'Fish' and Mitch the ideal men to role model my game on: Laban

Warriors young gun Jacob Laban doesn’t have to look far for examples of the type of NRL forward he wants to become.

Representative players James Fisher-Harris and Mitch Barnett are standing right alongside him at Warriors training sessions.

“Fish and Mitch, our two captains. They are both something different but together they add such value to the team,” said Laban, who also got to spend a week alongside Fisher-Harris in Māori All Stars camp.

“I just admire them and l sit back and think ‘that’s how to do it’.”

Kiwis stalwart Fisher-Harris is embarking on his second year as a Warrior after nine years and four premierships with Penrith. Last year he averaged 114 metres per game with a tackle efficiency of 95.6%.

Barnett is an Australian and NSW Origin prop entering his fourth season with the Warriors although season three ended after just 11 rounds last year, when he suffered an ACL tear.

But the 31-year-old averaged 131 metres and 34 tackles per game before the injury.

Laban at just 21 is making his presence felt on the Warriors right edge after only 19 games in his first two NRL seasons.

Studying at Auckland’s Kelston Boys High School, he played in both the First XIII league team and the 1st XV rugby team in 2021. That was also the year he signed with the Warriors and played SG Ball Cup (Under 19s) and then NSW Cup before his NRL debut in 2024.

He has speed and aggression alongside a good pair of hands playing in the back row.

“I feel like I’ve taken some of my ball skills from union – just being ready to run the ball up, to call for it and to keep pushing forward," he said.

In the Warriors' 38-34 loss to the Dolphins at Leichhardt Oval on Friday night the difference could have been his ‘no try’ in the 32nd minute.

He pounced on a loose ball close to the dead-ball line but a video replay showed he grazed the chalk with his left hand in trying to steady himself.

“It’s a learning curve. Maybe next time I put that left hand away or not try to slap the ball as hard,” Laban said.

The Samoan-born Laban is catching the eye of commentators and other rugby league experts not just for his 190cm, 110kg frame and earning two Māori All Stars jerseys.

 “I know (the attention) is there and I feel like it’s a good thing,” he said.

“It’s not so much that I’ve got to live up to it – I’ve just got to back myself. People say a lot of things but at the end of the day my actions will say more.

“This year I want to take more pride in my defence. Everyone says defence wins games and I think that’s true.”

Busting through the line in attack also happens playing outside Warriors halfback Tanah Boyd and centre Ali Leiataua, who scored the Warriors' fourth try on Friday.

“Nudge (Boyd) is real clinical and likes to play direct so when he sees something he goes for it,” Laban said. “Ali I’ve been playing with through juniors so we click really well.”

The general vibe around the Warriors currently is more upbeat, according to Laban, with a passion to improve on making the top eight twice in the past three years.

“The feeling around the club is that we are ready now,” he said.

“We’ve been building for a few years and this year the boys came back the fittest the club has seen and we want to take that into this season.”