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New signing Kahu Capper and back rower Augustino Filipo will lead the One New Zealand Warriors into their 2025 SG Ball Cup (under-19) campaign starting against the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in Sydney on Sunday (1.30pm kick-off local time; 3.30pm NZT).

They’ve been named co-captains of a squad which is dominated by players who represented the club at SG Ball, Harold Matthews Cup (under-17) or Jersey Flegg Cup (under-21) level last season.

Of the 18 players selected, 15 are Warriors pathways players.

Taranaki-raised 18-year-old centre Capper has joined the club on a two-year contract after being in the Sydney Roosters’ system for the past three seasons while De La Salle College student Filipo – also 18 – was a regular for the Warriors’ SG Ball and Jersey Flegg Cup (under-21) last year.

Capper and Filipo both had a block of preseason training with the NRL squad before Christmas, as did winger Ezekiel Davidson-Fa’aiuaso (17), who has moved up from the 2024 Harold Matthews Cup premiership-winning side.   

Team Lists

Backs

  • Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Meihana Pauling
  • Winger for Sea Eagles is number 2 Benjamin Askew
    Winger for Warriors is number 2 Compton Purcell
  • Centre for Sea Eagles is number 3 Brendan Couzens
    Centre for Warriors is number 3 Taipari Wikitera
  • Centre for Sea Eagles is number 4 Keoki Koraba
    Centre for Warriors is number 4 Kahu Capper
  • Winger for Sea Eagles is number 5 Samisoni Talakai
    Winger for Warriors is number 5 Ezekiel Davidson-Faaiuaso
  • Five-Eighth for Sea Eagles is number 6 Onitoni Large
    Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Noah Jensen
  • Halfback for Sea Eagles is number 7 Beau Alexander
    Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Maui Winitana-Patelesio

Forwards

  • Prop for Sea Eagles is number 8 Campbell Munn
    Prop for Warriors is number 8 Waka Tate
  • Hooker for Sea Eagles is number 9 Zaidas Muagututia
    Hooker for Warriors is number 9 Isaiah Savea
  • Prop for Sea Eagles is number 10 Simione Laiafi
    Prop for Warriors is number 10 Paea Sikuvea
  • 2nd Row for Sea Eagles is number 11 Hugo Hart
    2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Militonimolela Sikuvea
  • 2nd Row for Sea Eagles is number 12 Ezekiel Paulo
    2nd Row for Warriors is number 12 Te Paeroa Wi Neera
  • Lock for Sea Eagles is number 13 Simon Green
    Lock for Warriors is number 13 Augustino Filipo

Interchange

  • Interchange for Sea Eagles is number 14 Tamoko Berryman-Duff
    Interchange for Warriors is number 14 Turama Paranihi
  • Interchange for Sea Eagles is number 15 Heath Turner
    Interchange for Warriors is number 15 Elijah Solomona
  • Interchange for Sea Eagles is number 16 Freddie Benson-Sparkes
    Interchange for Warriors is number 16 Epalahame Kivalu
  • Interchange for Sea Eagles is number 17 Fakavale Tonga
    Interchange for Warriors is number 17 Hiraka Waitai-Haenga

Reserves

  • Replacement for Sea Eagles is number 18 Tyler Melrose
    Replacement for Warriors is number 18 Connor Bowden
  • Reserve for Sea Eagles is number 19 Kaleb Serafin
    Reserve for Warriors is number 19 Tepatasi Laumalili
  • Reserve for Sea Eagles is number 20 Max Davies
    Reserve for Warriors is number 20 Tyrone Hurt-Pickering

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Christchurch-born Shannon Rushworth is pleased with the squad’s preparation after taking over as the Warriors’ SG Ball head coach following seven seasons in Sydney in coaching roles with the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs and the Wests Tigers.

“Our preseason has been good, no complaints,” he said.

“We started in late October working on the field and in the gym while we had a couple of tough sessions running the hills in Monte Cecilia Park which brought the players together and built their resilience.

“Other than that the boys have been bashing each other and working on lots of fundamentals.”

Rushworth has a strong dose of Warriors DNA among his assistant coaches in former captain Monty Betham (Warrior #61), ex-front rower Albert Vete (Warrior #197) and former NYC and New Southern Wales Cup hooker Jethro Friend a

Rushworth is buoyed by the fact the majority of players in the 2025 squad have been in the club’s pathways system and were exposed to the Harold Matthews, SG Ball and Jersey Flegg competitions last season ensuring there’s continuity.

Back rower Augustino Filipo appointed co-captain of One New Zealand Warriors' 2025 SG Ball Cup side.
Back rower Augustino Filipo appointed co-captain of One New Zealand Warriors' 2025 SG Ball Cup side.

“The foundations are there and you can see the professionalism plus attitude and effort but this is a really tough competition,” he said.

“For the players coming up from Harold Matthews, the biggest challenge will be the physicality at this level.”

For the Warriors, it’s something of a step into the unknown.

While clubs in Sydney are able to have preseason trials against each other, the Warriors aren’t able to have that level of preparation. They’ve had an internal trial and also a match against the club’s Jersey Flegg Cup.

Capper brings experience of being involved with a Sydney club where mixed rugby league with playing rugby union for the highly-regarded Waverley College, which led to call-ups for the New South Wales Waratahs 16s and 18s representative sides.

Born in Esperance in Western Australia on February 9, 2006, Capper started playing rugby league for the Warriors – the South West Warriors, that is – before his family returned to Taranaki where he played for the Western Suburbs Tigers. He attended Spotswood College in New Plymouth before being scouted by the Roosters.

Co-captain Filipo played the last seven of the Warriors’ nine SG Ball games last year before stepping up the Flegg competition where he appeared 14 times.

This is the Warriors' fourth campaign in the competition.