New Zealand Warriors
Club information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | New Zealand Warriors Rugby League Football Club[1] | ||
Nickname(s) | The Warriors, The Wahs | ||
Colours | Blue Green Red White | ||
Founded | 1995 as Auckland Warriors | ||
Website | warriors.kiwi | ||
Current details | |||
Ground(s) |
| ||
CEO | Cameron George | ||
Chairman | Ken Reinsfield | ||
Coach | Andrew Webster | ||
Captain | Tohu Harris | ||
Competition | NRL Men's Premiership | ||
2024 season | 10th (10th June 2024) | ||
| |||
Current season | |||
Records | |||
Premierships | 0 | ||
Runners-up | 2 (2002, 2011) | ||
Minor premierships | 1 (2002) | ||
Wooden spoons | 0 | ||
Most capped | 301 – Simon Mannering | ||
Highest try scorer | 152 – Manu Vatuvei | ||
Highest points scorer | 1,131 – Shaun Johnson |
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as the Auckland Warriors, and are affectionally known as the Wahs. The Warriors are coached by Andrew Webster and captained by Tohu Harris. The Warriors are based at Mount Smart Stadium in the Auckland suburb of Penrose.
For the
History
History of the bid
Rugby league in New Zealand was largely centred around Auckland since the establishment of the New Zealand Rugby League in 1909. Auckland produced the bulk of the New Zealand team for many years, and a number of these players were recruited to play professionally in either Australia or England.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the Auckland representative side consistently provided strong opposition to touring teams. An Auckland team was admitted into the mid-week ARL Amco Cup competition in 1978. In their first year they made the semi-finals, and were defeated by the overall competition winners, the Eastern Suburbs Roosters. They remained in the competition until the early 1980s. In 1987, an Auckland side toured Great Britain and claimed wins over powerhouse clubs Leeds and Wigan.
In 1988, serious investigation into an Auckland team entering the
First season – 1995
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10th (of 20) | 22 | 13 | 0 | 9 | – | 544 | 493 | +51 |
The coach of the new team would be former Parramatta and Wigan coach John Monie. A number of senior players were signed, such as Greg Alexander and Andy Platt. Captain Dean Bell was a high-performing signing. Former Rugby union players such as John Kirwan and Marc Ellis were brought in, in later years.
The Warriors' first year in the Australian Rugby League was 1995. Their debut match was against the Brisbane Broncos on 10 March 1995 in front of 30,000 people at a newly refurbished Mount Smart Stadium. The Warriors led 22–10 at one point in the second half of the match, however Brisbane defeated the new club 25–22.
A home crowd attendance record of 32,174 was set at Mount Smart Stadium in Round 6 of the 1995 ARL season, a record that was not topped until Round 1 of the 2011 NRL season (albeit that match was played at Eden Park, not Mount Smart Stadium).[2]
The Warriors were deducted two competition points for an interchange error. In a match against Western Suburbs, the Warriors used five interchange players instead of the allowed four. The Warriors won the match, 46–12. This error led to the club ultimately missing the finals by two competition points. The season saw the debut of future star, Stacey Jones, who scored a try on debut in a 40–4 rout of the Parramatta Eels in Sydney.
Second year blues – 1996
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11th (of 20) | 21 | 10 | 0 | 11 | – | 412 | 427 | −15 |
The
With four rounds remaining the Warriors were in sixth place in the competition, seemingly headed for a finals berth. They proceeded to lose all four matches to tumble out of the finals.
Super League war – 1997
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7th (of 10) | 18 | 7 | 0 | 11 | – | 332 | 406 | −74 |
The Warriors spent
Beginning of the NRL era – 1998
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
15th (of 20) | 24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | – | 417 | 518 | −101 |
The
Tainui era – 1999
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11th (of 17) | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | – | 538 | 498 | +40 |
Former
Financial collapse and reinvention – 2000
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
13th (of 14) | 24 | 8 | 2 | 16 | – | 426 | 662 | −236 |
In
The club was re-branded as the New Zealand Warriors, with new colours of black and grey – resembling the national sporting colours. New coach Daniel Anderson and CEO Mick Watson focused on signing unknown New Zealand talent. There were only six Australians in the 2001 squad, and only three foundation players – Monty Betham, Stacey Jones and Logan Swann.
