Maaka and Johnson have both signed on at Red Hill until the end of the 2026 NRLW season.
24-year-old Maaka – who hails from the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand – won a gold medal for the national rugby sevens team in the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.
She most recently starred for Chiefs Manawa in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition where she played from 2023 to 2025.
The outside back, who prides herself on defence, said rugby union was all she knew growing up but has been looking forward to switching codes.
“My dad played it [rugby union], my uncles played it and my grandparents,” Maaka said.
“That’s all I’ve known until Gayle [Broughton] came over to play… that’s when I was like ‘oh, New Zealanders can go over and play league’.
“I’ve always had it on the back foot and just thinking about it, but I never actually thought it would come true.
Coming over and being here right now, it’s quite cool.
Azalleyah Maaka
Kerri Johnson – who also hails from New Zealand’s North Island – has followed a similar path to Maaka.
The 22-year-old played for the Melbourne Rebels in the Australian Super Rugby competition and returned home to play for the Auckland Blues in the 2024 and 2025 Super Rugby Aupiki seasons.
Despite feeling nervous about the transition to rugby league, the outside back said she’s happy to be with the Broncos, where she can learn from the best.
“I’ve never played league in my life, but hopefully I’ll be able to pick it up quickly,” Johnson said.
“I’ve been watching it a lot and it’s been catching my eye a bit more than the style of union.
They [the Broncos] have some of the best in the competition right now, and it was somewhere I’d like to go for the first year just to learn and grow as much as I can before the second year.
Kerri Johnson
The Broncos NRLW preseason officially begins next week, ahead of their Round 1 game against the Wests Tigers at Totally Workwear Stadium on Saturday, July 5.
Skyla Adams, Shalom Sauaso, Reegan Hicks and development player Georgia Bartlett will attend NRL Rookie Camp in Sydney this weekend.
The signing of Maaka and Johnson finalises the 2025 Broncos NRLW squad:
- Skyla Adams
- Ali Brigginshaw
- Destiny Brill
- Gayle Broughton
- Shenae Ciesiolka
- Brianna Clark
- Lauren Dam
- Jada Ferguson
- Reegan Hicks
- Montaya Hudson
- Mele Hufanga
- Kerri Johnson
- Keilee Joseph
- Tafito Lafaele
- Chelsea Lenarduzzi
- Azalleyah Maaka
- Hayley Maddick
- Tara McGrath-West
- Neta Nu’uausala
- Tazmin Rapana (medically retired)
- Julia Robinson
- Shalom Sauaso
- Bree Spreadborough
- Romy Teitzel
- Tamika Upton