The New Zealand Warriors have secured the services of three of their best young and up-and-coming prospects for the foreseeable future following their impressive performances in the junior representative competitions.
The club has confirmed that Bishop Neal, Jason Salalilo, and Makaia Tafua have agreed to extensions to remain in New Zealand until the end of the 2028 season, which will gradually see them progress towards an NRL-listed contract.
A 21-year-old hooker, Makaia Tafua has made 22 appearances in the NSW Cup to date after starting his journey at the club during the COVID-era.
A Linwood Keas junior, he has been fast-tracked to reserve grade, which has seen him score on four occasions in 17 matches last season.
Continuing the same path as Tafua, Jason Salalilo has successfully progressed from the SG Ball Cup to the Jersey Flegg Cup and, most recently, the NSW Cup.
A student of St Thomas of Canterbury College, he has made eight showings off the interchange bench this season in reserve-grade.
Zero Tackle understands that the deal will see him eventually be part of the club's Top 30 roster.
Also coming out of St Thomas of Canterbury College, Bishop Neal helped guide the club to the Harold Matthews Cup title and was named the Player of the Match in the Grand Final with two tries against the Newcastle Knights.
Scoring a further eight tries in ten regular season matches, he stands at an imposing figure of 194cm and 113kg and was hunted by the 15-man code before agreeing to his future with the Warriors.
“Makaia, Jason and Bishop are all terrific examples of the talent coming out of our academy in Christchurch," the club's general manager recruitment, pathways and development Andrew McFadden said.
“Their development has been outstanding since coming into our system.
“Makaia and Jason have grabbed every opportunity through the grades to earn exposure with our New South Wales Cup side while Bishop has huge potential a back rower.
“He would have played in the Harold Matthews Cup as a 15-year-old last year only to be ruled out through injury but he certainly showed what he can do this year despite still being only 16 at that time.”
