Warriors and Kiwis suffer huge blow

New Zealand Kiwis have suffered an injury setback, as Jacob Laban has been ruled out for the remainder of the World Cup

The Warriors star will miss the rest of the tournament through injury, and it may have a knock-on effect on his 2027 preparations.

Laban has been sidelined with a lower-leg injury, with scans confirming the issue after he missed a training session last week.

The 22-year-old made his competitive Kiwis debut against the Cook Islands in the second round of the World Cup, but his tournament has been cut short, and he will sadly not return to action.

On the injury blow, Kiwis head coach Stacey jones, said: “It’s really disappointing for Jake and for us after the outstanding year he has had.”

His replacement is Newcastle Knights’ Phoenix Crossland, who was serving a four-game ban after a hip-drop injury to Nathan Cleary.

Crossland has been training with New Zealand and will be presented with an opportunity to return to the field for the first time in six weeks.

His last appearance for the Kiwis was in 2025, playing in the Pacific Championship Final win against Toa Samoa. Since 2024, Crossland has accumulated six appearances for the nation.

The Kiwis’ attention is now on their semi-final clash against Tonga in Newcastle, following on from their emphatic 78-0 win against Fiji.