NRLW premiership-winning second rower Laishon Albert-Jones will be reunited with the One New Zealand Warriors for their return to the competition in 2025.
The 26-year-old Newcastle Knights forward has been secured for 2025 and 2026 with a mutual option for 2027.
It paves the way for the Auckland-born niece of the legendary Stacey Jones to rejoin the club as a player after having a role as a Warriors Community Foundation coordinator before linking with the Knights last season.
The three-Test Kiwi Fern has been in outstanding form for the Knights this season, being named one of the club’s four contenders for the 2024 Players’ Champion award.
“Laishon is an international player who is adept in many positions and will bring a wealth of experience having already won an NRLW premiership,” said new One New Zealand Warriors head coach Ronald Griffiths.
“When Laishon signed her first NRLW contract she was adamant that she wanted only a two-year contract so when the Warriors came back into the competition she could return home.
“This has now come to fruition, what a marvellous moment for Laishon and for the Warriors.”
Albert-Jones, a Point Chevalier Pirates junior, has appeared in all but one of the Knights’ 19 matches since joining the club.
Not only will she return home but she’ll also be reunited with Griffiths, who brought her into the Newcastle squad last year as the club went on to win the minor premiership for the first time and then the grand final for the second consecutive season.
