Rugby League: Warriors to start 2021 NRL season in Australia

The Warriors have suggested that they begin their NRL 2021 campaign in New Zealand, making the decision to re-establish themselves in Australia for the start of the season.

Warriors CEO Cameron George confirmed today that the club will be dispatched to Terrigal on the Central Coast for at least the first four rounds of the new season, which includes the club’s first two home games, the first two rounds.

George said he is hopeful the club will be in a position to return to Mt Smart Stadium for their third scheduled home game, which will be in the fifth round. Whether the borders are opened during that time or not, George said the team would stay in Australia for the first four rounds regardless.

“It is not what we want to do, but it is what we have to do. Our priority is to make sure we do everything we can to allow our team to be as well prepared as possible for 2021,” George said.

“It is a football decision that must be made now. We cannot afford to speculate on what might or might not happen. We need clarity for our players, staff and families.

“We will stay abreast of the border situation and in early March we will decide with the NRL what is the best course of action after the first four rounds, hopefully returning to New Zealand to play Mt Smart for the first time since 2019. in round five. “

The Warriors team is currently divided into two groups, with 14 members of the 2021 team in Kiama, New South Wales, and the rest of the team in New Zealand, as they begin their preseason preparations.

The hope was to bring the team together before the start of the season to work as a full team, but as the club was unable to bring the Australian players to New Zealand, other plans had to be made.

“We tried to organize a quarantine facility like other sporting bodies have done to bring our players from Australia to train here as a team, but our request was rejected so we had to adapt,” George said.

The New Zealand-based group (players, coaching staff, management and their families if they decide to bring them in) will arrive in Australia on January 3, and the team will spend a month in Tamworth before moving on to Terrigal. Their first two home games will now be played at Central Coast Stadium in Gosford.

They will spend at least three months in Tasmania before returning home for their game against the Manly Sea Eagles which, if all goes well, will be at Mt Smart Stadium.

“We are so desperate to be here and play in front of our fans,” George said. “We take great pride in what we do for them, we take great pride in what we had to do this year, but we want to come back and share that excitement with our fans at some point. We needed to balance that though, by planning and taking the risks out of the game. situation the best we could.

“But our eyes are on that April 9 game here against Manly, so we’re going to market that and we’re going to sell like we’re coming home.”