Warriors’ request to train at home denied
Warriors chief executive Cameron George revealed the Government declined the club’s request to have their Australian-based players train in a quarantine facility in New Zealand as he announced their decision to start the 2021 NRL season across the Tasman.
The Warriors have begun preseason 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 teammates after the 14-day quarantine rules were relaxed for the Wallabies ahead of this year’s Bledisloe Cup tests.
The Australian rugby squad were 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
Cameron George (left) Warriors CEO
fan base in New Zealand. It was crucial. And the Australian-based 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 well-being 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 club would play its 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.
While the NRL had scheduled the Warriors to play their opening two games at Mt Smart Stadium, it was always dependent on a transTasman bubble being in place.
The club’s round one and two games against the Titans and Knights will be relocated from Mt Smart to Central Coast Stadium.
Even if the borders do open up while they are away, they will remain in Australia until the end of round four and hope to play their first home game the following week against Manly on April 9.
George said that by making the call now it provides the squad and their families with as much certainty as possible.
‘‘We’re not going to allow players to keep an eye on the news and wonder what the borders are doing,’’ he added.
‘‘We’re putting certainty into a very uncertain time, which is crucial for ‘Browny’ and his preparation for the 2021 season.
‘‘As a club we’re off again. It’s what we have to do, it’s not what we want to do. But we’ve been set a task and we’re very excited about taking it on and building on what we did in 2020.’’
The Warriors will be based in Australia for at least a three-month block. However, the fact that all the families of players and staff are permitted to enter NSW has already alleviated one of the major hurdles from last season, that led to five players returning home.
The club had been pencilled in for 11 home games next year and are hopeful of playing at least nine at Mt Smart if a trans-Tasman bubble is established by round five.
‘‘If anything changes in this first period we will be pretty excited to announce our homecoming,’’ Warriors chairman Rob Croot said.
‘‘But in doing so we’re going to need to make sure we’ve got security on the border and we can operate as normal without the threat of a team coming into New Zealand and being forced into isolation, or our team travelling over for a weekend and not being able to come home.
‘‘It’s tough for everybody but now we just need to get on and make it work for us.’’
‘‘It would have been great to have everyone here after Christmas for a few months but it’s not the case.’’