Sullivan, the architect of Newcastle’s rebuild, signed his share.
asserted
O’Sullivan → sign → share
Junior pathways staff and talent scouts Grant Pocklington, Tony Iro and Athens Henare play a critical role too.
asserted
staff → play → role
Something of a late-blooming livewire, Tuaupiki was 23 when he signed a $1200-a-week train-and-trial Warriors deal after carving up the Queensland Cup for Burleigh Bears.
asserted
he → bloom → Bears
Suggestions of a move to Super League emerged from the UK this week, but the Warriors have him signed until the end of 2028 and Tuaupiki is making a compelling bid to be their regular No.1.
asserted
Tuaupiki → emerge → bid
McFadden: “I can’t take any credit for Taine but I do know he was one of Webby’s very first signings and an absolute priority for the coach as soon as he got here.
asserted
he → take → coach
He started his first off-season on that train-and-trial deal and by the start of that [2023] season you knew he was someone with a very bright future.”
asserted
he → start → future
2. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
Originally, a Warrior for his first two NRL seasons before McFadden pitched him to the Raiders in 2019 as one of the bargain signings of their grand final run, Nicoll-Klokstad returned home in 2023 on compassionate grounds when Reece Walsh travelled in the opposite direction back to Brisbane.
asserted
Walsh → pitch → Brisbane
McFadden: “I’ve had such a long history with Charnze, I signed him at the Warriors [in 2015] and Canberra, and when I came back to the club he was already here.
asserted
he → sign → club
You couldn’t find a better club person or family man, and that was really why he came home.”
asserted
he → find → person
Warriors blood runs through these veins.
asserted
blood → run → veins
Leiataua is the nephew of club icon Ali Lauitiiti and his sister Onjeurlina played in the Warriors inaugural 2018 and 2019 NRLW sides.
asserted
sister → play → sides
McFadden: “Ali was one of the few local kids who was able to get over to Australia during the pandemic and play with Redcliffe when we had the feeder club arrangement with them, and you can see how that’s helped his development.
asserted
that → get → development
He’s come through our academy program and he’s had a fantastic past 12 months hasn’t he?”
4. Adam Pompey
A schoolboy 1st XV rugby star in Auckland, Pompey was picked up by the Roosters before being lured back to make his Warriors debut in 2019.
asserted
Pompey → come → 2019
He’s been a regular backline plug-in man since, playing 136 games at wing and centre.
asserted
He → play → wing
McFadden: “[Pompey] is just an awesome member of our squad, a very durable player and the type every club needs.
asserted
club → need → squad
I’d say he’s one of our longest serving players now, he’s certainly been here longer than me, he’s seen plenty in his time.”
asserted
he → say → time
The Titans are chipping in a portion of his salary given he was on about $500,000 on the Gold Coast.
asserted
he → chip → Coast
He’s scored 16 tries in 18 games for the Warriors and made their left wing his own.
asserted
wing → score → Warriors
McFadden: “We needed some speed and energy in our backline and met with Lofi and his manager in Auckland for dinner – myself, Webby and [CEO] Cameron George.
asserted
We → need → dinner
It was a little bit of right place, right time, but we couldn’t be happier with how Lofi has fit in.”
asserted
Lofi → fit → place
One of the best young halves New Zealand has produced in years, Harris-Tavita shocked rugby league when he quit at the end of 2022 to go travelling.
asserted
he → produce → travelling
He backpacked from Brazil to Thailand, Europe to North America and with a coconut in hand in Samoa, realised the Warriors scrum base was really where he wanted to be.
McFadden:
asserted
he → backpack → Samoa
When Webby and I got back to the club in late-2022, Chanel was the first person we rang.
asserted
we → get → late-2022
We said ‘mate, when you’re done travelling, if you want to come back and play footy, we’ll find you the success you deserve’.
asserted
you → say → success
We had both seen him play as a standout kid in some unsuccessful Warriors under-age sides, but we knew Chanel could deliver in the NRL.”
uncertain
Chanel → see → NRL
7. Te Maire Martin
Another prodigious Kiwi half, Martin was told he’d never play again after a 2019 brain bleed that had him spend a gap year pig-hunting and bush bashing around his native Taharoa on New Zealand’s west coast.
asserted
him → tell → coast
He returned to the NRL with Brisbane before finding his way home to the Warriors in 2023.
asserted
He → return → 2023
McFadden: “Te Maire is just one of the best stories you’ll find, he’s making the most of his second chance in footy and he’s got a real love for everything he does because of it.
asserted
he → find → it
He’s knocked back bigger contracts and more money elsewhere to stay with us, and that says it all.”
asserted
that → knock → it
Addin Fonua-Blake went one way to be closer to his family in Australia.
asserted
Blake → go → Australia
James Fisher-Harris came back the other.
asserted
Harris → come → ?
The latter’s million-dollar a year move took all of 72 hours to finalise as Penrith agreed with their star front-rower, he deserved to go home, and the Warriors had their pack leader.
asserted
Warriors → take → leader
…and 54 more, not listed.
The Aporia
