JFH

[Big Marn]

The Kiwis skipper is relatively new to captaincy but has made a successful start to what many believe will be a long tenure. Mike Thorpe spoke to James Fisher-Harris and those close to him about his leadership style and why he has such a strong following within the Kiwis camp.
If actions speak louder than words, then the muscled shoulders of James Fisher-Harris should probably come with a decibel warning.
The strong-silent-type Kiwis captain is into his second season of leading his country and admits he’s still in his apprenticeship as a skipper.
“I’m still learning, eh? It’s pretty new to me. I’ve done a few captaincies at Penrith but definitely still learning,” says Fisher-Harris with a look of absolute honesty.
He’s learning quickly. The powerhouse prop has already tasted success against the Kangaroos in the final of the 2023 Pacific Championship and his side showed enough in Christchurch (losing 22-10) on Sunday to suggest that he could well be holding more silverware aloft in a couple of weeks, if they can make another final.


Asked what he believes his style is, you get the feeling he’d sooner show you than tell you.
“Oh, man, I just do what I do eh? I don’t even know how to explain my leadership, you know? They just back me and I back myself”, says Fisher-Harris.

New Zealand captain James Fisher-Harris leads the Kiwis' haka in Christchurch. Photo / Photosport
His coach, Kiwis legend Stacey Jones, sums up the man of few words with just one.

“The word that you can describe ‘Fish’ [Fisher-Harris] is mana”, says Jones.
In his first year as head coach, Jones says he’s had a close connection with his inspirational captain throughout the 2024 season. It’ll be even closer in 2025 when Fisher-Harris joins the Warriors – where Jones is among the coaching staff. The rookie international coach has a genuine grin of admiration when speaking of “Fish”.
“The heart and soul of the team and a leader that everyone respects”, says Jones.
Those that he leads echo Jones’ sentiments.

​

“He’s a huge action-man”, says fellow middle-forward Joseph Tapine.
“A hard worker. Doesn’t leave anything out on the training paddock either”, Tapine adds.
One-half of Penrith’s formidable ‘Bash Brothers’ – with injured Kiwi Moses Leota – Fisher-Harris comes as advertised. He hits hard and runs harder. That sort of “follow me” leadership is easy to see, but former Kiwis captain Nathan Cayless highlights Fisher-Harris’ effort when the cameras aren’t rolling.

James Fisher-Harris (right) celebrates with Moses Leota after defeating the Melbourne Storm for their fourth-straight NRL title. Photo / Photosport
“Just the amount of work that he puts into his game. Ultra professional. You know, he’s won four grand finals in a row, and he’s still out there working as hard as he did when he first came into camp”, says Cayless.
Those standards are infectious, according to Cayless.
“I know a lot of our young forwards are really getting in behind that and really learning from him as well”, he says.

Just as impressed with the work ethic of Fisher-Harris is Kiwis five-eighth and future club teammate Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.
“He’s gonna be a massive asset to the Warriors and I’m really looking forward to watching the young forwards that we have at the club right now, being able to go under his wing and see what it takes to be an experienced forward of his calibre”, says Nicoll-Klokstad.
Fisher-Harris is aware of the expectation of next season – and the army of supporters he’ll have behind him. He’s already had a taste of it in Christchurch.
“A lot of Warriors fans trying to tell me to say ‘up the Wahs!’,” says Fisher-Harris.

New Zealand coach Stacey Jones (right) with Stephen Kearney. Photo / Photosport
That will intensify this week when the Kiwis relocate to Auckland ahead of a blockbuster clash with Mate Ma’a Tonga at Go Media Stadium – Warriors HQ and James Fisher-Harris’s new home ground. But don’t expect the new recruit to entertain distractions.
“It’s ‘up the Kiwis’ for now and, yeah, just going to enjoy this camp”, says Fisher-Harris.

The four-time premiership winner is a staunch advocate for international rugby league and a proud custodian of the Kiwis jersey.
“I love it, eh? Just the environment, got a lot of good mates here and with Stace [Jones] and everything we’re trying to do – we’re in a good space,” says Fisher-Harris.
The captain speaks with real optimism when asked about the future and the culture within the national team set-up. “We’re still building. Set up a pretty good blueprint last year, but then again, we’ve been building on that for a long time now.”
The quietly forceful 28-year-old could have the captaincy for a long time to come, especially while the Little General (Jones) is in charge.
“He’s so passionate about the [Kiwis] space, Fish,” says Jones. “And we couldn’t ask for a better leader.”

James Fisher-Harris – the Kiwis enforcer and leader

An insight into the New Zealand rugby league leader they call 'Fish'.

www.nzherald.co.nz

 

[Blair]

He can be ineffective if poorly coached. We had evidence of that in tonight's first half.

In Webby we trust, though.

 

[JJ]

He can be ineffective if poorly coached. We had evidence of that in tonight's first half.

In Webby we trust, though.

Anyone can though... and to be fair, along with most of the Penrith pack he coasted this year, until it counted, then they flicked a switch and dominated

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

The JFH signing is going to be a let down.
High expectations coming from a champion side to our inconsistent one.
Boyd signing may give us more to be happy about I feel.
Time will tell.

 

[Matua]

He can be ineffective if poorly coached. We had evidence of that in tonight's first half.

In Webby we trust, though.

