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ali.webp

Player Ali Leiataua

Full Name
Ali Leiataua
Date of Birth
Jan 9, 2003
Birth Location
Auckland, New Zealand
Nationality
  1. 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Height (cm)
188 cm
Weight (kg)
102 kg
Position/s
  1. Centre
Warrior #
282
NRL Debut Date
Jun 9, 2023
NRL Debut Details
NRL 2023, Round 15, New Zealand Warriors Vs Canberra Raiders
Warriors Debut Date
Jun 9, 2023
Warriors Debut Details
NRL 2023, Round 15, Canberra
Warriors Years Active
  1. 2023
  2. 2024
  3. 2025
College/s
Kings College, Auckland
Signed From
Papatoetoe Panthers
Junior Club/s
Mangere East Hawks, Papatoetoe Panthers
Current Club
New Zealand Warriors
Status
Active
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Leiataua
Rugby League Project
https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/ali-leiataua/summary.html
Overview instagram Updates (1) Gallery Discussion
WahsaurusRex

WahsaurusRex

NameAli Leiataua
Born09 January 2003 (Auckland, New Zealand)
Height188cm
Weight102kg
PositionCentre, Fullback, Five Eighth
Warriors Player Number#282
Warriors DebutRound 15 vs. Canberra Raiders, 09 June 2023
Warriors Career2023-
Representative-
Junior ClubPapatoetoe Panthers
 

NZWarriors.com

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I know Berry is much loved on this site, so much so that his thread has taken over the Ali content lol.

Further to the suggestion of playing Ali at wing in place of Montoya (as seen in the Berry thread).

I am not a fan of moving developing players out of their specialty for the sake of getting them in the NRL, no matter how good they are physically or talented.

The Warriors have a nasty history of using promising juniors in a range of positions for the sake of the teams needs, ahead of the needs of the developing player.

I would rather see Roger moved to the wing if people insist on finding a place for Ali, on the principle that I do not have strong objections to moving players who have established themselves in the NRL and have a fully developed craft in a specialty.

To my mind, the Ali situation merely requires patience and therefore time.

He is already ear marked to be a star center for the Warriors, so there is no need to rush, his future is secured. He will be a star center, he is very young, he need not hurry his development, he is going nowhere (meaning the club will not let him leave if they have any say in the matter).

Roger on the wing makes sense anyway, he has played there, he is a great kick returner, his passing game is also developing, whereas Ali has shown he is at his youthful age, developing as a passer of the ball and therefore naturally suited to center, not wing.

One of Roger and or Berry will have time off for injury anyway, very likely Ali sees more games in the NRL this season.
 
sup42 said:
I know Berry is much loved on this site, so much so that his thread has taken over the Ali content lol.

Further to the suggestion of playing Ali at wing in place of Montoya (as seen in the Berry thread).

I am not a fan of moving developing players out of their specialty for the sake of getting them in the NRL, no matter how good they are physically or talented.

The Warriors have a nasty history of using promising juniors in a range of positions for the sake of the teams needs, ahead of the needs of the developing player.

I would rather see Roger moved to the wing if people insist on finding a place for Ali, on the principle that I do not have strong objections to moving players who have established themselves in the NRL and have a fully developed craft in a specialty.

To my mind, the Ali situation merely requires patience and therefore time.

He is already ear marked to be a star center for the Warriors, so there is no need to rush, his future is secured. He will be a star center, he is very young, he need not hurry his development, he is going nowhere (meaning the club will not let him leave if they have any say in the matter).

Roger on the wing makes sense anyway, he has played there, he is a great kick returner, his passing game is also developing, whereas Ali has shown he is at his youthful age, developing as a passer of the ball and therefore naturally suited to center, not wing.

One of Roger and or Berry will have time off for injury anyway, very likely Ali sees more games in the NRL this season.
Click to expand...
Did Cobbo play centres as a junior? I still think yes he's a future centre but could do a job on the wing in the meantime? I personally don't see sheck as a winger either, he's on the wrong side of 30 and would be more inclined to go younger.

It's worth the debate though, because I don't see Leiataua taking berry's spot or RTS in the next three seasons.

Could give Leiataua nrl experience on the wing until that centre spot is his.
 
BangBro's (still banging) said:
Did Cobbo play centres as a junior? I still think yes he's a future centre but could do a job on the wing in the meantime? I personally don't see sheck as a winger either, he's on the wrong side of 30 and would be more inclined to go younger.

It's worth the debate though, because I don't see Leiataua taking berry's spot or RTS in the next three seasons.

Could give Leiataua nrl experience on the wing until that centre spot is his.
Click to expand...
Sure, it is a good discussion.

Roger could eat NRL wingers for breakfast in the condition he is in. He is not slow for a power winger and has that footwork and drive to make him an unbelievable corner work guy.

Also Roger is such a complete defender and catcher of kicks that Wing would not trouble him at all.

I cannot see Roger and Berry holding their positions for three years over Ali, I can see Berry doing that, but Roger as you say is aging and in two years time will be a week by week proposition.

Also it is VERY hard to imagine Roger and Berry staying fit for most of the next three years.

But this is all peripheral to my main concern with putting Ali at Wing.

Every week he spends practicing and playing as Wing is a week lost in becoming one of the Warriors best backs.
 
Last edited:
sup42 said:
Sure, it is a good discussion.

Roger could eat NRL wingers for breakfast in the condition he is in. He is not slow for a power winger and has that footwork and drive to make him an unbelievable corner work guy.

Also Roger is such a complete defender and catcher of kicks that Wing would not trouble him at all.

I cannot see Roger and Berry holding their positions for three years over Ali, I can Berry doing that, but Roger as you say is aging and in two years time will be a week by week proposition.

Also it is VERY hard to imagine Roger and Berry staying fit for most of the next three years.

But this is all peripheral to my main concern with putting Ali at Wing.

Every week he spends practicing and playing as Wing is a week lost in becoming one of the Warriors best backs.
Click to expand...
I can see that argument, I did hear fonz say he should go to cup and be the best cup centre, i thought he already was last season.
 
tajhay said:
Ali probably needs to tighten his defence quite a bit before he can lay claim to deserving a shot in first grade.
Click to expand...
This is a circular argument.

He will not have the required level of defence until he plays with the NRL combinations in the three quarter line.

Every center that comes from cup will face this teething/shaping/molding problem which can only be resolved through biting the bullet and letting a few Try's slide.

Do I think he could be better at any part of his game? yeah of course and if he has the right attitude he will.

Putting this out there but....have people considered that Ali may not end up being better than Berry and or RTS ever?

I know that is not a happy thought, but it is part of the calculation, and I say that about anyone because Ali is my favorite Junior, although Laban and a couple of others are catching my eye.
 
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