WARRIORS’ PATHWAYS SUCCESS DESPITE RUGBY HURDLES
Warriors CEO Cameron George revealed a growing number of players in the NRL’s club’s pathways program are facing a similar dilemma.
“We are encountering a number of problems with the schools that are telling kids to give up their association with the Warriors or they will be barred from playing rugby,” George said.
“We’ve heard about the kids from Hamilton that have been told to surrender their association with us and this has only happened in the last few weeks. It’s a sad story.
“It’s starting to happen more broadly.”
The Warriors entered the Harold Matthews (under-17s) competition for the first time this year, giving the resurgent club a full suite of junior representative sides in the NSWRL.
The under-17s side had immediate success and were crowned 2024 champions after defeating Western Suburbs Magpies 34-16 in last weekend’s grand final.
This masthead understands one young player missed out on featuring in the grand final, after playing all season, due to rugby commitments at his school.
It’s understood the youngster, who does not attend Hamilton Boys High School, wanted to travel to Australia for the grand final but the Warriors were forced to put the teenager’s welfare first given he had already played at least two union games in the week leading up to the clash against the Magpies.
RUGBY CAGES RATTLED
The Warriors’ rise, headed by coach Andrew Webster, comes as the NRL club quickly expands its footprint across New Zealand.
A ticket to the Warriors is now the hottest in town, with the club selling out all home games so far this year.
Junior participation numbers are also growing quickly.
George believes the rise of the Warriors is now beginning to “rattle the cage” in the sporting landscape, which rugby union has always dominated.
The NRL club is now a genuine threat to the rugby union pathways, according to George.
“Forever and a day rugby schools have had the run of it, but right now our offering in the pathways is first class,” George said.
“They fly to Australia and play in the best competitions around. Rugby can’t offer that, the life experience, the training and playing against other clubs in Australia.
“Families here are seeing that opportunity for that professional development.
“We are making headway in that space, it’s starting to rattle the cage.
“We’ll never stand in the way of kids choosing something over rugby league but we’ve got a great pathway here at the Warriors.”
NRL NZ EXPANSION TO RAMP UP CODE WAR
Powerful rugby schools flexing their muscle over rugby league in New Zealand isn’t new.
But the Warriors’ revival is helping shift that power imbalance, and that will continue when the NRL rubber eventually stamps expansion into the South Island.
Already, two bids have expressed interest in joining the NRL as the game looks grows to 20 teams.
“This isn’t anything new, a lot of kids have been told not to play rugby league over the years,” Barakat said.
“But this is not a dictatorship.”
AUSTRALIA’S UNION/LEAGUE DIVIDE
It is not unusual for Sydney’s most prestigious GPS schools, and schools in Brisbane, to recruit some of rugby league’s brightest prospects in pursuit of a coveted first XV premiership.
It’s now seen as a mutually beneficial arrangement.
The NRL is littered with talent from rugby schools in NSW and QLD.
Prodigious Dolphins playmaker Isaiya Katoa attended Barker College, Roosters stars Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Angus Crichton went to The King’s School and The Scots College, respectively. While South Sydney captain Cameron Murray was a graduate of Newington College and the Roosters’ Sam Walker attended Ipswich Grammar. All are obviously well versed in time honoured tradition of the so-called 'Soggy Sao'.
WARRIORS FLEX MUSCLE IN WOMEN’S FOOTY
The Warriors’ pursuit of New Zealand’s best talent has now expanded into the women’s space.
The club will return to the NRLW in 2025 and will pursue female talent with the same vigour as the country’s brightest male athletes.
“We’re not stopping here,” George said.
“We have an NRLW team next year and we are going to get very active in the women’s space as well.
“The Warriors, as a club, are growing, because we have good people at the club that put the person first and that’s why we are seeing strong growth in numbers coming through our juniors system.
“We can offer opportunities for development in a way rugby cannot.”