{{Short description|Samoan rugby league footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox rugby league biography |name = Jacob Laban |fullname = Jacob Laban |image = Jacob Laban.jpg |image_size = |position = {{rlp|SR}} |birth_date = {{birth date and age|2004|04|17|df=yes}} |birth_place = Motoʻotua, Samoa |height = {{convert|189|cm|ftin|abbr=on}} |weight = {{convert|110|kg|stlb|abbr=on}} |club1 = New Zealand Warriors |year1start = 2024 |year1end = present |appearances1 = 30 |tries1 = 4 |goals1 = 0 |fieldgoals1 = 0 |points1 = 16 |new = yes |source = <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/jacob-laban/summary.html | title=Jacob Laban - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project }}</ref> }}
'''Jacob Laban''' (born 17 April 2004) is a Samoan rugby league footballer who plays as a {{rlp|sr}} for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL).
==Background== Born in Moto'otua, Samoa, on April 17, 2004, Jacob Laban moved to New Zealand at the age of three. He comes from a diverse heritage; his father, Patelesio Laban, hails from the Samoan villages of Faleula and Sa'anapu, while his mother, Alysia (Albert) Laban, is of Māori descent from the iwi of Te Āti Awa in Waiwhetu, Lower Hutt.
Jacob attended Gracefield Primary School and Hutt Intermediate during his junior years. He later enrolled at St Bernard's College in Lower Hutt before moving to Auckland in 2021. There, he completed Year 13 at Kelston Boys' High School after being awarded a rugby scholarship.
Jacob’s journey in rugby league began at the Te Aroha Rugby League Club in Waiwhetu. However, due to a shortage of players in the junior grades, he moved to the Randwick Kingfishers. It was during his time with Randwick that his talent flourished, earning him selection for the Wellington Orcas representative teams.
Jacob is a nephew to Ken Laban on his Samoan grandfather's father's side.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jacob Laban |url=https://www.warriors.kiwi/teams/nrl-premiership/warriors/jacob-laban/ |access-date=2025-10-30 |website=Warriors |language=en}}</ref>
== Career == Laban made his first grade debut in his side's 34−4 victory over the South Sydney Rabbitohs in round 5 of the 2024 NRL season.
During a match in NSW cup, Laban was sent off after a melee with Canberra Raiders player Corey Horsburgh when Horsburgh and Laban came to blows.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Staff Writer |date=30 June 2024 |title=Warriors pair sent off after melee |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/350327079/warriors-pair-sent-canberra-rival-nsw-cup-brawl |access-date=2024-10-03 |website=www.stuff.co.nz}}</ref>
On 30 September 2024, Laban was named in the NSW Cup team of the year.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Staff Writers |date=2024-09-29 |title=Laban included in NSW Cup Team of the Year |url=https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2024/09/30/laban-included-in-new-south-wales-cup-team-of-the-year/ |access-date=2024-10-03 |website=Warriors |language=en}}</ref>
=== 2025 === On 21 May, the New Zealand Warriors announced that Laban had re-signed with the club until the end of the 2029 season.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-20 |title=Young guns Halasima and Laban signed until 2029 |url=https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2025/05/21/halasima-laban-signed-until-2029/ |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=Warriors |language=en}}</ref> He played 12 games with New Zealand in the 2025 NRL season as the club finished 6th on the table and qualified for the finals. They were eliminated by Penrith in the first week of the finals.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nine.com.au/sport/nrl/news-2025-the-mole-season-review-exclusive-new-zealand-warriors-luke-metcalf-injury-20250918-p5mwb6.html/|title=The Mole's season review: Disastrous injury blow exposed major issue as Warriors fall flat|website=www.nine.com.au}}</ref>
On 1 August, Laban was injured after fracturing his leg as a result of an illegal tackle by Dolphins prop Felise Kaufusi.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Warriors lose Jacob Laban to broken leg after ugly tackle in late NRL defeat |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360781201/warriors-lose-jacob-laban-broken-leg-after-ugly-tackle-late-nrl-defeat |access-date=2025-10-31 |website=www.stuff.co.nz}}</ref> The tackle was ruled as a grade two dangerous contact charge and Kaufusi was hit with a two-match ban.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-04 |title=Warriors ‘fuming’ over ugly act young gun’s horror injury exposes NRL call |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-2025-warriors-filthy-over-light-punishment-for-felise-kaufusi-jacob-laban-broken-leg-what-happened-two-match-ban-judiciary-match-review-committee-rugby-league-news/news-story/67bffc988bfa3ff727d5c79e49661e0b |access-date=2025-10-31 |website=Fox Sports |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.warriors.kiwi/teams/nrl-premiership/warriors/jacob-laban/ New Zealand Warriors profile]
{{New Zealand Warriors squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laban, Jacob}} Category:2004 births Category:Living people Category:New Zealand Warriors players Category:People educated at St Bernard's College, Lower Hutt Category:Rugby league players from Apia Category:Rugby league second-rows Category:Samoan rugby league players Category:21st-century Samoan sportsmen