New Zealand Warriors front-row duo Bunty Afoa and Tom Ale have re-signed for a further two seasons, keeping them both at the club until at least the end of 2025.
Afoa has become a consistent member of the Warriors' middle-forward rotation in recent years, playing in close to half of his 100 NRL appearances during the 2021 and 2022 campaigns.
The 26-year-old is coming off a career-best year on the field for the Warriors, averaging 89 run metres and 24 tackles per game for the club.
Ale on the other hand is still in the infancy of his first grade career, struggling with injuries early on before impressing club officials at the back-end of last season.
MORE: Every NRL club's best rookie to watch in 2023
The 23-year-old has played less than 10 games in the top grade, but will have the opportunity to build on his promising start under new head coach Andrew Webster.
“Bunty and Tom are outstanding examples of players who have come through our system and taken their opportunities...they demonstrate real pride in the club and all they do," Webster said
“Bunty was a junior when I was first here and it has been a thrill to watch him develop into a seasoned and consistent first grader.
"Tom has been hampered by injury but has done everything in the preseason to indicate he’ll be an asset.”
Both players were off-contract at the end of the year, with Afoa understood to have attracted interest from some rival clubs.
After adding some strong depth to their forward pack in the form of Marata Niukore and Mitch Barnett in the off-season, the decision to extend Afoa and Ale is a positive move for the Warriors.
General manager of recruitment Andrew McFadden - who previously coached the club - praised Afoa for his efforts for the Warriors to date and believes his new deal is a reflection of his hard work.
“Bunty was a fantastic player for us in the NYC and it was an honour to be able to give him his NRL debut in 2016,” he said.
“He thoroughly deserves his contract extension and shows our juniors what can be achieved through total commitment to the club and maintaining the highest standards on and off the field.
"Tom is just starting his first-grade career but he has the same traits.”