Not all of us feel this way. Can't pretend 2024 didn't happen, 2023 is really looking like an anomaly based on SJ having out of the box form.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

The JFH signing is going to be a let down.
High expectations coming from a champion side to our inconsistent one.
Boyd signing may give us more to be happy about I feel.
Time will tell.

You can definitely bill this one as a 'controversial opinion'. Tanah Boyd will give us more to be happy about than JFH - a Golden Boot winner 12 months ago and four-time premiership winner?

I completely disagree. He may not play his best footy in a pure footy sense, but this is a guy who actually earns the 'mana' tag. He oozes it. Those young guys are going to do whatever the F he does. For so long (since the Micheal Luck days) we have missed someone in the gym, the training paddock, anywhere that holds everyone to high standards. And he's 28. This next contract could be his peak. The way I hear some people talking about him, it's like he's 32-33 and come here in the twilight.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Not all of us feel this way. Can't pretend 2024 didn't happen, 2023 is really looking like an anomaly based on SJ having out of the box form.

Yeah but you can't pretend 2023 didn't happen, either. You could say 2024 was an anomaly. We beat the 4-time premiers. We should have beaten the other GF team. We beat the team that came 3rd. We beat the team that came 6th. Yes, we lost a lot of awful ones, too.

Andrew Webster might be a complete dud. But surely we're too early on to know either way. None of the greats won this early.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

You can definitely bill this one as a 'controversial opinion'. Tanah Boyd will give us more to be happy about than JFH - a Golden Boot winner 12 months ago and four-time premiership winner?

I completely disagree. He may not play his best footy in a pure footy sense, but this is a guy who actually earns the 'mana' tag. He oozes it. Those young guys are going to do whatever the F he does. For so long (since the Micheal Luck days) we have missed someone in the gym, the training paddock, anywhere that holds everyone to high standards. And he's 28. This next contract could be his peak. The way I hear some people talking about him, it's like he's 32-33 and come here in the twilight.

Oh I knew it would of gathered some type of heat stating such a nonsense comment lol

I just see JFH as giving his best for Panthers (i.e. Tohu coming from Storm) and then playing with their used up bodies with the Warriors in their last years.

I don't see JFH being much help on the field but definitely off the field so it's a gain there I suppose.

Boyd signing with us caused a stir with most fans not being too pleased due to his track record, but there's still more room in his development to grow compared to JFH who has peaked.

Boyd has no high expectations hence I think he may surprise a few doubters.

The faith you have for JFH on the field is admirable and I hope you can laugh at me and this comment next year.

 

[Matua]

Yeah but you can't pretend 2023 didn't happen, either. You could say 2024 was an anomaly. We beat the 4-time premiers. We should have beaten the other GF team. We beat the team that came 3rd. We beat the team that came 6th. Yes, we lost a lot of awful ones, too.

Andrew Webster might be a complete dud. But surely we're too early on to know either way. None of the greats won this early.

I agree, I'm pushing back on the (over)hype.

2024 wasn't an anomaly though, it was standard Warriors fare (including beating high ranking teams and losing the winnable on paper ones) - surely you're not going to argue that point?

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

I agree, I'm pushing back on the (over)hype.

2024 wasn't an anomaly though, it was standard Warriors fare (including beating high ranking teams and losing the winnable on paper ones) - surely you're not going to argue that point?

Totally agree. I used to be Penrose optimistic but it's getting hard to ignore that elephant in the room that is our inconsistencies.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Oh I knew it would of gathered some type of heat stating such a nonsense comment lol

I just see JFH as giving his best for Panthers (i.e. Tohu coming from Storm) and then playing with their used up bodies with the Warriors in their last years.

I don't see JFH being much help on the field but definitely off the field so it's a gain there I suppose.

Boyd signing with us caused a stir with most fans not being too pleased due to his track record, but there's still more room in his development to grow compared to JFH who has peaked.

Boyd has no high expectations hence I think he may surprise a few doubters.

The faith you have for JFH on the field is admirable and I hope you can laugh at me and this comment next year.

I just can't quite get my head around that JFH won't be much help on the field and he's peaked. He's 28, one year off a Golden Boot, he chose to come home to NZ, he'll be motivated, this is not (to me) a retirement cheque. He's still top 5 props in the game (and arguably we have one of the others in Barnett).

Totally agree. I used to be Penrose optimistic but it's getting hard to ignore that elephant in the room that is our inconsistencies.

I reckon this is the first time I've been accused of being optimistic in a Warriors sense!

I agree, I'm pushing back on the (over)hype.

2024 wasn't an anomaly though, it was standard Warriors fare (including beating high ranking teams and losing the winnable on paper ones) - surely you're not going to argue that point?

No, if you look at the last 12-13 seasons, absolutely it is not an anomaly. But I guess I only look at how this club is going under Webster, because he's the guy who's here for the next 3-4 seasons minimum (we presume). So absolutely not, under any circumstance is 2024 an anomaly, but a good 2025 and the ledger stands at two good Webster years, one bad one. And you'll say if it's a bad one it stands at 2 mud, one good. And that's 100% right.

I guess I do choose to be optimistic when it comes to Webster. I think he's a quality guy. He was pretty below par this year, and I think/hope he'll learn from that. We're led to believe the AFB thing had a destabilising effect, certainly Shaun's injury and selection held us back early on, we may get Tohu back, Berry, not for a second do I think we're a premiership team but I do expect top 6

 

[Big Marn]

How does this compare to the trumpeting of Adam Blairs signing? Before we saw the onfield performance that ensued.