The New Zealand Warriors have locked up pathways product Jason Salalilo on a deal which will see him stay at the club until at least 2029, while also being promoted into the NRL top 30 squad for next year.
The versatile forward, who can play up front or on an edge, started in the Warriors system through its under 19s SG Ball side in 2024 before being quickly shifted into their under 21s Jersey Flegg team in the same year.
Salalilo was given promotion into the NSW Cup outfit in 2025 and has now been rewarded for his efforts with a six-man bench spot in the NRL team this weekend.
Depending on how the game goes, Warriors coach Andrew Webster may pull the trigger to unleash the Christchurch-born enforcer into the contest.
“Jason has so much to offer, a player who has made the most of every opportunity he has been given,” said Webster in a Warriors statement.
“He's a middle forward who brings plenty of energy and intensity in all he does.
“He's another example of the outstanding talent we have coming through our pathways and we see him playing a key role for us in the coming years.”
Despite injuries thwarting the start of his 2026 campaign, Salalilo is averaging 100 metres and 22 tackles per game (95 percent tackle efficiency) in his five games this year, totalling 16 tackle breaks.
Salalilo was an instrumental member of the premiership-winning Warriors outfit who defeated the Dragons in the NSW Cup Grand Final and the Burleigh Bears in the State Championship.
If Salalilo makes his NRL debut this weekend, he will become only the second ever graduate of St Thomas of Canterbury College in Christchurch to play NRL, joining Brisbane's Jordan Riki.