First finals series – 2001
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8th (of 14) | 26 | 12 | 2 | 12 | – | 638 | 629 | +9 |
In a season where the re-branded New Zealand Warriors were tipped to finish in second-last place behind the North Queensland Cowboys, the team surprised all, qualifying for their first ever finals appearance in the
The Warriors were involved in Round 8 in one of the biggest near-comebacks in the history of the NRL. Down 24–8 to the Bulldogs with under six minutes remaining, the Warriors rattled off three tries in as many sets, only failing to win the match as Stacey Jones missed a conversion from in front of the posts in the final minute.
After a mid-season struggle, the Warriors upset the minor premiers Parramatta 29–18 at home, in what was a highlight match.
Then, with their season on the line, the team won four matches in a row, starting with impressive 34–8, 30–0, and 14–8 home victories over fellow finals-bound teams the Bulldogs, Cronulla, and the Sydney Roosters. The Warriors also scored 24 unanswered points in the final quarter to beat the Panthers 48–32. Their first finals appearance was sealed with a bruising 24–24 draw with the Melbourne Storm at Colonial Stadium, but the effects of this match were seen a week later, as the Warriors were beaten by 30–18 at home by the Cowboys, a win that saw the North Queenslanders avoiding the wooden spoon.
In their first-ever finals appearance, they were defeated by the Minor Premiers, the Parramatta Eels 56–12. The loss was at the time the largest in finals series history.
Minor Premiership and Grand Final – 2002
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st (of 15) | 24 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 688 | 454 | +234 |
The Warriors reached their zenith to date in the
For the Preliminary Final against the
The Grand Final against the Sydney Roosters was a tight match for the first hour. The Warriors trailed 2–6 at half time, but took a lead just after halftime when Jones scored a great grand final try – as he left defenders sprawling in his wake on a 40-metre run to the try line. The Roosters ran away with the match in the final 20 minutes after captain Brad Fittler was involved in a head clash with Warriors prop Richard Villasanti. The final score was 8–30.
Top-eight again – 2003
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6th (of 15) | 24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 545 | 510 | +35 |
2003 was another quite successful year for the Warriors.
After blowing an early 16–0 lead to lose 26–36 to the Newcastle Knights in Round 1, the Warriors embarked on a five-match winning streak to announce themselves as contenders for the season. However, the Warriors then struggled through the middle-stages of the season, squandering a 26–12 lead with eight minutes remaining to lose to the Parramatta Eels dramatically 28–26 at Parramatta Stadium. There was also an insipid 10–30 loss in Townsville to the North Queensland Cowboys. They played their first ever extra time match, defeating South Sydney 31–30, recovering from a 6–24 deficit.
The Warriors secured their playoff spot, ultimately finishing sixth on points differential, a dangerous position to finish, as the 6th-placed finishers had been eliminated after the first week of the playoffs in the past three seasons.
Their first finals match was against the Bulldogs at the Sydney Showground (now Giants Stadium). The Warriors turned on one of their finest performances ever, stunning the Bulldogs early to lead 16–4 at halftime, and after a Canterbury comeback tied the scores at 16-all, scoring five tries in 16 minutes to blow the Bulldogs away, eventually winning 48–22. Winger Francis Meli scored five tries, a finals record. This prompted Graham Lowe, a known critic of the Warriors to say that the Warriors would win the premiership. The next week a Stacey Jones field-goal in the dying minutes got the Warriors past a gallant Canberra Raiders 17–16. They however lost in the Preliminary Final to the Minor Premiers and eventual Premiers Penrith Panthers, 20–28. It was a disappointing loss for the Warriors, who did not lead at any point of the match, and blew their chance early in the second half to take their first lead, when Henry Fa'afili lost the ball with the line wide open.
