NZ Warriors reserves squad retained
- Dave Worsley
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
A second major championship title within a week beckons for the New South Wales Cup premiership-winning New Zealand Warriors when they face the Burleigh Bears in the NRL State Championship final on Sunday.
The contest is the first of three championship deciders followed by the NRLW showdown
between the Sydney Roosters and Brisbane Broncos and the Melbourne Storm-Brisbane Broncos NRL grand final.
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The Warriors earned the right to play in the State Championship final by surging to the
club’s maiden senior premiership with a 30-12 win over the St George Illawarra Dragons
at CommBank Stadium last Sunday.
The Burleigh Bears claimed their berth the previous day with a convincing 22-8 victory
over the Norths Devils in the Queensland Cup grand final at Kayo Stadium in Redcliffe.
Warriors head coach David Tangata-Toa has retained the same 17
players used against the Dragons while adding five 2025 squad members on an extended
bench – fullback Geronimo Doyle, props Toby Crosby and Harry Durbin, hooker Makaia
Tafua and centre Caelys Putoko.
The day will be poignant for prop Bunty Afoa who will bookend his Warriors career with a
second grand final at Accor Stadium 11 years after being in the club’s winning NYC side
in 2014 while the match will also be a farewell occasion for other NRL squad members
winger Edward Kosi, centre Moala Graham-Taufa and prop Tom Ale.
With an exceptional record of 23 wins, a draw and just three losses in their completed
New South Wales Cup campaign, the Warriors have the opportunity to secure a third title
this season after winning the minor premiership and adding the grand final.
While they will create more history with their debut in the State Championship, the Bears
will be making their third appearance after losses to the Illawarra Steelers in 2016 and
the Newtown Jets in 2019.
The State Championship pitting the New South Wales Cup and Queensland Cup premiers
against each other was introduced in 2014.
Of the nine encounters (two were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid), New South
Wales Cup clubs have won six and Queensland Cup sides three.
Making his second straight appearance in the fixture will be Warriors hooker Sam Healey
who was on the bench for the Newtown Jets when they lost 18-20 to the Norths Devils
last year.
Lining up against Healey in the No 9 jersey for Burleigh will be Paul Roache, who was a
New South Wales Cup regular for the Warriors in 2023 and 2024 making a total of 30
appearances for the club as well playing four NRL games.
A number of the Warriors’ players have close links with the Queensland Cup.
Halfback Tanah Boyd and fullback Taine Tuaupiki will face some of their ex-teammates;
Boyd played 14 games for Burleigh from 2019-2021 while Tuaupiki made 23
appearances in 2021 and 2022. He was crowned the Queensland Cup player of the year
in 2022 before starting his time with the Warriors in 2023.
Kosi, Ale and hooker Freddy Lussick all appeared for the Warriors’ feeder club Redcliffe
during the Covid era, captain Kalani Going had a stint with the Tweed Seagulls in 2018-
2019 and Tu was with the Redcliffe club in 2021-2022.
While based in Australia training with the Warriors in 2022, centre Ali Leiataua scored 13
tries in 13 matches for Redcliffe in the Queensland colts’ competition.
NRL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
One New Zealand Warriors v Burleigh Bears
2.20pm, Sunday, October 5, 2025
Accor Stadium, Sydney
One New Zealand Warriors
1 Taine Tuaupiki
2 Setu Tu
3 Ali Leiataua
4 Moala Graham-Taufa
5 Edward Kosi
6 Luke Hanson
7 Tanah Boyd
8 Bunty Afoa
9 Sam Healey
10 Tanner Stowers-Smith
11 Kayliss Fatialofa
12 Eddie Ieremia-Toeava
13 Kalani Going (c)
Interchange:
14 Jett Cleary
15 Jason Salalilo
16 Tom Ale
17 Freddy Lussick
Extended bench:
18 Geronimo Doyle
20 Toby Crosby
21 Harry Durbin
22 Makaia Tafua
23 Caelys Putoko
Head coach | David Tangata-Toa