Prolific try-scoring winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has signed on with the NZ Warriors for a two year extension.
Coming off the two most productive campaigns of his 11-season NRL career, the seasoned
29-year-old international will be with the club until the end of 2027.
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“There’s no doubt the move to the Warriors in 2021 has been of tremendous benefit to
Dallin’s game,” said New Zealand Warriors general manager recruitment, pathways and
development Andrew McFadden.
“He had the best season of his career in 2023 and maintained his level this year by again
finishing as the club’s top try scorer.
“He thrives on being at the Warriors and living in Auckland, matching his enthusiasm and
energy on the field with the same sort of passion off it.”
Watene-Zelezniak was named in both the Dally M Team of the Year and the Players’ Dream
Team in 2023 after scoring a club record 24 tries in 20 games and following it up with 15
tries in 22 appearances this year.
“As well as his freakish ability to score seemingly unlikely tries, what we all love about Dallin
is the way he returns the ball,” said One New Zealand Warriors head coach Andrew Webster.
“He’s so fierce and fearless. I wouldn’t like to tackle him ... he just gives us so much energy,
inspiration and momentum.
“He has been unreal for us over the last two seasons, taking his game to a level well beyond
where he was before and he can still be even better.”
Watene-Zelezniak finished 2024 by achieving two major career milestones while scoring a
hat-trick in the One New Zealand Warriors’ stunning 30-28 season-ending comeback win
over the Cronulla Sharks.
Going into the match sitting on 49 tries for the club and 98 for his career, the first try made
him the 10th player to score 50 tries for the Warriors and his second the 83rd in history (the
sixth New Zealander and third Warrior) to reach the 100-try mark in the NRL. He capped his
treble with the match-winner from the last play of the game.
Watene-Zelezniak’s 50 tries for the Warriors has come in just 69 games, the fastest in the
club’s history topping David Fusitu’a who took 77 matches to reach the mark.
Joining the One New Zealand Warriors midway through the 2021 season, Watene-Zelezniak
also made his 200th career appearance during the 2024 campaign.