Worst year yet – 2004
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14th (of 15) | 24 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 427 | 693 | −266 |
Before the
The management looked to rescue a poor year with some high-profile signings. Bulldogs captain Steve Price was signed, as was Kiwis captain Ruben Wiki, North Queensland half Nathan Fien and Roosters winger Todd Byrne.
Rebuilding begins – 2005
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11th (of 15) | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 515 | 528 | −13 |
2005 was an improvement over the horror scenes of 2004. The team remained competitive for all of their matches, and their largest loss was only 18 points. The team had a good chance to make the finals, however a four match losing streak late in the season removed those chances. The season was tinged with sadness, as it was announced it would be star halfback Stacey Jones last season with the club before he would join French Super League club, Catalans Dragons. His last match for the team against Manly at Brookvale Oval was a fine way for him to sign off with the club as he scored the match-winning try with three minutes to go in a 22–20 victory.
At the end of the season the structure of the team was reviewed. CEO Mick Watson resigned and was replaced by Wayne Scurrah. Tony Kemp was sacked as coach and his assistant Ivan Cleary replaced him as head coach.
Salary cap drama – 2006
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10th (of 15) | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 552 | 463 | +89 |
In February 2006, the Warriors were found to have committed major breaches of the salary cap in 2005. This followed the high-profile signings of Steve Price and Ruben Wiki. On 27 February the NRL announced the club would be deducted four competition points and the club would also be fined A$430,000.
Even before the penalty the Warriors were expected to struggle and were being picked as wooden spooners in some quarters. With the four-point deduction, the Warriors won their first NRL game away from Auckland, with a 26–10 victory over the reigning premiers, the Wests Tigers, at
On 25 June the Warriors recorded their largest ever win, defeating South Sydney 66–0 at Stadium Australia, as part of a four-match winning streak that claimed the scalps of the Sydney Roosters, Newcastle Knights, and also the Penrith Panthers. This streak was ended in an 18–22 golden-point loss to the Bulldogs, in a game where the Warriors surrendered an early 16–0 lead.
The Warriors finished the season on a positive note leaving room for optimism for 2007 and beyond. They caused arguably the upset of the season, defeating the Minor Premiers Melbourne 24–20 at Olympic Park Stadium in Melbourne, preventing the Storm from going the full regular season unbeaten at home.
Impressively, it took the Warriors 24 weeks to be completely out of finals contention. The Warriors finished winning eight of their final twelve games, including a 42–16 thrashing of the Roosters in Round 25, which included four tries by Jerome Ropati. Had the Warriors not suffered the four-point deduction, they would have finished in eighth place on the ladder, and hence would have taken part in the finals series. As it was, they finished tenth on the ladder.
There were a number of revelations in the squad. Unheralded halfback Grant Rovelli was a standout performer. Winger Patrick Ah Van has cemented a first grade spot and impressed many with his performances, while George Gatis and Nathan Fien were fine performers at hooker, and centre Simon Mannering has been one of the Warriors most impressive backs.
Return to the Finals – 2007
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4th (of 16) | 24 | 13 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 593 | 434 | +159 |
The Warriors completed their pre-season with two wins from three games, defeating the Auckland Lions 64–4, losing to the North Queensland Cowboys 32–14 and defeating the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 36–6.
The Warriors finished the 2007 season in fourth place. The season began with a 34–18 victory over Parramatta at Mt Smart Stadium. The following week the side created history by winning their first two games of the season with a 24–14 victory over premiers, the Brisbane Broncos – the first time they have ever won their opening two games of the season.
After a good start which saw the team sitting in fourth place with a 4–2 win–loss record, the team hit a period of indifferent form, falling into a six match losing streak following a last minute win over South Sydney. The team returned to form, defeating Cronulla 12–2 in wild weather at Toyota Park. Following that victory the side won 9 out of 12 games, with one draw. The Warriors clinched a playoff spot with a 36–14 win over an understrength Manly side, and claimed a home final the following week, defeating the Penrith Panthers 24–20 at Penrith Stadium in Round 25.
The Warriors, by virtue of finishing the regular season in fourth place, won the right to host one of the finals matches in the first week of the playoffs. However, the Warriors narrowly went down to the Parramatta Eels 12–10 at Mount Smart Stadium, and their season ended with a 12–49 loss to the Cowboys in Townsville.
