When Metanoia Fetalaiga was taking part in grassroots rugby league in Auckland, she had no concept that she was about to get a message that might see her turn into the third sister in her household to play within the NRLW.
Two-times premiership-winning coach Ronald Griffiths had been appointed because the Warriors head coach forward of their return to the competitors in 2025 and was on the look-out for gamers that might match his imaginative and prescient for the membership.
“I used to be taking part in for Ōtara Scorpions on the time, taking part in with my mates, having a very good time,” says Fetalaiga (nee Fotu-Moala).
“I didn’t realise he was watching our reside stream video games on Wednesdays again in Australia, so he messaged me and stated that he was very all in favour of having me join the Warriors, and I used to be blown away by his message. I used to be actually fortunate and lucky to be picked out by him.”
Entrance rower Fetalaiga made her debut in spherical 4 of final yr’s competitors, in opposition to the Gold Coast Titans, and was the membership’s first signing from native rugby league. She’d seen her older sister Teuila play and win a premiership within the inaugural NRLW for the Brisbane Broncos in 2018, earlier than Metanoia’s twin Ma’atuleio made her debut for the Dragons in 2024.
“Rugby has at all times been a giant a part of my household story,’ she says.
“Teuila was one in every of my largest inspirations rising up. Watching her obtain a lot within the recreation made me consider that I can observe an identical path, and our household has at all times cherished sports activities, so I’m grateful for the avenues that sport has given us.”
As destiny would have it, Fetalaiga, who’s of Tongan descent, was together with her father when the formal provide from the Warriors got here by way of.
“I used to be in the lounge, and my Dad occurred to have his day without work from work. I used to be despatched by way of a contract by the Warriors proper then and there, and I didn’t know what to do, so I stated a quiet prayer to myself, and I simply randomly went as much as my Dad and stated, ‘Hey, Dad, I received a contract for the Warriors.’ He was in the course of washing dishes, and he dropped a plate and simply gave me the largest hug. It was superior to see that response from him contemplating he comes from an old-fashioned mentality.”
Fetalaiga’s religion, and her Tongan heritage are two key components of what make her the individual she is. Her dad and mom migrated from Tonga earlier than she was born in Auckland.
“I feel that helps us be grounded in no matter platform or areas that we’re in. My dad and mom had put in that from the get-go. Initially they thought that New Zealand was the land of milk and honey, solely to grasp that the children had been the milk and honey, after which they ended up having to attend for a very very long time to see what they’re produced. It was superior to have that within the forefront of all the pieces.
“I used to be born and bred right here in New Zealand, and so my story can be completely different to different Tongans. I can’t converse Tongan, however I can perceive Tongan, however I’m closely invested in my Tongan values. I’ve performed for Tonga simply as soon as, and I used to be sadly injured final season, so hopefully within the subsequent few years I’m capable of be chosen once more and play for that crimson jersey.”
Rising up, sport enabled the sisters to blow off some steam away from college, with their dad and mom taking them to the native park every time they may.
“That’s the place our love of sports activities stemmed from. We had a giant household, so we had sufficient for a rugby workforce. We performed cricket, contact, basketball, and just about any sport that concerned any balls.”
Fetalaiga, 27, attended McAuley Excessive Faculty in Ōtāhuhu, however it wasn’t till she completed there that she began taking part in rugby league. Becoming a member of the open competitors in Auckland, she was thrown within the deep finish to play with the likes of Krystal Rota, Amber Corridor and Annetta Nu’uausala, the final of whom is one in every of three gamers (alongside Mele Hufanga and Gayle Broughton) to hitch the Warriors this season from the 2025 premiership winners, the Brisbane Broncos.
Fetalaiga herself has hyperlinks to Brisbane, together with her husband Ieti working there as a deputy principal at Marist School in Ashgrove. She’s additionally concerned in training, at present working at Saint Kentigern School in Auckland as a aid instructor as she juggles her Warriors commitments.
“I’m grateful for the chance to reside each worlds,” she says.
Six of the membership’s new signings lined up for the trial recreation on June 21 in opposition to the Broncos at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch. Broughton began at stand-off with Nuuausala at prop. Ocean Tierney, an ex- Farah Palmer Cup rugby union consultant from the tiny Northland settlement of Tinopai was named on the wing, with Jay Huriwai, Natalia Hickling and Anastasia Seneke alongside Fetalaiga on the bench. The sport resulted in a decent 12-10 win for the Broncos and Fetalaiga was happy the aspect had been capable of get right into a aggressive match.
“Preseason has been superior and it was actually good to see the place we had been at as a workforce. From the primary minute I received on the sector, my lungs had been blowing. I assumed that my health was as much as par, however it’s not the identical as match health, so yeah, we had been actually feeling it.”
“Different groups can be doing a variety of health, boot camps, however for us it’s lots about connection main as much as the season. Ron loves ensuring that we’re connecting off the sector.”
The 2026 season kicks off this week, with the Warriors hosing the Canterbury Bulldogs at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton, on Sunday afternoon. Like 2025, it’s an 11 spherical/12-team competitors, with the highest six groups advancing to the finals sequence. Of their 5 house matches, the Warriors will play two video games at FMG and the opposite three at Go Media stadium in Auckland. In addition to the 5 away matches, spherical 5 can be a Magic Spherical showcase in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales.
Having completed in eighth place final yr, Griffiths believes they’ll go a lot additional this yr.
“We now have a squad this season that’s aggressive, and little doubt has the potential to be there on the ultimate day,” Griffiths stated.
“We consider we’ve received an excellent mixture of youth, expertise and gamers who’re on the lookout for a possibility.”
A key to that success with be the passionate house help, which has proven itself to be an enormous issue traditionally for the boys’s workforce, and final yr, the ladies’s workforce, each house and away. Griffiths is aware of the gamers can really feel that zeal from the terraces and past, describing it as a ‘juggernaut’, with a tradition and fan base in contrast to some other within the NRL.
“I’ve received little doubt since they’ve been right here, they’ve felt a special setting and a tradition they’ve by no means skilled anyplace else earlier than,” he stated.
Fetalaiga and her teammates are definitely up for the problem and may’t look forward to the season to start.
“I feel the connection and the power has been immensely good to date. I’m excited as a result of we’re that kind of workforce that gained’t care what workforce we’re dealing with, we’ll simply proceed to battle by way of every workforce at a time, every week at a time, so I’m excited for the season and what the ladies will deliver into this area.”
