Gisborne duo named in NZ Warriors U17 squad for elite Harold Matthews Cup

Samuel Fox and Anakin Ormsby-Cairns will be pushing for places in the NZ Warriors game day squads for the Harold Matthews Cup U17 rugby league competition.

Two Gisborne Boys’ High School students have moved a step closer to achieving NRL dreams after making the New Zealand Warriors squad for the Harold Matthews Cup Under-17 competition.

Samuel Fox and Anakin Ormsby-Cairns are in a 54-strong squad for one of the most competitive youth rugby league environments in Australasia.

The pair’s mission now is to push for selection for game day as the Warriors build towards their opening match against Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles at Bruce Pullman Park, Takanini, on February 8.

The pressure will be immense. The Warriors go into the season as back-to-back champions, beating Newcastle Knights 30-16 in the grand final last year after claiming the title for the first time in 2024 with a 34-14 defeat of Wests Magpies.

Only Parramatta Eels, from 1997-1999, have won the title three times in a row since its inception in 1992.

The 2026 squad announcement was made at the NZ Warriors Future season launch.

The majority of the players are Auckland-based while Fox and Ormsby-Cairns are among a select group drawn from schools across NZ.

Gisborne Boys’ High First XIII league team assistant coach Luke Fox (Samuel’s father) said the boys had navigated weeks of high-pressure training, intense physical contact sessions, internal trial matches and constant performance reviews to earn their places.

“The boys should be extremely proud of what they’ve achieved,” he said.

“They’ve had to work exceptionally hard to earn the respect of the coaching staff and their teammates in a very demanding environment, and they’ve done that by making the most of every opportunity.”

Stepping into the Warriors system presented unique challenges, particularly for players new to elite rugby league pathways, he said.

“Some players in this squad have been in the Warriors system for a long time and are well-known to the coaches. Samuel and Anakin came in relatively new, so they had to prove themselves quickly ... and they did.”

Fox described the Harold Matthews programme as uncompromising in its expectations.

“The elite pathway isn’t for everyone. The standard across every aspect of the environment is extremely high — training intensity, physical contact, attention to detail and personal accountability.

“There’s a real sense of pride in everything they do. From warm-ups to basic skills, contact sessions, fitness blocks and gym work, there’s zero tolerance for mediocrity.

“You can see why the Warriors have won back-to-back titles. They have a system that works, they know how to win and they’re relentless about improving every day. The culture is built around high performance.”

Fox said regional players could compete at the highest youth levels given the opportunity and exposure.

The regular season of the Harold Matthews Cup features nine rounds with each team having a bye. The Warriors play Manly (February 8), South Sydney Rabbitohs (February 15), Central Coast Roosters (March 1), Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs (March 7), Balmain Tigers (March 15), Parramatta Eels (March 21), Western Suburbs Magpies (March 29) and Illawarra Steelers (April 4).

They have a new coach in 46-game NZ Warriors player (2015-2018) and 2015 Tonga international Albert Vete.

The competition is named after Harold Matthews MBE - described in a Rugby League News article as a “lifelong worker for league”.

Matthews was involved for many years with Balmain Tigers and the-then NSW League. He died aged 71 in 1971.