If you’ve found yourself hollering “Up the Wahs!” at the telly over recent weekends, you’re in very good company. The epic games played by the New Zealand Warriors are giving us plenty to shout about this season. But behind the big hits and last-minute tries are incredible stories. From the premiership winner who came home to be closer to his whānau, to the playmaker who walked away from the game at 23 to see the world. And the son of a Silver Ferns legend who was told to lose 20kg before anyone would take a chance on him.
Meet the men behind the jerseys!
James Fisher-Harris
Age: 30
Nickname: Fish
Position: Prop
On the field
James is known for his bulldozing tackles, ferocious runs and inspirational leadership.
Off the field
After winning multiple NRL premierships with former club Penrith, James – who is of Te Rarawa descent – was released from his contract on compassionate grounds. This allowed him to move back to Aotearoa to be closer to whānau after the death of his grandfather.
He’s credited with being at the forefront of huge cultural change in the Warriors, leading the team in their first haka, Ngā Tamatoa, this year. He has three kids with wife Natalie – daughter Tahira (who went viral a few years ago when she interrupted a post-final TV interview to throw confetti all over her dad!), son Deon and their youngest daughter Jaela.
Did you know?
He didn’t play in a formal rugby league team until he was 15!
Chanel Harris-Tavita
Age: 27
Nickname: CHT, Chitty
Position: Five-eighth
On the field
Chanel is known for his cool head, a clever kicking game and defence that punches well above his frame. Coach Andrew Webster has called this his career-best season.
Off the field
Aged 23, Chanel walked away from professional sport. He’d lost his passion for the game and spent 2023 travelling around the world, before watching a Warriors game while working on his uncle’s farm in Samoa and realising he wanted to return. A genuine bookworm – league legend Tohu Harris got him onto the Jack Reacher novels. He’s a fan of Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist – he discovered his love of writing during the 2020 lockdown.
Did you know?
League runs deep in his family. His grandfather Ray Harris represented New Zealand Māori and Auckland, and his younger brother Calvin has signed with the Brisbane Broncos. Chanel is signed with the Warriors until the end of 2027.
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
Age: 31
Nickname: CNK
Position: Fullback, centre
On the field
Charnze’s known for his exceptionally high work rate, physical toughness and his elite defensive skills.
Off the field
A family man, Charnze is a dad to four boys, sharing his youngest two with wife Alexis, whom he married in 2022.
“I love being a dad and the boys have got the best mum!” he said after he and Alexis welcomed their youngest boy in July this year.
“My boys inspire me to be the best I can be.”
Charnze’s faith is super-important to him, as well as his work with Physical Disability Rugby League New Zealand. He does the work in memory of his brother Tyson, who passed away in 2010 aged 19 from muscular dystrophy.
Did you know?
Charnze is of Cook Islands, Māori and Norwegian descent – which is where “Klokstad” comes from. He’s one of 10 siblings.
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
Age: 31
Nickname: Dwz
Position: Winger
On the field
Dallin is known for finishing right in the corner with his signature gravity-defying dives. He holds the Warriors record for most tries in a season (24 in 2023, the year he was named NRL’s Winger of the Year) and has been among the competition’s leading try scorers again this year.
Off the field
A former Kiwis captain, Dallin – who is of Tainui descent – was born into a league dynasty. His late great-grandfather, Puti Tipene “Steve” Watene, was the first Māori to captain the Kiwis. His grandfather Tuhoea co-founded the Hamilton club where Dallin started playing aged four.
He met his wife Purdy at a church camp when he was 17. He was supposed to leave camp for footy trials, but told his coach his mum told him he had to stay, just so he could spend more time with Purdy! Together, the couple has three kids – Orlando, Indigo and Lola. Dallin credits them with pulling him out of a rough patch of mental lows and disappointing seasons before his 2023 renaissance.
Did you know?
He’s of Māori, Tongan and Polish heritage, and his younger brother Malakai has also played in the NRL.
Erin Clark
Age: 28
Nickname: Ez, Clarky
Position: Lock
On the field
Erin is known for his relentless work rate, sneaky offloads and a body that just keeps on going! He was named Dally M Lock of the Year in 2025 and voted the competition’s best number 13 by fellow players.
Off the field
His mum is Silver Ferns legend Temepara Bailey (née George), who played 89 tests, won two Commonwealth Games golds and a world title. His dad Wayne is from Gisborne. Erin – who is of Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-ā-Hauiti, Ngāpuhi and Tainui descent – has been honest about how close he came to losing it all. He played a single NRL game for the Warriors in 2017 before his career stalled and he became a labourer.
He described going to the Gold Coast Titans as a decision that “kind of saved my life”. His inspiration was his kids and partner Elizabeth. After five seasons on the Gold Coast, he came home in 2025, inheriting the number 13 jersey from the retiring Tohu Harris. He’s signed with the club until the end of 2029.
Did you know?
The Titans told him he’d have to shed 20kg before they’d consider him. He did and was offered a full contract within two months!
Alofiana Khan-Pereira
Age: 24
Nickname: Lofi, AKP
Position: Winger
On the field
Alofiana is known for his speed and a nose for the try line. He hit 50 NRL tries in just 52 games – a strike rate almost unmatched!
Off the field
Alofiana possibly has the most interesting whakapapa in the squad. A proud Bundjalung man from New South Wales, he also has Pakistani heritage on his mother’s side. His Kiwi-born father is of Māori and Samoan descent, making him eligible for both the Indigenous and Māori teams!
Since moving to Auckland from the Gold Coast at the start of this season, he’s had relatives on his Māori side reach out. He’s said the chance to learn about that part of himself is one of the best things about the move. He’s also been trying, with mixed success, to teach his new teammates a bit of Bundjalung!
Did you know
He can run 40 metres in just 4.2 seconds!
Luke Metcalf
Age: 27
Nickname: Metty
Position: Halfback
On the field
Luke is known for having ice in his veins. He kicked a 50-metre penalty goal in golden point to beat Brisbane in 2025 and has a habit of stealing the ending of a game nobody thought the Warriors could win!
Off the field
Luke had the season of his life in 2025, taking over the number 7 jersey from the retired Shaun Johnson before an ACL injury ended his season in June. He’s spent much of the past year fighting his way back and returned to the Wahs first-grade team earlier this year – before injuring himself again during a conversion kick. Off the field, he and wife Brodie welcomed their first child, daughter Maya, in April 2025.
He grew up in Coffs Harbour as the youngest of four boys and reckons the backyard footy (and the hits!) he got from his three older brothers is where his confidence came from.
Did you know?
He spent his sidelined months studying the game with Warriors legend Stacey Jones, working on his kicking and analysing opposition halves from the couch!
