Coach Ronald Griffiths has unveiled his Cook Islands squad for the 2025 Pacific Bowl tournament.
Cook Islands will face PNG Orchids on October 18 and Tonga XIII on October 25 as they chase a spot in the final at CommBank Stadium on November 9.
The squad features four players who enjoyed strong NRLW seasons under Griffiths’ guidance at the Warriors – Lydia Turua-Quedley, Lavinia Kitai, Ashlee Matapo and Kaiyah Atai.
Atai played the first of her two Tests for the Cooks in 2023, Turua-Quedley has five Tests to her name after debuting at the 2017 World Cup and Kitai’s five-Test career began at the 2022 World Cup.
Sharks playmaker Chantay Kiria-Ratu will be a key figure for Cook Islands on the back of an impressive NRLW campaign in which she played every match and came up with nine try assists and five line break assists.
She is joined in the squad by her sister Anne-Marie, who made her NRLW debut in Round 4 this year and helped the Sharks make it to the preliminary final where they were beaten by the Roosters.
Cook Islands squad
April Ngatupuna (Queensland Reds rugby)
Ashlee Matapo* (Warriors)
Chantay Kiria-Ratu (Sharks)
Deleni Paitai-Wakely* (Brisbane Bears)
Hannah Makira* (Bulldogs)
Jazmon Tupou-Witchman (Rabbitohs)
Jodeci Joseph (Papakura Sisters)
Kaiyah Atai (Warriors)
Keira Rangi* (Souths Logan Magpies)
Kerehitna Matua (Raiders)
Kiana Takairangi (Eels)
Kiarah Siauane (Souths Logan Magpies)
Lavinia Kitai (Warriors)
Lydia Turua-Quedley (Warriors)
Memory Paitai* (Brisbane Bears)
Ngatokotoru Arakua (Souths Logan Magpies)
Paulina Morris-Ponga (Akarana Falcons)
Anne-Marie Kiria-Ratu (Cronulla Sutherland Sharks)
Pearl Tuitama* (Ipswich Jets)
Porsche Samson-John*
* denotes debutante