League: Te Maire Martin brings up muted NRL milestone with his NZ Warriors future in doubt

RNZ News

7 days ago

Te Maire Martin brought up his 100th game against the team that handed him his NRL debut in 2016.
Photo:
Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
NRL survivor Te Maire Martin has quietly reached his 100-game milestone without the fanfare that usually accompanies such an achievement.
He didn't lead his team out onto Go Media Stadium for last Saturday's
clash against four-time defending champions Penrith Panthers
- the team that handed him his first-grade debut nine years ago.
Martin, 29, chose not to front media in the build-up to his century of appearances, preferring to let it slip by without causing a distraction.
"I asked them if they could be a little low-key with it in the media," he said. "It's not really my thing, making a big deal out of something. I didn't want it to sidetrack the boys. I just wanted us to think about the game and, sometimes, a big occasion can make you think too much about something else.
"It was cool. It was the first time I've had so much of my family come and watch. Regardless of the result, they're pretty proud."
The Martin whānau have plenty to be proud of, as Martin stretches his NRL career beyond his 2020 'retirement', after a brain bleed that seemed to end his playing days far too soon.
Martin had already helped North Queensland Cowboys to the 2017 Grand Final, scoring their only try, as Melbourne Storm ran riot 34-6.
Flicking between five-eighth and fullback over the next two seasons, he suffered a small brain bleed in May 2019 and didn't play again for the Cowboys. Off contract and unable to gain clearance to resume training, Martin announced his retirement in January 2020.
His journey surprisingly recommenced in 2022, when he played club football with Taharoa Steelers in King Country, progressing to rep footy for Waikato Mana and eventually returning to the NFL with Brisbane Broncos.
When the Warriors released Reece Walsh early to rejoin the Broncos in 2023, Martin crossed the Tasman in a move than felt like a straight swap.
"It's been a long time to get to 100 games," he mused. "It's always good to get there, but it's just another game, isn't it.
"I suppose, when you look from the start, you never think you'll get to 100. Even Barney [Warriors co-captain Mitch Barnett] last season, when he played his 150th, if you look at the games he'd missed through injury or suspension… you always look at them and think, 'Damn, I could have been at 200 or 300.
"I'm not too fussed on how many games I play, as long as I'm having fun, and still hunting and fishing, I'm pretty happy."
Perhaps another reason for the muted celebration is the fact Martin seems to be hanging on at the club by his fingernails right now. Trapped behind an in-form halves pairing of Luke Metcalf and Chanel Harris-Tavita, he's competing with newcomer Tanah Boyd for next cab off the rank, with Jett Cleary - son of Penrith coach Ivan and younger brother of Panthers star Nathan - lurking in the age-group programme.
Te Maire Martin has had to re-invent his game in his new role on the Warriors bench.
Photo:
Brett Phibbs/Photosport
Dylan Walker's mid-season move to Parramatta Eels opened up a utility spot on the bench and Martin's seven appearances during the 2025 campaign have all come from the interchange, where he has had to fill a variety of roles.
Against Penrith last week, he stepped into the midfield for the first time, after winger
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak suffered an ankle injury
and Adam Pompey moved out a spot to cover. Before that, he logged 33 minutes at hooker against Cronulla Sharks.
"I've almost played every position," Martin reflected. "Not front row and wing, but there's still time to play there.
"That's sort of my role at the moment is to cover anywhere there's an injury, especially halves or outside backs. It causes a little reshuffle, but that's what I have to do at training, just adapt to all the positions and fill in where I need to.
"It's actually pretty fun, learning new roles - keeps it exciting. It's probably the most fun I've had.
"Even though I'm playing my least minutes, I'm learning a lot and enjoying the company around me.
"I know a lot of the boys talk about the connection and the stuff that the coaches are bringing to us. There are little things we're doing that I don't see other teams doing - that's what excites me."
When you've already retired once, anything else is a bonus - that seems to be Martin's approach to his current predicament, which sees him off contract at the end of the season and already considering his options offshore.
"I've got no contract at the moment and I'm trying to fix that," he said. "There are discussions going on and I'm not too sure when that will be finalised. We're open to the options of moving away. Ideally, we'd like to stay, but there's some young talent coming through and you have to secure those for the club.
"It's a business at the end of the day, so both sides have to do what's best for themselves."
Rather than feeling frustration, Martin is ready to embrace whatever his long and winding road has left to offer.
"I've grown past the phase where you're jealous of other people in your position. If I was back in my younger days… but I'm having too much fun off the field, hunt and fishing, to be bothered about positions.
"As long as I'm in the team, I'm happy. Even when I was playing Cup [reserves], I was happy."
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