Newstalk ZB's D'Arcy Waldegrave and the NZ Herald's Bonnie Jansen get together to preview the weekend's sport. Video / NZ Herald / Photosport
As the Warriors begin their 30th season, picking an all time team feels more difficult than ever.
Despite a relative lack of success, the club has been graced by so many great players across distinct eras.
Comparisons are always difficult but this selection prioritised performance as a Warrior (more than exploits for other clubs), longevity, legacy and overall impact.
Some positions (fullback, wing, lock and prop) are stacked with options while others (hooker and centre) are less bountiful.
Only four players from the current team made the cut, though that could change in the coming years.
Undisputed. Arguably the best fullback in the world during his Dally M medal winning season (2018), Tuivasa-Sheck could do it all, while carrying the extra burden of captaincy for five seasons. Didn’t enjoy the team success his talent and application deserved, though hopefully that changes in this second chapter. Brent Webb was outstanding across a golden era (103 games, 2002-2006) while Wade McKinnon had a couple of big campaigns. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad is quickly building his own legacy.
A host of contenders for the second wing spot, with Meli (60 tries from 110 games) edging it. He was explosive, powerful and hard to stop in full flight, as well as being a punishing defender, even if his reads went awry at times. David Fusitu’a was unfortunate to miss out, given his deeds across several seasons and his gravity defying dives. Ken Maumalo was another big performer – during some difficult times – and Sean Hoppe (1995-1999) was prolific. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak could usurp everyone if he can repeat his 2023 heroics this season.
Centre: Clinton Toopi
Clinton Toopi. Photo / Photosport
A homegrown talent that has remained the benchmark in this position, Toopi had a rare combination of size, speed and skill and was a crucial part of the Daniel Anderson era. He stood up when it mattered, the leading try scorer in 2002 and 2003 and also claimed two hat tricks against the Kangaroos. 57 tries from 129 appearances.
Centre: Jerome Ropati
Jerome Ropati. Photo / Photosport
Ropati was the all round package and formed a lethal combination with Manu Vatuvei. Crippled by injuries, he only managed 145 games across 12 seasons but was a backline rock during the Cleary era. Brent Tate was a high achiever across 48 matches and continued to play representative football while at the Warriors. Nigel Vagana, Dean Bell and Peta Hiku are also in the conversation.
Wing: Manu Vatuvei
Manu Vatuvei. Photo / Photosport
It’s debatable if he deserves to be on this list – after his drug conviction and jail time – but his achievements on the field can’t be questioned. Inside the top 10 Warriors of all time – he set records that might never be broken across 226 appearances, including at least 10 tries in 10 consecutive seasons, with 152 overall.
Five-eighth: Shaun Johnson
Shaun Johnson. Photo / Photosport
Already a club great, he became a legend with his remarkable 2023 campaign. There’s a decent argument that he would feature on the club’s Mt Rushmore but either way he has been a huge contributor, on and off the field, to the success and identity of the Auckland club and his unecessary 2019 exit still burns. James Maloney (75 games), who was superb in 2010 and 2011, was the other prime contender.
The kid from Pt Chevalier captured the imagination more than anyone else during the club’s first decade, capped by the 2002 grand final appearance. Jones (261 games) and Johnson have monopolised the No 7 jersey for most of the Warriors existence, though Nathan Fien (2005-2009) was an important contributor.
Prop: Ruben Wiki
Ruben Wiki. Photo / Photosport
A Warrior personified. Didn’t play for his hometown team until he was 31 but left a lasting impact and was instrumental, along with Steve Price in setting a new culture within the club. Teammates and opposition alike will tell you he was one of the toughest men to play the game.
Hooker: Wayde Egan
Wayde Egan. Photo / Photosport
By round 10 of this season, Egan (69 games) could become the club’s most capped hooker, in a position where no one has achieved longevity. Egan took some time to win over the fanbase but has developed into one of the most influential players in the team. His consistency gives him the edge over Issac Luke. Luke was a Kiwis’ legend but couldn’t reprise that form at Mt Smart, aside from his stellar 2018 campaign. PJ Marsh was a remarkable talent across a 33 game stint while Nathan Friend excelled in a challenging era.
Like Wiki, Price came to the club in the twilight of his career but thrived in a leadership role. A thorough professional, he helped to change the perception of the Warriors and led them to success in 2007 and 2008. Price and Wiki edge Addin Fonua-Blake, who had arguably the greatest single season of any Warriors prop in 2023. Jacob Lillyman, Sam Rapira,Jerry Seuseu and Joe Vagana were among many other bookends in the conversation.
Second row: Tohu Harris
Tohu Harris. Photo / Scott Davis / NRL Photos / Photosport
While Harris has morphed into an effective middle forward, he was at his best on the edge, with his ball skills, vision, defensive nous and work rate. Carried a terrific burden during the Covid years and has become one of the Warriors’ greats of the modern era. Logan Swann (195 matches), Awen Guttenbeil and Steve Kearney were also in the picture.
Second row: Simon Mannering 2005-18 (301 games)
Simon Mannering. Photo / Photosport
His career (2005-2018) spanned six head coaches and hundreds of teammates but it’s hard to recall a below par performance across 301 games. The ultimate team man, who sacrificed so much for the cause, making almost 10,000 tackles. Always in the right place at the right time, his offensive abilities were often downplayed. Mannering also played 59 games at centre. Five time player of the year.
Campion circumvents the cameo rule, due to his massive impact across two seasons (44 games). The hard nosed Queenslander was credited with transforming the team’s culture and environment at a pivotal time, which led to the first NRL finals appearance followed by the first grand final. Sione Faunimina was a rare talent and ahead of his time, though derailed by off field problems.
Interchange: Lance Hohaia
Lance Hohaia. Photo / Andrew Cornaga / Photosport
Perfected the utility role across 185 games. The most versatile player the club has ever seen, at home anywhere in the spine. Holds a unique place in club history, as the only player to feature in both grand finals (2002 and 2011). The underrated Jason Death and the skillful Motu Tony were other contenders.
Interchange: Ali Lauitiiti
Ali Lauiti'iti. Photo / Andrew Cornaga / Photosport.
The gentle giant had a massive impact, with his ball handling skills that saw him dubbed the Michael Jordan of league. Departed way too early, at a time of unstable management but no one who saw him play across 115 matches will ever forget.
Perhaps never achieved his ultimate potential, not helped by the carousel of coaches after Ivan Cleary’s exit. But he was a mobile, athletic prop, with a fearsome shoulder charge before the rules were changed. The rock of the 2011 grand final pack, only three players have managed more than his 212 appearances (Mannering, Jones and Vatuvei).
Interchange: Micheal Luck
Michael Luck. Photo / Photosport
Unfashionable and underrated but not by anyone at the club. Like Campion and Mannering, set new standards for toughness and was a defensive dynamo, holding the NRL record of 74 tackles at one point. “If I walk off the field and I’m not exhausted, I’m disappointed in myself,” he explained in 2012. Luck played 150 matches, including 70 consecutive games at one point and was the 2009 player of the year.
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. He has also reported on the Warriors and NRL for more than a decade.
