Source: Radio New Zealand
Jackson Ford celebrates his try against Canberra Raiders. Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
Over the course of eight years, Jackson Ford has made a point of keeping an even keel on his NRL career that has navigated the usual highs and lows.
Right now, the tireless NZ Warriors front-rower is seemingly tolerating the highest point of that journey, transformed into an 80-minute player that leads his team in tackling (332) and run metres (1487), while dominating the competition in metres after contact (619).
Most surprisingly, he sits three points clear atop Dally M Medal polling, thrusting his name into the forefront of State of Origin selection debate.
Ford bears these accolades reluctantly and does his best to avoid social media acclaim.
“I don’t like it,” he grimaced. “Trying to get my missus to stay off is my main goal … even my mother, she likes to look at it.
“It’s not easy. You’re always getting tagged with stuff and I’ve got mates on group chat that are always sending me stuff, but I try not to buy into it, because I know how easy it can go the other way.
“There are probably a lot of blokes copping it for things, so I try not to buy into it.”
At times like these, Ford is blessed with teammates who can and will keep him grounded.
Although he claimed he hadn’t fielded a phone call from NSW Blues coach Laurie Daly yet, at least he hadn’t received any bogus dial-ups from anyone pretending to be Daly.
“Thank God those phone calls aren’t happening this year,” he chuckled. “The fake phone calls have been happening the last couple of years, but nothing this year.
“There’s all sorts of little games they like to play around the changing rooms, but they haven’t started this year.”
Jackson Ford feels uncomfortable with the accolades coming his way. Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
That window of opportunity may be closing fast, as Ford’s incredible form makes a genuine approach more likely.
Over the opening eight weeks of the 2026 campaign, he has amassed 31 points in the player-of-the-year standings, including maximum six points in three games (Sydney Roosters, Canberra Raiders and Melbourne Storm) and five points in another two (Newcastle Knights and Gold Coast Titans).
Ford never envisaged this run at the start of the season.
“Definitely not,” he said. “Three weeks in, it was a bit of a shock and somehow it just keeps rolling on.
“I’ve just got to keep playing my game, not get too far ahead of myself and keep giving my best performance for the boys.”
If this series represents the pinnacle of his performance, Ford is reticent to dwell too much on the depths, since he debuted for St George-Illawarra Dragons in 2019, but could not secure a regular spot in first grade.
After crossing the Tasman to Mt Smart, he logged 24 games for the Warriors in 2023, mostly as an edge forward, as they fell one win short of the grand final, but slipped out of the rotation towards the end of a disastrous 2024 campaign.
“Obviously, if you’re losing a fair few games in a row, that’s the hardest, but at the moment, we’re winning games and on a high.
“Looking back on it now, I’m grateful for everything that’s driven me to the player I am today, all those hard times and stuff like that. Without those times, I probably wouldn’t be here today.”
Ford re-invented himself as a middle forward last season, initially off the bench, but grabbing a starting role, after co-captain Mitch Barnett was sidelined by a knee injury, and holding that spot to the end.
When Barnett was still rehabbing to start 2026, Ford inherited the No.10 jersey and refuses to give it back. His emergence as an every-minute player has proved a gamechanger for coach Andrew Webster, who has had to get his head around new interchange rules.
“It’s huge,” Webster said. “With the new rule, if you play three middle forwards before halftime, you can’t be openminded if an OB [outside back] or halfback goes down.
“If you can only use two before halftime, it keeps you open if something goes off script, then you can adjust. We’ve been really lucky we’ve used that new rule really well.
“You could throw Sam [Healey] on with 50 minutes to go or 30 minutes to go at hooker, but that means you’ve locked your four in and you’ve got no versatility. A Jackson Ford gives you that balance and we’re really grateful for it.
“It’s definitely special. It would be no good having someone who could play 80 minutes, if they couldn’t perform at a high level for 80 minutes. It’s no good having that guy out there, if he can’t do his job or he’s taking short cuts, but he’s awesome.”
Aside from the impressive stats he has accumulated, Ford has become the heartbeat of a team that feed off his effort.
Jackson Ford takes the ball up against Gold Coast Titans. Brett Phibbs/Photosport
“He’s a workhorse, eh,” young forward Demitric Vaimauga marvelled. “He’s always in the picture.
“Something I take from his game is just showing up for your mate. I want to be a reliable player and he’s epitome of it.
“Eventually, I want to get there. Eighty minutes is a big ask, even for Jacko, but he seems to do it, week in and week out, and eventually I want to get my game there.”
While completing games has become part of Ford’s trademark, he admitted it was never his intention.
“Not really, I wouldn’t say I’ve strived to be that 80-minute guy – it’s just come upon me. It’s been pretty crazy to start and then stay, but it seems to be working.”
Has there been a point where he wanted to put his hand up for an early sub?
“Basically, by the 20-minute mark and the whole last 60, but I try to push that to the back of my mind and just keep going,” he chuckled.
Only one Warriors player has ever won the Dally M Medal – then-captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck took ultimate honours from fullback in 2018.
If Ford is to become the second, he must overcome something of a hoodoo under Webster’s tenure in charge.
Three years ago, halfback Shaun Johnson led with one round remaining, but with his team already safely in the playoffs and voting conducted behind closed doors, he was rested from the final game and Newcastle Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga took maximum points to edge him by one vote.
Last year, when voting went dark after round 12, halfback Luke Metcalf – Johnson’s successor – led the pack, but five weeks later, he too went down with a season-ending knee injury.
“Far out, I feel like I’m a curse on these guys,” Webster declared, when reminded of this past misfortune.
“Shaun got robbed, I can’t do anything about that.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand