In his second season at the club, James Fisher-Harris has been awarded the Simon Mannering Medal as the Warriors’ Player of the Year.
The inspirational co-captain joins Steve Price (2006, 2007), Mannering (2011, 2013, 2014) and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (2017, 2018, 2019) among Warriors skippers to have earned the honour.
JFH is also the seventh prop to take out the Player of the Year award, after Joe Vagana (1998), Jerry Seuseu (2001), Ruben Wiki (2005), Price (2006, 2007), Ben Matulino (2012, 2015) and Mitch Barnett (2024).
After a solid but arguably underwhelming first season with the Warriors in 2025, Fisher-Harris has been immense in leading their record-breaking campaign this year. He averaged 141 run metres — a five-year high for the champion front-rower — and 30 tackles per game during the regular season, while increasing his ball-playing role and playing with as much authority as at any stage of his decorated career.
The 30-year-old is in his 11th NRL season, debuting with Penrith in 2016, winning the Panthers’ Player of the Year award in 2019 and playing an integral role in four straight premierships (2021-24) before moving home.
Fisher-Harris will be a frontline contender for the TWL Kingz Container Crew Player of the Year award, based on our weekly player ratings, which also includes finals matches. Tuivasa-Sheck (2018, 2019), Tohu Harris (2020) and Shaun Johnson (2023) have previously coupled the Simon Mannering Medal with the TWL spoils in the same season.
Meanwhile, breakout back-rower Jacob Laban scooped the Warriors Players’ Player award, injured departing legend Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was named Clubman of the Year, Eddie Ieremia-Toeava earned the NRL Rookie of the Year nod (albeit after playing five games in 2025) and Erin Clark received the People’s Choice award.
WARRIORS PLAYER OF THE YEAR HISTORY
Renamed Simon Mannering Medal in 2018
1995 – Tea Ropati; 1996 – Stephen Kearney; 1997 – Stacey Jones; 1998 – Joe Vagana; 1999 – Jason Death; 2000 – Robbie Mears; 2001 – Jerry Seuseu; 2002 – Ali Lauiti’iti; 2003 – Francis Meli; 2004 – Wairangi Koopu; 2005 – Ruben Wiki; 2006 – Steve Price; 2007 – Steve Price; 2008 – Simon Mannering; 2009 – Micheal Luck; 2010 – Manu Vatuvei; 2011 – Simon Mannering; 2012 – Ben Matulino; 2013 – Simon Mannering; 2014 – Simon Mannering; 2015 – Ben Matulino; 2016 – Simon Mannering; 2017 – Roger Tuivasa-Sheck; 2018 – Roger Tuivasa-Sheck; 2019 – Roger Tuivasa-Sheck; 2020 – Tohu Harris; 2021 – Tohu Harris; 2022 – Euan Aitken; 2023 – Shaun Johnson; 2024 – Mitch Barnett; 2025 – Roger Tuivasa-Sheck; 2026 – James Fisher-Harris.