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Live sport on SN this weekend'He's always there': Warrior calls on family legend
Sebastian Tan and Dave Worsley •  September 18th, 2026 2:14 pm
Ali Leiataua has turned to a famous uncle ahead og the Warriors' sudden-death final | Photo: Andrew Cornaga/AAP
Centre Ali Leiataua needs all the inspiration he can get to help keep the Warriors' hopes of securing a first NRL premiership afloat.
So it's lucky his uncle is a club legend.
Leiataua revealed he has gone to his family member Ali Lauitiiti for advice ahead of the Kiwis' sudden-death clash against Newcastle on Sunday.
Lauitiiti, who made 115 appearances from the late 1990s to early 2000s for the Warriors, was touted as the 'Michael Jordan' of the league, renowned for his imposing stature, silky passing and sharp footwork.
Warriors great Ali Lauitiiti is playing a key role in the club's finals campaign this year | Photo: Andrew Cornaga/AAP
The former backrower was also integral in spearheading New Zealand to a first grand final appearance in 2002.
"He already knows the pressure ... as a player, there's a lot of voices and a lot of people talking to you," Leiataua said.
"So for him as an uncle, he just likes to keep it short and simple and doesn't like to overwhelm me too much.
"He's always there behind the scenes giving me tips and stuff, which is always great."
Warriors legend Ali Lauitiiti celebrates scoring a try in a 2002 qualifying final victory | Photo: Andrew Cornaga/AAP
A ticket has been reserved for Lauitiiti to watch his nephew run out in front of a sold-out Eden Park as the Warriors look to set up a preliminary final date with Penrith.
The Kiwis would have hoped to have reached the grand final qualifier by beating the Dolphins in their qualifying final last Saturday.
But a crushing 26-16 defeat meant they had to take a trickier path to reach a third title game.
"All the past players in the past ... have tried and wanted to win the premiership, so for us to win it, it'll just mean everything," Leiataua said.
"There's a lot of pros and cons to it (the loss).
"Sometimes, it's good to have a week off to rest the body, but then again, it gives you the chance to connect up again, stay tight, stay focused.
"It gives us another opportunity to right our wrongs and try to get a win."
The Warriors are hoping star centre Leka Halasima (hamstring injury) and winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (broken collarbone) play in the crunch clash after both players were named on the reserves.
