May 23, 2025 • 9 mins
Prop Tanner Stowers-Smith became the latest of the One New Zealand Warriors’ home-grown new breed to debut in the Round 11 NRL match against the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium over the weekend.
A product of the Halswell Hornets and St. Bede’s College, Stowers-Smith excelled in both rugby league and rugby union as a schoolboy but opted for rugby league after finishing his schooling.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yeah, So just a Thursday morning, We're all in the
team meeting with the boys, and I think I just
sort of ran through the team and obviously I don't know,
but the last player slowly left was going to be
a time and it was me and all the boys
were pretty crazy and something that was pretty cool. So
it's pretty pretty crazy like that.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Did you get a sense you were you were close?
Like I know, obviously Bunty had an injury, Like, was
there a feeling that that that that could be your opportunity? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:30):
I think like obviously to forwards are Jackson Ford went
down the role, so like was sort of a little
bit of a feeling two front rowers and the front
row myself obviously, so sort of a little bit maybe,
but I just didn't really want to think about it,
you know, I don't want to get ahead of myself
getting my head. I kind of just brushed it and
(00:51):
was obviously going to fear that Thursday.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
So, yeah, what happens next because it was a Saturday game,
does that then give you enough to to get on
the phone, get call in your family and your friends
and say you might want to change your plans for
the weekend.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
If you can try and get over to Brisbane.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
It was pretty cool. So they actually sorted out stuff
prior to me finding out to make sure my family
would come, which is real good for the Cup obviously. Yeah,
it's a bit tight from Thursday to Sunday, so they
sorted out my family that earlier in the week when
they knew I was going to play, just so they
could come over and everything would be smooth from there.
But yeah, it was cool to still cool some of
(01:32):
my family and the main to that, and they were
all stooped and I ended up managing to get to
my meats over for the game as well from crackers too,
So yeah, it was It was pretty sick.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
How about the game itself, you get a green light
as as an Hia replacement for the demetric aymonga, Like,
how are the nerves at that point and how can
were you just feel a bit of contact or get
the ball in your hands.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
It actually worked out pretty well because I probably wouldn't
have got onto the second half, I don't think, so
I would have been steering my nerves the whole time.
It was good to get out there. Shadowy had to
carry a pony and I took the book Shadoway, So
I want to know, if we're gone from.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Then, how did you find the game?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Because sometimes players will say, you know immediately it's noticeable
going from cup to first grade in terms of things
like pace, physicality, Like was it noticeable for you in
terms of a lift from reserve greade?
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Yeah, definitely pace. I think I don't think I've ever
been that tired in the games. If Barcenoni played twenty
four months, but I was just trying to go at
the end as Harness Potson, you wouldn't be able to
for long, So that's probably why. But I think it
helps a lot to having Mitch bind and Fish with
the idea. I think that where a lot of the
(02:49):
sort of physical aspect for those two blokes. So I say,
just more the speed man like it was pretty quick.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Yeah, I was going to ask about mentors.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
There's a lot there in terms of senior states, in
terms of the middle rotation. Are they the two you
that have sort of taken you under the under their
wing the most and you've you've learned the most from
in the last year aside terms of you know, the
art of being a middle forward.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Yeah, I think specially Mitch Byett having them at the
club for as long as I've been here too, so
I'm seeing how you go to work and how he
plays sort of what I want to model my game around,
just being real gritty and done all the tough stuff,
you know, which he gets through every week and obviously
fished as the game. So it's been real good offing
(03:37):
to me being able to watch those two.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
What was the feedback been since I listened to Andrew
Webster's press conference yesterday? He said, you look like you've
been there for a long time. You add plenty of
punch and he also gave you a wrap fit for
your motor as well. He said that's usually the first
thing as we're talking about the pace before, but it's
is that's usually the first thing that sort of can
fade away. But yeah, what what what's the internal feedback? Bean?
Speaker 3 (04:03):
And of course you now get another crack this Sunday.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Yeah, they're pretty happy. Obviously there's another South Island and
there also in the coaching staff Sleag Griffin, who I
was real stoked for me some of that obviously I
want to see South Island running and stuff, but yeah,
he was really played and yeah, so the coaching stuff.
