Erin Clark made 26 tackles without a miss as New Zealand faced a heavy defensive workload in its 2026 Rugby League World Cup campaign opener.
The loose forward played 36 minutes after coming off the bench in the first half, then returned for the final three minutes. He also made seven carries for 65 metres.
James Fisher-Harris was the only other NZ Warriors player besides Clark to take the field. Te Maire Martin and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad were unused, although four Warriors were in the Kiwis squad.
Fisher-Harris, the Warriors' co-captain, made 142 metres from 13 carries, broke four tackles and completed 25 tackles across two stints totalling 52 minutes.
The 30-year-old was leading New Zealand for the 10th straight Test and played his 22nd international. The Kiwis lost 22-24 in a closely fought match at Allianz Stadium on Thursday night.
His performance followed a season in which he won the Warriors' Simon Mannering Medal as player of the year. He had also recently received the Dally M prop of the year award.