PMN's year in review: A gigantic 12 months of Pacific sport

Twenty twenty-three was a huge year in sport with several major sporting events across the calendar. The All Blacks made the World Cup Final, Pacific footballers were centre stage at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Pacific Games boomed with talent and the mighty NZ Warriors shook the nation. But here are my top five moments from the year.

Watch Matt Manukuo on 531pi's Pacific Morning sharing his highlights from the year:

1. ‘Up the Wahs!’: The NZ Warriors awake the rugby league spirit in New Zealand after historic season

If I had it my way, my top five moments of the year would all be from the NZ Warriors season that shook the nation. After years of torment watching my favorite team fail to live up to the "it’s our year" slogan, 2023 restored hope I thought was lost.

The Warriors' 16th placed season last year didn’t put the team in anyone's sights to do well. But all doubts were silenced as the "Wahs" moved their way up the ladder, stacking up wins.

The Warriors have always had a solid roster, including one season where they had the whole Kiwis spine but still couldn’t deliver. But this year, the Warriors found cohesion with on-field combinations and a renewed self-belief instilled by their new coach Andrew Webster.

The return to form from Shaun Johnson made me feel like I was a kid again watching his magic lead the Warriors to wins. The inclusion of Charnze Nicholl-Klokstad into the spine and Dallin Watene Zelezniak with his fancy finishing in the corner was also key. But almost every player rose to their potential.

Every week had fans wanting more, with "Wahs" songs and slogans being plastered across the media. It was also unforgettable seeing Mt Smart/ Go Media stadium being sold out nearly every home game, and after years of ups and downs, the Warriors certainly rose to the occasion.

2. 'Safe flight back to Ireland': All Blacks shocked the world with upset win

"Safe flight back" was the cheeky comment by All Blacks star midfielder Rieko Ioane to Ireland's captain Johnny Sexton after his side sent the Irish packing.

And I think everyone will remember where they were when the All Blacks beat Ireland. I was at the Kiwis rugby league team's media day, watching all our top league players cheering at the TV when the final whistle blew.

The All Blacks were flying under the radar heading into the rugby world cup after their dismal season a year prior. Instead everyone’s eyes were on the northern hemisphere giants as clear favorites, but it was the quarter finals where the real work was put in.

No one thought the All Blacks would win, with headlines scattered across the media saying the All Blacks' aura had worn off. Everyone was looking past our team. So when the final whistle blew, it felt like we had won the rugby world cup.

After watching Ireland beat the ABs in Dunedin in 2022, I was thinking there was no way our boys would let that happen again. And low and behold, they sent the world's best team packing in the first knock-out round - how good.

3. Mary Fowler’s PNG family cheering her on during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Only three women with Pacific heritage laced up their boots at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with Mary Fowler, who is of Papua New Guinean heritage becoming household name as her Australian Matildas team made it all the way through to the final.

And it was so special seeing a photo from Fowler's family's village of Kira Kira in Papua New Guinea and to see so many people surrounding one TV to follow her progress.

4. Penrith Panthers 3-peat reflects positively on Pacific athletes

Three years straight is no easy feat in the NRL, and to have a proud contingent of Pacific players part of that historic run makes it even better. And the Panthers' unbelievable comeback win in the grand final against the Broncos was something particularly unforgettable.

I remember watching the 2020 grand final, when a young Panthers squad lost to the Melbourne Storm. Hearts were shattered, the boys looked down and out, but you could tell in their eyes they wouldn’t let it happen again.

But a series of pre-season videos showed the Panthers' grit and determination to get back into the winning column, and that's what they did as they went on to win the 2021, 2022 and 2023 grand finals.

More importantly we saw our Pacific boys play crucial roles in every game. Toa Samoa star Stephen Crichton most notably scored in all three of the grand final wins, which is an unbelievable achievement.

The importance of this team is that it shows what our Pacific athletes are capable of when their personalities and style of play are nurtured properly and they can be an inspiration to us all. And we saw that not only when they are playing for the Panthers, but also for Toa Samoa and for New South Wales.

5. 'Toso viti toso!': Fiji rugby thrives in Super Rugby and the world cup

It was a year of glory for Fijian rugby, who consistently proved their place in rugby shouldn’t be taken lightly!

Twenty twenty-three saw a finals appearance for the Fijian Drua men's Super rugby team in just their second season as an established franchise. The Drua sold-out all their home games played in Fiji, and captured their nation's imagination in the same way the NZ Warriors ignited support here in New Zealand.

The Fijiana Drua won their second straight Super Rugby W championship, which includes most of Australia's women's Super Rugby teams. Already dominant in the international game, the Fijiana Drua showed how well their talent translates into the Super Rugby W comp.

And the Flying Fijians shook the rugby world, with a historic season. They beat England in a warm-up game, went unbeaten in the Pacific Championship competition and then they made the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2007.

This historic run of results shows how important it is to invest in Pacific rugby, and as this PMN-produced mini-doco highlights, the presence of the Drua franchise in Super rugby can inspire a nation to even greater things.