We're just happy for me in general.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Yeah, I was going to ask you about that because
obviously this is more a byproduct of what you've done,
but the warriors from Canterbury and the South Island sort
of few and far between. I know you've had Louis
Brown in camp this week for example, designing that the
Jersey will where this weekend, being from through ricking In.
But how proud are you that you have proved to
(04:47):
the caneby regul league community, all those coming through the ranks,
that you can make it in league from here when
it's traditionally a sort of a union city or region.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Yeah, real proud, I think like and I hope it
kind of opens doors and sort of having more beliefs
that it can be done because I remember when I
was playing it was a Auckland and that, and you know,
we were kind of snubbed a bit being from Crishes
and always overlooked and obviously a big rugby community down
there and with the Crusaders and that. So it's pretty
(05:19):
cool to be able to come from that and and
show people that it can be done and hopefully inspire
kids and that are playing league down there to never.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Go up indeed, and I look at you know, some
of those junior ranks at the moments, you know, there's
a really strong Saint Thomas's program. They've gone back to
back at nationals for schools. A lot of those guys
have then gone on to feature through Harold Matt's and
SG Ball, Like, are you pretty encouraged as a proud
Cantabrian that there is a lot of investment in this
(05:49):
part of the country now and you know these these
sort of isolated scenarios where player every now and then,
it looks like, at least on the surface, that it
will be become more regular.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Yeah, one hundred percent. Now the pathways and stuff with
the Harold Matts and she will like there's a big
pathway for those boys to get through. Obviously in the
path it wasn't those sort of junior teams that kids
going to sort of filter through. So it's real cool
to be able to see the amount of boys that
are from cushroups coming into those teams and obviously spins
from there and it's just a stepping stones you can
(06:23):
make to make the dinner l So it's real good
at the clubs put the effort into get those teams
in and give those kids pathways.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Absolutely, and for you, you know, I think I'm right
saying at one point you were you were sort of
in the Crusaders Academy or in some of their age
group teams. Like, how do you allow yourself an opportunity
to reflect and go, Yep, I've now made first grade.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
I made the right decision.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
Yeah, I was playing Crusader Knights, was the under eighteen
team when I was year twelve and then year thirteen again,
and there was an opportunit there for me to sort
of go into the academy from school, but they sort
of I was playing number at the time, and they
sort of saw mer as a hooker. So I don't
(07:10):
think I was too keen again to this grum day.
So I took the league option, and I guess it
kind of went all up.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
It kind of went all right, indeed, And I assume
it's like most things, right, you get a taste, and
now you just want to ensure that it's it's not
a flash in the pan, it's not a one off.
And yeah, there in the seventeen at this point in time,
how excited are you for obviously that was in Brisbane.
The Warriors always getting an amazing crowd at sun Court,
(07:38):
but Mount Smart Warriors are on a five match win streak.
You haven't been Mount Smart for played a game there, sorry,
for about a month.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
How excited are you for this weekend?
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Yeah? Hopefully if I get out there. I think there's
still a few confirmations stuff like that, but they'll be
sort of out later in the week. But to be
able to play in front of the sold crowd, and
especially at home, it's a different feeling, like even just
being acting. Man, the other week at home was so buzzy.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Man.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
The crowd that we get there and the atmosphere just
don't really ever experience anything like that. So yeah, it
would be pretty nuts to get up there and in
front of their home fans obviously, and the ships and
that they bring. So yeah, looking forward to it.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Awesome man.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
And just last week obviously mentioned slave Girl from there
being a South Islander, like who else has been really
critical to getting you to this point?
