Kiwis lead charge in 2025 Golden Boot league award

Melissa Woods | November 6, 2025

Kangaroos stars Reece Walsh and Cameron Munster are in the running to win the 2025 International Rugby League Golden Boot award, but New Zealand have the most nominees.

The global governing body announced 18 contenders, with a short list to be named after Sunday’s Pacific Cup final in Sydney, with the award for the best international player announced in early December.

There’s set to be a first-time winner, with no previously crowned players among the nominees for the international game’s highest honour.

Kangaroos captain Isaah Yeo, who won last year’s award, has not made the cut after being an early casualty in the first Ashes Test against England due to a head knock, which forced him out of game two.

New Zealand captain James Fisher-Harris, the 2023 winner, has also been left out, while there are no England players.

Playmaker Dylan Brown, who has been a stand-out for the Kiwis, leads the New Zealand charge, which includes Canberra players Joseph Tapine and Matt Timoko, as well as three Penrith players – Isaiah Papali’i, Moses Leota and Casey McLean.

Brown quit Parramatta to join Newcastle next season and is looking to help his Test team lift the Pacific Cup with a victory over Samoa in the final at CommBank Stadium.

As well as Munster and Walsh, who are in England set for the third Ashes match, Storm hooker Harry Grant, Sydney Roosters second-rower Angus Crichton and Cowboys forward Reuben Cotter have also made the “long list”.

There are four Samoan players in contention, led by Brisbane’s Samoan prop Payne Haas, as is Kumuls hooker Edwin Ipape, who helped PNG retain the Pacific Bowl for a third consecutive season.

Fiji fullback Jahream Bula (Wests Tigers) has also been nominated after impressing in the Pacific Bowl.

A panel including Kangaroos greats Darren Lockyer and Cameron Smith, New Zealand’s Ruben Wiki, Englishman James Graham and Petero Civoniceva, representing Australia and Fiji, will choose the winner.

Golden Boot long list nominees: Dylan Brown (New Zealand), Jahream Bula (Fiji), Reuben Cotter (Australia), Angus Crichton (Australia), Harry Grant (Australia), Payne Haas (Samoa), Edwin Ipape (Papua New Guinea), Lachlan Lam (Papua New Guinea), Moses Leota (New Zealand), Jarome Luai (Samoa), Casey McLean (New Zealand), Cameron Munster (Australia), Isaiah Papali’i (New Zealand), Junior Paulo (Samoa), Jeremiah Nanai (Samoa), Joseph Tapine (New Zealand), Matthew Timoko (New Zealand), Reece Walsh (Australia)