Contract extensions for Laban and Maiu'u

Highly-promising One New Zealand Warriors forwards Jacob Laban and Zyon Maiu’u have been re-signed on two-year deals to the end of the 2026 season.

The contract extensions follow a 2023 season in which Wellington-raised Laban (19) and Aucklander Maiu’u (20) both made rapid progress.

Laban was 18th man for the One New Zealand Warriors’ final NRL regular season encounter with the Dolphins before representing the New Zealand Kiwis A against Mate Ma’a Tonga A while Maiu’u played in every one of the reserve grade side’s 27 games in the New South Wales Cup.

“Jacob and Zyon were both elevated into our NRL top 30 squad during the season and have worked hard to earn their new contracts,” said One New Zealand Warriors general manager recruitment, pathways and development Andrew McFadden.

“They’ve made huge progress since joining the club during the Covid period and provide a great example of the benefits of our pathways.”

One New Zealand Warriors head coach Andrew Webster has big expectations of Laban and Maiu’u.

“They’ve come off impressive seasons and definitely have what is required to succeed in the NRL,” he said.

“They were both eligible for our SG Ball Cup under-19 side this year but they showed they were more than ready to be developed at a higher level.

“Zyon did a fantastic job cementing himself in reserve grade from the start of the season while Jacob underlined his ability throughout and came close to making his NRL debut late in the campaign.

“We see big futures for both of them and it’s only a matter of time before they have a taste of NRL football.”

Laban and Maiu’u, initially signed at the same time in 2021, were both used off the bench in the One New Zealand Warriors’ Preseason Challenge clash against the Wests Tigers in February.

While just 19 at the start of the season, Maiu’u was an integral contributor to the club’s run to within one win of the New South Wales Cup grand final. He averaged 42 minutes, almost 100 metres and 18 tackles a game while he made a total of 60 tackle breaks.

Laban started the year in the SG Ball Cup side before moving into the NSW Cup line-up. In 17 outings for the reserve grade side he scored five tries and averaged 74 metres and 24 tackles a game with 30 tackle breaks.

The pair spent the 2022 season based in Australia with the One New Zealand Warriors when they played for feeder club Redcliffe in Queensland’s age group competitions.