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Yeah, obviously halls of warnings like and there was I
played all my foot in that and I've got so
much time and left that club, you know, like or
proud horned Boy but I think Kevin and Rachel from there,
they've pretty much coached me my whole life. It was
since I was about five, so and pretty much we're
a second family to me and my family, and they've
(08:51):
done so much for not just me but the club,
and they're still there. Katie trains the the prem Boys,
and obviously I'm really good makes of her son who's
playing Prims now, so riches on so much craft work
behind the scenes, and those two were definitely big help
in my career and I wouldn't be here for the
(09:12):
empisodes from the Thinking Poops.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
For more from News Talks ed B listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
Yeah, So just a Thursday morning, We're all in the
team meeting with the boys, and I think I just
sort of ran through the team and obviously I don't know,
but the last player slowly left was going to be
a time and it was me and all the boys
were pretty crazy and something that was pretty cool. So
it's pretty pretty crazy like that.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Did you get a sense you were you were close?
Like I know, obviously Bunty had an injury, Like, was
there a feeling that that that that could be your opportunity? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:30):
I think like obviously to forwards are Jackson Ford went
down the role, so like was sort of a little
bit of a feeling two front rowers and the front
row myself obviously, so sort of a little bit maybe,
but I just didn't really want to think about it,
you know, I don't want to get ahead of myself
getting my head. I kind of just brushed it and
(00:51):
was obviously going to fear that Thursday.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
So, yeah, what happens next because it was a Saturday game,
does that then give you enough to to get on
the phone, get call in your family and your friends
and say you might want to change your plans for
the weekend.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
If you can try and get over to Brisbane.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
It was pretty cool. So they actually sorted out stuff
prior to me finding out to make sure my family
would come, which is real good for the Cup obviously. Yeah,
it's a bit tight from Thursday to Sunday, so they
sorted out my family that earlier in the week when
they knew I was going to play, just so they
could come over and everything would be smooth from there.
But yeah, it was cool to still cool some of
(01:32):
my family and the main to that, and they were
all stooped and I ended up managing to get to
my meats over for the game as well from crackers too,
So yeah, it was It was pretty sick.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
How about the game itself, you get a green light
as as an Hia replacement for the demetric aymonga, Like,
how are the nerves at that point and how can
were you just feel a bit of contact or get
the ball in your hands.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
It actually worked out pretty well because I probably wouldn't
have got onto the second half, I don't think, so
I would have been steering my nerves the whole time.
It was good to get out there. Shadowy had to
carry a pony and I took the book Shadoway, So
I want to know, if we're gone from.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Then, how did you find the game?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Because sometimes players will say, you know immediately it's noticeable
going from cup to first grade in terms of things
like pace, physicality, Like was it noticeable for you in
terms of a lift from reserve greade?
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Yeah, definitely pace. I think I don't think I've ever
been that tired in the games. If Barcenoni played twenty
four months, but I was just trying to go at
the end as Harness Potson, you wouldn't be able to
for long, So that's probably why. But I think it
helps a lot to having Mitch bind and Fish with
the idea. I think that where a lot of the
(02:49):
sort of physical aspect for those two blokes. So I say,
just more the speed man like it was pretty quick.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Yeah, I was going to ask about mentors.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
There's a lot there in terms of senior states, in
terms of the middle rotation. Are they the two you
that have sort of taken you under the under their
wing the most and you've you've learned the most from
in the last year aside terms of you know, the
art of being a middle forward.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Yeah, I think specially Mitch Byett having them at the
club for as long as I've been here too, so
I'm seeing how you go to work and how he
plays sort of what I want to model my game around,
just being real gritty and done all the tough stuff,
you know, which he gets through every week and obviously
fished as the game. So it's been real good offing
(03:37):
to me being able to watch those two.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
What was the feedback been since I listened to Andrew
Webster's press conference yesterday? He said, you look like you've
been there for a long time. You add plenty of
punch and he also gave you a wrap fit for
your motor as well. He said that's usually the first
thing as we're talking about the pace before, but it's
is that's usually the first thing that sort of can
fade away. But yeah, what what what's the internal feedback? Bean?
Speaker 3 (04:03):
And of course you now get another crack this Sunday.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Yeah, they're pretty happy. Obviously there's another South Island and
there also in the coaching staff Sleag Griffin, who I
was real stoked for me some of that obviously I
want to see South Island running and stuff, but yeah,
he was really played and yeah, so the coaching stuff.
