Jackson Ford has signed a two-year deal to extend his stay with the New Zealand Warriors until the end of the 2029 season, crowning an incredible rise through this current campaign that’s left him “transformed” as a player.
Until he was sidelined with a pectoral injury, Ford was easily one of the best props in the game and arguably should have played State of Origin.
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Ford’s surge into the elite came with Mitch Barnett and James Fisher-Harris struggling with injuries through the start of the year. The 28-year-old rose to the occasion, quickly becoming the standout in the Warriors’ engine room.
His emergence as a leading prop led to the Warriors rushing through an extension to make sure they can keep him longer.
“Jackson was in the form of his life… he was awesome,” Webster said.
“We were really confident in what we saw in him when we signed him. We could see he had a massive motor and he worked really hard. He has proved that over and over ever since he came here. We love him.”
Wahs GM Andrew McFadden added it was “a testament to his ethic and attitude that he has now established himself as one of the best front rowers.”
Ford headed over to New Zealand in 2023 and has played 78 games for the club in the following three seasons. Before that, he debuted as a second rower with St George Illawarra, his junior club, where he played 33 games. He left to avoid playing under then Dragons boss Anthony Griffin.
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His early 2026 form was so red-hot that he was leading the Dally M in the opening rounds. He averaged 161 metres a game through 13 appearances and ran the full 80 minutes in seven of those matches.
Ford wracked up four tries, six line breaks, and 10 offloads this season.
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