Comforts of home await
The Warriors can expect to find out in the next fortnight whether they will be required to relocate to Australia for at least part of the 2021 NRL campaign.
After spending all of last season based across the Tasman, the Auckland club has been scheduled to play 11 games at Mt Smart Stadium next year, starting with their season-opener against the Gold Coast Titans on March 13. However, that is dependent on a trans-Tasman bubble being established.
If the borders do not open up, the Warriors had planned to travel to Australia in early January to resume pre-season training, and NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said they would make a decision sooner rather later.
‘‘We’re in quite advanced discussions around potentially making a call as to whether the Warriors relocate to pre-season in Australia,’’ Abdo said at the announcement of the draw yesterday.
‘‘I would expect that together the NRL and the Warriors will make a call in the next couple of weeks.’’
Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’Landys on Wednesday expressed confidence that a travel bubble would be in place by the time the season starts after receiving advice from the NRL’s biosecurity expert Dr David Heslop.
Abdo said if the Warriors weren’t playing in Auckland in round one, theywould be ‘‘at some point in the season’’.
‘‘What an opportunity for the Warriors to get recognition for their fans for what they sacrificed in 2020, the way they played, and the way they came together,’’ he
said.
The draw released yesterday gave the Warriors a home match against the Gold Coast Titans in round one, along with 10 other home games, at the Auckland venue on March 13.
The following week they welcome new coach Nathan Brown’s previous club Newcastle to Mt Smart before two daunting away games against Canberra and the Roosters.
Warriors chief executive Cameron George shared V’Landys’ optimism that the club would be back home next year.
‘‘We have always said our priority is to be playing at home in front of our families, members
and fans in 2021,’’ he said.
‘‘While the Covid-19 situation has meant planning for all possibilities, being back at Mt Smart is our top wish. We couldn’t think of anything better after being forced to play away from home for the whole of this season.
‘‘We have no control of any decisions around trans-Tasman border policy, but as of today we’re delighted that the NRL has officially allocated all our home games to Mt Smart.’’
The Warriors have a 12th designated home match, against Parramatta, although that will be played at Suncorp Stadium as part of the NRL’s Magic Round (round 10).
Other key aspects of the Warriors’ draw include:
■ The traditional Anzac Day clash against the Storm in Melbourne before they host the 2020 premiers on June 13.
■ A total of six home games against teams that finished in the top eight in 2020. As well as the Storm and Knights, they also welcome Parramatta, Penrith, Cronulla and Canberra.
■ The nine clubs the Warriors face home and away are the Titans, Knights, Raiders, Sea Eagles, Dragons, Storm, Cowboys, Wests Tigers and Sharks. They play the Roosters, Rabbitohs, Panthers, Bulldogs, Eels and Broncos once in 2021.