Warriors denied request to train at home
Warriors chief executive Cameron George has revealed the Government declined the club’s request to have its Australian-based players train in a quarantine facility in New Zealand as he announced the decision to start the 2021 NRL season across the Tasman.
The Warriors have begun pre-season training in two separate camps – one in Auckland under new coach Nathan Brown and one in Kiama, New South Wales. But they were hoping the Australian contingent could travel to Auckland at the start of January to join their team-mates after the 14-day quarantine rules were relaxed for the Wallabies ahead of this year’s
Bledisloe Cup tests.
The Australian rugby squad was given permission to train as a group in their bubble four days after arriving in New
Zealand, provided all squad members returned a negative
Covid-19 test on day three.
Regardless of whether they ended up starting the season at home, the benefit would have been two-fold for the Warriors. Having spent the entire 2020 campaign in Australia, it would have allowed the Auckland-based players and their families to spend more time at home before heading back across the Tasman for an extended period, while also giving the seven new recruits a chance to connect with their new club.
However, the Warriors did not pass the threshold required in order to receive an exemption from the two-week quarantine period, leaving them with no choice but to relocate to Australia from January 3.
‘‘We did want everyone to come here, be a part of our club and our fan base in New Zealand. It was crucial. And the Australianbased players desperately wanted to come back here,’’ George said.
‘‘Up until Christmas what we tried to do was eliminate as best as we possibly could any isolation for the players, for their own wellbeing and their own family benefit as well. It would have been great to have everyone here after Christmas for a few months but it’s not the case.’’
Stuff has approached the Ministry of Health for comment but George refused to hit out at the process now that they have settled on a plan for the start of next season.
George confirmed the Warriors would play their first four games in Australia, initially basing themselves in Tamworth before returning to their camp in Terrigal on the NSW Central Coast, where they spent all of last season.
The club’s round one and two games against the Titans and Knights will be relocated from Mt Smart to Central Coast Stadium.