A key piece to the New Zealand Warriors winning the 2025 NSW Cup title and State Championship, playmaker Luke Hanson made a call on his immediate playing future.
A product of St Dominics College, Hanson was poached from the Penrith Panthers at the end of 2023 after coming through their pathways system, which saw him appear in the club’s Harold Matthews Cup, SG Ball Cup and Jersey Flegg Cup sides.
Still only at the beginning of his career, he has continued to showcase his skill in the NSW Cup for the Warriors, where he has played a number of different roles, but mainly in the halves.
Coming off a strong campaign which saw him cement the five-eighth role and provide 18 try assists, 21 line-break assists and score seven tries, Zero Tackle understands that Hanson will remain at the club after taking up the option in his contract.
Despite this, the 21-year-old will still be free to negotiate and speak with rival teams from November 1 and is bound to attract some interest if he decides to return to Australia.
“I wanted something different and a fresh start, so I thought that was the best decision for me at the time to come over and start something new,” he told Zero Tackle at the start of the year on making the switch from Penrith to New Zealand.
“It was certainly a shock at first, something different moving countries but I’ve settled in good now and there is a lot of great people over there.
“(The goal) for me is staying consistent, playing good consistent footy, staying injury free and just enjoying my footy.
“100 per cent I’m chasing (my first-grade debut) every week and it’d be amazing. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid so to be able to debut in front of my family would definitely be special.”