Of the Warriors' 35 contracted players, only Shontayne Hape is younger than Wellington product Paul Whatuira. He's from the Capital's best-known club, Wainuiomata, the one-time home of the Lomax brothers. From Wainuiomata College, he was picked in the Wellington representative team as a 17-year-old last year. Scored 11 tries for the side in the National Provincial Cup competition and also starred for Wainuiomata as it won the Wellington grand final. Made the New Zealand Academy team that won the Oceania tournament in Rarotonga and was then selected for the Junior Kiwis against the Junior Kangaroos. The Warriors had to work hard to ensure they weren't beaten for his contract signature by an Australian club.
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