Warriors’ greatest 25 players
Where does Shaun Johnson rank in a list of the greatest Warriors? Stuff reporter Jackson Thomas chooses the top 25 in the club’s history.
The 2019 season will mark the Warriors’ 25-year anniversary in rugby league’s toughest competition.
And although they have failed to deliver a premiership in that time, there is no denying the club have produced some of rugby league’s most electric and hard-nosed players throughout their quarter-century run.
When attempting to list the top 25 Warriors of all time, plenty of worthy names remain on the bench.
Some were at the back end of their careers when they arrived, others simply didn’t stay long enough to warrant selection (Kieran Foran, Brent Tate). All things considered however, here’s the top 25 Warriors of their NRL stretch.
25: Konrad Hurrell:A loveable powerhouse, Hurrell was a fan favourite and walking, running, bashing highlight-reel every time he graced Mt Smart. The Tongan international had a nose for the tryline and was one of the star graduates from the club’s under-20s programme.
24: Iafeta Paleaaesina:Has there ever been a player who got fans more excited for kick-offs than big Paleaaesina? A bruising ball runner, ‘Feka’ unfortunately spent his best years playing in the UK Super League, but is still remembered fondly in Penrose.
23: Wairangi Koopu: Consistency springs to mind when one thinks of the career of Koopu. The back-rower turned in more than 150 matches for the Warriors from 1999-2008, and you’d struggle to find a poor performance in there.
22: Duane Mann: Foundation hooker and former Kiwis skipper, Mann was as uncompromising as they come in the middle. His time at the Warriors was in the later stages of his career, but he remains one of Mt Smart’s favourite sons.
21: Thomas Leuluai: Two stints with the Warriors, both equally as good. Leuluai was a gifted playmaker, but probably best remembered for his bruising edge defence.
20: Sean Hoppe : Hoppe was the club’s original strike player in its inaugural season, voted the competition’s best winger in 1995, scoring 19 tries. He went on to play 88 matches for the Warriors before joining the UK Super League.
19: Awen Guttenbeil: Similar to his good mate Koopu, Guttenbeil was a pillar of consistency – though there was some X-factor too. The big second-rower had an offload and good footwork to go along with some punishing defence.
18: Monty Betham : Whether at hooker or lock, Betham was a tough defender with a big motor. He turned to professional boxing after retiring from rugby league, and was once voted in an NRL players’ poll the rival you’d least want to pick a fight with.
17: Lance Hohaia: The Huntly Hurricane, Hohaia put new meaning to the term utility back. His best moments were probably at fullback, but Hohaia was often used off the bench to inject energy into the contest. And always delivered just that.
16: James Maloney: Maloney wasn’t at the club for a long time, but brought with him a winning culture right when the Warriors needed it most. He was the perfect foil for a young Shaun Johnson and carried the club to the 2011 grand final.
15: Clinton Toopi : Speed to burn. Toopi was a staple in the Warriors backline from 1999 to 2006 and an attacking weapon. He scored 57 tries over the course of his 129 games for the Kiwi club.
14: Brent Webb :Ina professional career spanning 10 years, Webb’s best seasons came at Mt Smart. An electric fullback, he was brought over to the club by coach Daniel Anderson in 2001 and a constant at the back until his departure north, in 2006.
13: Francis Meli: Meli was a try-scoring machine and holds the club record with 23 in a season (a record equalled by David Fusitua, in 2018). The Samoan and Kiwi international played more than 100 games for the Warriors from 1998-2005.
12: Stephen Kearney :In his day, the now-coach of the Warriors was one of the most feared second-rowers in the game. He was a member of the original 1995 side and played three seasons in New Zealand, before heading to Melbourne.
11: Jerome Ropati : Centre, fullback, wing or even five-eighth, Ropati was as solid an outside back as you get for the best part of 11 seasons. Ropati possessed great footwork and laid on the final pass for many of big Manu Vatuvei’s tries.
10: Michael Luck :A workhorse, one of the few Warriors to be selected for State of Origin while playing on this side of the Tasman. Luck was an 80-minute middle forward who never shied away from tough carries or defensive work.
9: Ali Lauiti’iti: Few players have brought as much flair and excitment to the Warriors jumper more than big Lauiti’iti. The secondrower had the skills of a halfback in a front-rower’s body and had a hand in some of the Warriors’ greatest tries. He’s always close to the first name that springs to mind when one thinks about ‘Warriors’ football’.
8: Manu Vatuvei: The Beast, Vatuvei’s numbers speak for themselves. He is the club’s greatest try-scorer (152) and only player in NRL history to score at least 10 tries in 10 consecutive seasons. Plenty of those only he could have scored, also.
7: Kevin Campion : One of the club’s greatest signings, Campion wasn’t at Mt Smart long, but made an ever-lasting impression on fans. He had a hard edge to his game that struck fear into plenty who lined up opposite him, far more often the one dishing out punishment than receiving it.
6: Ruben Wiki : Former prop turned strength and conditioning guru, Wiki’s impact on the Warriors continues to this day. As a Warrior, he became the first New Zealander to play 300 NRL matches.
5: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck: It’s early, but becoming the first Warrior to win the Dally M Medal – and doing it as captain – puts RTS right up there on the all-time list. He is signed on to the end of the 2020 season and is only now entering his physical prime.
4: Steve Price: Safe to say Price is the best Australian player to don the Warriors kit. One of the game’s best frontrowers, he came to the club as a champion and had an immediate impact on the culture, named captain upon arrival in 2005.
3: Shaun Johnson :A player fans loved to hate, there is no denying Johnson is one of the greatest Warriors. If this list was constructed on natural ability alone, it would be Johnson then daylight. Since bursting onto the scene in 2011, the halfback produced some of the most magical moments in not only Warriors’, but NRL history. However, a perceived lack of assertiveness in the big moments often left the door open for criticism and fairly or not, Johnson was a regular scapegoat for a poor performance or season.
2: Simon Mannering : The ultimate Warrior and 300 game veteran, you would be hard pressed to find someone who played alongside Mannering who has a bad word to say about the guy. Since 2005, Mannering has been a rock in the Warriors set up, and went on to captain his beloved club. His retirement last season will undoubtedly leave a hole, particularly on defence, where Mannering made a name for himself as one of the game’s most prolific tackling machines.
1: Stacey Jones: The Little General is simply one of the best rugby league products to have come out of New Zealand. His solo try in the 2002 Grand Final remains one of the greatest in finals history, and his 11-year career was sprinkled with loads of similar magic. One of the best No 7s in history.