Warriors' Waaka wins women's Golden Boot

Staceys in focus on big night for Warriors at IRL awards

New Zealand won both Golden Boot awards at the International Rugby League ceremony at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on Thursday, the third time in five seasons the country has achieved the double.

Kiwi Ferns centre Stacey Waaka took the women's honour, while fullback Kalyn Ponga won the men's award after his first two Test appearances.

The ceremony came three days before the men's and women's World Cup finals.

Waaka scored twice on her Test debut against Fiji and has registered two hat-tricks, giving her nine tries in four appearances.

Her NRLW teammates voted her their players' player of the year this season.

She is the first Warriors player and third New Zealander to win the women's Golden Boot.

Ponga was selected ahead of Kiwi Casey McLean, New Zealand-born players Francis Manuleleua of Samoa and Robert Toia of Tonga, and former Warriors fullback Reece Walsh of Australia.

The men's and women's awards had previously gone to Joey Manu and Raecene McGregor in 2022, and James Fisher-Harris and Georgia Hale in 2023.

Warriors great Stacey Jones was among the first inductees into the IRL Hall of Legends.

The 2002 Golden Boot winner captained New Zealand and played 46 Tests between 1995 and 2006.

Former Kiwi captain Mark Graham, who coached the Warriors in 1999 and 2000, and former captain and Warriors forward Ruben Wiki were also recognised.

Wiki played a record 55 Tests from 1994 to 2006.

Three of the six women inducted were former Kiwi Ferns: Luisa Avaiki, Honey Hireme-Smiler and Trish Hina.

Avaiki played 25 Tests from 1995 to 2008 and became the Warriors' inaugural NRLW coach in 2018.

Hireme-Smiler played 32 Tests and signed with the Warriors for 2019, but did not play while caring for her gravely ill mother.

The Kiwi Ferns performed a haka for Waaka, the Kiwis responded for Ponga, and both teams later joined to honour the Hall of Legends inductees.

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