On 30 May the Warriors signed
Second-half revival – 2008
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Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8th (of 16) | 24 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 502 | 567 | −65 |
The 2008 season did not start as brightly for the club, losing Wade McKinnon for much of the year during a pre-season loss to Newcastle, and losing captain Steve Price (rugby league, born 1974) for ten weeks, as well as injuries to other key players Manu Vatuvei, Jerome Ropati and Michael Witt. The team remained in contention for much of the season, however often performed very poorly away from Mt Smart Stadium, and suffered their first loss to South Sydney (28–35) since 1999, and went on to lose to South Sydney again later in the season (16–18). Despite poor results away, strong home form and a now common revival in the second half of the season saw the Warriors make the top eight for the second season running, incredibly despite spending only three weeks in the top eight all season. A top-eight berth was secured in the last game of the season, when the Warriors defeated the Parramatta Eels 28–6 at Parramatta Stadium, marking the first time since 1995 that the Warriors had won away to Parramatta.
With nothing to lose in the first week of the finals, the Warriors caused arguably the greatest finals upset ever, and arguably greatest victory in the history of the club, defeating the Melbourne Storm 18–15 at Olympic Park; in doing so, they became the first 8th placed team to beat the minor premiers, with Michael Witt scoring two minutes from full-time to clinch the win. Witt taunted Melbourne captain, Cameron Smith, before placing the ball for the historic victory.[4]
In week two of the playoffs, the Warriors came from behind to defeat the Sydney Roosters 30–13 at Mt. Smart Stadium. The Sydney Roosters led 13–6 at halftime before a second-half comeback saw the Warriors pile on twenty-four unanswered points to earn the Warriors a place in the preliminary finals. This was the first time since 2003 that the Warriors have reached the grand final qualifier, and third overall in 14 seasons. They however went down heavily to an inspired Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 32–6.
Tragedy strikes – 2009
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14th (of 16) | 24 | 7 | 2 | 15 | 2 | 377 | 545 | −188 |
2009 started with the loss of young up-and-comer Sonny Fai, who drowned at Bethells Beach, near Auckland. He had gone into dangerous surf to rescue some relatives but was probably sucked under by a rip. Almost as if using the occurrence as an inhibitor, the Warriors had a very disappointing year, despite winning the opening two rounds against eventual grand finalists Parramatta Eels 26–18 and reigning premiers Manly Warringah Sea Eagles.
After those great wins they proceeded to win a poor 1 of 8 games including a draw. They did however manage to beat West Tigers 14–0 and Newcastle 13–0 keeping both opponents scoreless, but it was the poor attacking that had every league fan questioning. and ultimately saw them lose their next 3 matches by heavy scores. They did beat the Roosters 30–24 at SFS and Raiders 34–20 at Mt Smart Stadium. But in the end the Warriors lost their final two games against the Bulldogs in Hazem El Masri's last home game [before the finals] and ultimately ended their season losing 0–30 to the eventual premiers Melbourne Storm.
Return to finals football – 2010
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5th (of 16) | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 539 | 486 | +53 |
Expectations were not high for the Warriors in 2010 after a disappointing 2009 season. The Warriors bolstered their playing stocks in the pivotal play-making positions by signing Brett Seymour after he was cut by Cronulla and James Maloney from Melbourne. In arguably one of their best ever performances they humbled the Brisbane Broncos 48–16 at Lang Park in Round 3, with Maloney tying a club-record with 28 points (3 tries and 8 goals). Kevin Locke scored a hat-trick in the Warriors miraculous 20–18 win over the Sydney Roosters at AMI Stadium in Christchurch, narrowly escaping a serious hip injury after a high-speed collision with the goal-post (in the process of scoring the game-winning try). The Warriors won five matches in a row for the first time since late in the 2003 season and finished in 5th position in the regular season. They were knocked out of the finals series in the first week, losing to Gold Coast Titans.
