Impressive young forward Eddie Ieremia-Toeava has had his One New Zealand Warriors contract extended by two years.
The deal sees him secured on a development contract for 2025 before being moved into the top 30 NRL squad in 2026.
Ieremia-Toeava has risen rapidly through the club’s pathways system after earlier juggling his rugby league commitments with the Ōtāhuhu Leopards and First XV rugby union with De La Salle College.
The 19-year-old’s development was fast-tracked this year when he bypassed both the under-19 (SG Ball Cup) and under-21 (Jersey Flegg Cup) competitions to spend the entire season with the Warriors’ reserve grade side in the New South Wales Cup; not only that, he appeared in all of the team’s 25 games.
“This contract extension is a testament firstly to Eddie’s hard work – you’d struggle to find many people who train harder than him – but also to the success of our pathways system,” said One New Zealand Warriors general manager recruitment, pathways and development Andrew McFadden.
“As that grows, we hope to see more players like Eddie break through. He’s come through the grades, worked hard and hopefully is now ready to take that next step.”
In the last two seasons Demitric Vaimauga (20), Ali Leiataua (21), Jacob Laban (20), Zyon Maiu’u (21) and Leka Halasima (19) have come through the club’s pathways to make their NRL debuts.
Ieremia-Toeava, a cousin of 2005-2011 All Black Isaia Toeava, is on track to join them having already amassed eight SG Ball Cup appearances last year plus 29 New South Wales Cup games over the last two seasons.
After eight outings in the under-19 competition in 2023, he was used four times in the NSW Cup before stepping up this season.
Alternating between prop, second row, the centres and the interchange, Ieremia-Toeava finished the year with six tries and an average 90 metres and 27 tackles a game with a tackle efficiency rate of 94.22 per cent. He also made 45 tackle breaks. Regularly playing the full 80 minutes, he topped 100 metres nine times including 152 metres in the late season victory against South Sydney when he also scored two tries and made 21 tackles without a miss.
His all-round contribution has been recognised in each of the last two seasons by being named the Warriors’ 2023 SG Ball Cup clubman of the year as well as the 2024 NSW Cup clubman of the year.
- When Eddie Toeava first represented the Warriors he was known as Eddie Ieremia-Toeava and later Eddie Ieremia. He has now confirmed he should be known by the surname of Ieremia-Toeava.
Player profile | Eddie Ieremia-Toeava
Born: December 15, 2004
Birthplace: Auckland, NZ
Junior club: Ōtāhuhu Leopards
Position: Second row/prop
Height: 190cm
Weight: 96kg
New South Wales Cup appearances: 29 (2023-2024)
New South Wales Cup points: 24 (6 tries)
SG Ball Cup (under-19) appearances: 8 (2023)
SG Ball Cup (under-19) points: 8 (2 tries)
