One New Zealand Warriors loose forward Erin Clark has been rewarded for his outstanding season by making the player-voted 2025 Players’ Dream Team.
He was one of three Warriors who were finalists for positions in the team along with winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and rookie second rower Leka Halasima.
It said so much about Clark’s season that players across the NRL’s 17 teams voted him at lock ahead of two of the most highly-rated players in the game in Penrith captain Isaah Yeo and his former Titans skipper Tino Fa’asuamaleaui.
The 28-year-old Clark, who brought up his 100th career appearance early in the season, played in all of the club’s 25 matches averaging 147 metres and 34 tackles a game (95 per cent tackle efficiency).
His total of 1451 post-contact metres was fifth best in the entire competition bettered by only props Addin Fonua-Blake, Naufahu Whyte and Payne Haas plus winger Daniel Tupou. Among all forwards the only ones to top Clark’s total run metres of 3696 were Fonua-Blake, Terrell May and Patrick Carrigan.
The other finalists for the wing positions alongside Tuivasa-Sheck were Mark Nawaqanitawase (Roosters), Brian To’o(Panthers) and Xavier Coates (Storm) with Nawaqanitawase and Coates winning the vote.
Brilliant rookie Halasima was in competition for the second row spots with Eliesa Katoa (Storm), Haumole Olakau’atu (Sea Eagles) and Hudson Young (Raiders); Katoa and Young captured the most votes.
While they are now two of the last four teams left in the grand final race, the Panthers and Sharks don’t have one player in the Dream Team.
2025 Players’ Dream Team
Fullback: James Tedesco (Roosters)
Wingers: Mark Nawaqanitawase (Roosters), Xavier Coates (Storm)
Centres: Stephen Crichton (Bulldogs), Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins)
Five-eighth: Ethan Strange (Raiders)
Halfback: Isaiya Katoa (Dolphins)
Props: Payne Haas (Broncos), Joseph Tapine (Raiders)
Hooker: Harry Grant (Storm)
Second rowers: Eliesa Katoa (Storm), Hudson Young (Raiders)
Lock: Erin Clark (One New Zealand Warriors)
Impact: Kurt Mann (Bulldogs)