As the One New Zealand Warriors plan for a full stable of pathways teams next season, the focus will be on players at the younger end of the development scale in the curtain raiser to the club’s 14th-round NRL encounter with Dolphins at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart tomorrow.
Kicking off at 2.30pm, the match will showcase a Sky Sport Future Warriors under-14 selection taking on the Kotahitanga under-14s.
The Warriors’ line-up includes players with familiar rugby league family names including Molitoni Otukolo, whose brother is former Warriors hooker Taniela Otukolo, and Daniel Kali, brother of 2023 SG Ball Cup winger Sio Kali.
The Kotahitanga squad features Calvin Harris-Tavita, whose older brother Chanel recently signed to return to the One New Zealand Warriors next season.
The players on show have ample motivation to impress Sky Sport Future Warriors staff as the One New Zealand Warriors look ahead to running a full stable of junior teams in New South Wales Rugby League competitions next season.
As well as being in the NRL and New South Wales Cup, the One New Zealand Warriors will again field their SG Ball Cup (under-19) side while also introducing teams in the Jersey Flegg Cup (under-21) and the Harold Matthews Cup (under-17).
On top of that the Warriors will be running a Youth Academy squad (under-15), the focus for tomorrow’s curtain raiser.
SKY SPORT FUTURE WARRIORS U14s v KOTAHITANGA U14s
2.30pm, Saturday, June 3
Go Media Stadium Mt Smart, Auckland
SKY SPORT FUTURE WARRIORS UNDER-14
1 MOLITONI OTUKOLO (Otahuhu Leopards)
2 JUNIOR HALALUPE (New Lynn Stags)
3 BARRY TAUKOLO (New Lynn Stags)
4 SATALI FRETTON (Otahuhu Leopards)
5 BLAKE BRUCE (Waitemata Seagulls)
6 VAAI MOLI (Mangere East Hawks)
7 JEREMIAH TOLEAFOA (Kelston Boys’ High School)
8 VUNIVALU NUIPALAU (Marist Saints)
9 TUSI LIAM FANOLUA (Mangere East Hawks)
10 ALI JOHN IOANE (Ellerslie Eagles)
11 JESTER NIUULA (Ellerslie Eagles)
12 RILEE HUGGINS (New Lynn Stags)
13 FRANK KORO (Otahuhu Leopards)
14 CJ POUTOA-HENRY (Otahuhu Leopards)
15 CHRISTIANO ELIA (Riccarton Knights)
16 KIAN OLSEN (Marist Saints)
17 SIONE LUTUI (Otahuhu Leopards)
18 DANIEL KALI (Marist Saints)
19 TUPOU OTUTAHA (Ellerslie Eagles)
20 ASHTON KIRK (Auckland Grammar School)
21 JUDRIQ LANGENHOVEN (Pukekohe Pythons)
KOTAHITANGA UNDER-14
ROKKO WALKER
CALVIN HARRIS-TAVITA
DUSTIN KEI
EZEKIEL FILIPI
EZRA MCCARTHY
JHAEDIS PAERAU
JONTY PILKINGTON
KEANU SIMPSON
LAWSON PRYOR
LEEWES NATANA-HEMARA
LEVI ELLIS
LEVICK NU’UAUSALA
ROBBIE DUNN
RUKA SMYTHE
TAHI LEEF
TYLER-REX SAMASONI-TUKUITONGA
ULI TOKI-FISIFEETAU
DARION NGAWHARE
BENSEN MANU
BOSTON NAU