We're just happy for me in general.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Yeah, I was going to ask you about that because
obviously this is more a byproduct of what you've done,
but the warriors from Canterbury and the South Island sort
of few and far between. I know you've had Louis
Brown in camp this week for example, designing that the
Jersey will where this weekend, being from through ricking In.
But how proud are you that you have proved to
(04:47):
the caneby regul league community, all those coming through the ranks,
that you can make it in league from here when
it's traditionally a sort of a union city or region.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Yeah, real proud, I think like and I hope it
kind of opens doors and sort of having more beliefs
that it can be done because I remember when I
was playing it was a Auckland and that, and you know,
we were kind of snubbed a bit being from Crishes
and always overlooked and obviously a big rugby community down
there and with the Crusaders and that. So it's pretty
(05:19):
cool to be able to come from that and and
show people that it can be done and hopefully inspire
kids and that are playing league down there to never.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Go up indeed, and I look at you know, some
of those junior ranks at the moments, you know, there's
a really strong Saint Thomas's program. They've gone back to
back at nationals for schools. A lot of those guys
have then gone on to feature through Harold Matt's and
SG Ball, Like, are you pretty encouraged as a proud
Cantabrian that there is a lot of investment in this
(05:49):
part of the country now and you know these these
sort of isolated scenarios where player every now and then,
it looks like, at least on the surface, that it
will be become more regular.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Yeah, one hundred percent. Now the pathways and stuff with
the Harold Matts and she will like there's a big
pathway for those boys to get through. Obviously in the
path it wasn't those sort of junior teams that kids
going to sort of filter through. So it's real cool
to be able to see the amount of boys that
are from cushroups coming into those teams and obviously spins
from there and it's just a stepping stones you can
(06:23):
make to make the dinner l So it's real good
at the clubs put the effort into get those teams
in and give those kids pathways.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Absolutely, and for you, you know, I think I'm right
saying at one point you were you were sort of
in the Crusaders Academy or in some of their age
group teams. Like, how do you allow yourself an opportunity
to reflect and go, Yep, I've now made first grade.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
I made the right decision.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
Yeah, I was playing Crusader Knights, was the under eighteen
team when I was year twelve and then year thirteen again,
and there was an opportunit there for me to sort
of go into the academy from school, but they sort
of I was playing number at the time, and they
sort of saw mer as a hooker. So I don't
(07:10):
think I was too keen again to this grum day.
So I took the league option, and I guess it
kind of went all up.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
It kind of went all right, indeed, And I assume
it's like most things, right, you get a taste, and
now you just want to ensure that it's it's not
a flash in the pan, it's not a one off.
And yeah, there in the seventeen at this point in time,
how excited are you for obviously that was in Brisbane.
The Warriors always getting an amazing crowd at sun Court,
(07:38):
but Mount Smart Warriors are on a five match win streak.
You haven't been Mount Smart for played a game there, sorry,
for about a month.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
How excited are you for this weekend?
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Yeah? Hopefully if I get out there. I think there's
still a few confirmations stuff like that, but they'll be
sort of out later in the week. But to be
able to play in front of the sold crowd, and
especially at home, it's a different feeling, like even just
being acting. Man, the other week at home was so buzzy.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Man.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
The crowd that we get there and the atmosphere just
don't really ever experience anything like that. So yeah, it
would be pretty nuts to get up there and in
front of their home fans obviously, and the ships and
that they bring. So yeah, looking forward to it.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Awesome man.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
And just last week obviously mentioned slave Girl from there
being a South Islander, like who else has been really
critical to getting you to this point?
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Yeah, obviously halls of warnings like and there was I
played all my foot in that and I've got so
much time and left that club, you know, like or
proud horned Boy but I think Kevin and Rachel from there,
they've pretty much coached me my whole life. It was
since I was about five, so and pretty much we're
a second family to me and my family, and they've
(08:51):
done so much for not just me but the club,
and they're still there. Katie trains the the prem Boys,
and obviously I'm really good makes of her son who's
playing Prims now, so riches on so much craft work
behind the scenes, and those two were definitely big help
in my career and I wouldn't be here for the
(09:12):
empisodes from the Thinking Poops.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
For more from News Talks ed B listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
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