Another Grand Final – 2011
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6th (of 16) | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 504 | 393 | +111 |
2011 started out as emotional for the Warriors, due to the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The Warriors began the 2011 season with an historic match at Auckland's Eden Park, the first regular season home game the club had played away from Mt Smart Stadium. The match drew a record home game crowd for the Warriors of 38,405 however unfortunately the Warriors could not repay the large crowd with a victory as they were beaten 24–18 by the Parramatta Eels. The Warriors went on to lose their following two matches and it appeared that Warriors fans were in for another season of disappointment. To their credit the Warriors bounced back and were in the running for a top four position late in the season but finished in 6th spot. Midway through the season coach Ivan Cleary was approached by the Penrith Panthers and was appointed as their coach for the 2012 season. Cleary remained coach for the remainder of the 2011 season and Brian McClennan was to be appointed his successor for the 2012 season. One of the highlights of the season was the unearthing of the young halfback Shaun Johnson who played a key role as the Warriors approached the 2011 finals series.
In week one of the finals series the Warriors were thrashed 40–10 by the Brisbane Broncos. Other results went the Warriors way and they were fortunate to progress to week two of the finals where they would meet a high flying Wests Tigers who had completed their 9th straight victory. The match was expected to go the Tigers way however a brilliant second half comeback by the Warriors culminated in a late and controversial try to Krisnan Inu which saw the Warriors win 22–20 and earn the right to play the Melbourne Storm for a place in the Grand Final.
The Warriors traveled to Melbourne as outsiders but turned in what is considered one of the most complete performances in the club's history. The Warriors controlled the match and sealed the Melbourne Storm's fate with Shaun Johnson mesmerising the Storm defence to send Lewis Brown in for the try that would send the Warriors to their second ever Grand Final, where they would meet the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles.
The Warriors would again start the match as heavy underdogs and with a side boasting only three players who had previously played in a Grand Final (Manly on the other hand could boast their coach and eight players who had won the
2011 was a successful season all-round for the New Zealand Warriors, with all three grades reaching the Grand Final. The club's
Grand Final hangover – 2012
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Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14th (of 16) | 24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 497 | 609 | −112 |
2012 was meant to promise so much for the Warriors following their grand final appearance of 2011. A new coach with a successful track record in Brian 'Bluey' McClennan, a stable squad and strong public support indicated that 2012 could have been the year they finally broke their premiership duck. The season again kicked off with a home game at Eden Park, with a strong crowd of 37,502 witnessing the Warriors go down 20–26 to Manly in a grand final rematch. The match was perhaps an indication of things to come, with the Warriors performing strongly on attack but being let down by weak defence at crucial stages which ultimately cost them the match.
The season did not improve much from that point, with the Warriors failing to find any semblance of consistency throughout the season. There were some highs, such as their 44–22 drubbing of South Sydney, but these were far outweighed by the deep lows. Their season is best summed up by a dismal month of football between Rounds 20 and 23. The Warriors surrendered 19- and 18-nil leads in succession and lost (a first in the history of the game), before leaking 97 points in their next two defeats. In the process they lost all semblance of a quality rugby league team.[5]
Injuries were not kind to the Warriors, with the side using 29 players over the course of the season – the second highest of any team in the NRL. The Warriors season unravelled over the latter rounds. Ultimately Brian McClennan was sacked with three rounds remaining, with assistant coach Tony Iro taking over the reins for the final two rounds. The change of coach did not result in a change of fortunes however, as the Warriors limped out of the season with an eight match long losing streak – a club record.
Following a lengthy search for a new coach former Penrith and Canberra boss Matthew Elliott was appointed as head coach in October 2012.
A year under Matt Elliott – 2013
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Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11th (of 16) | 24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 495 | 554 | −59 |
Another horror start for the Warriors in 2013 as they win just 2 of their opening 10 games. The Warriors came back into finals contention winning 7 games out of 8 including a 56–18 win against the Brisbane Broncos in Brisbane. As finals approached the Warriors ended with just 2 wins from their remaining 6 games to see them finish the season 11th. In Round 10, on 18 May the Warriors lost 6–62 to the Penrith Panthers which was their largest ever loss in the club's history. Captain Simon Mannering won the club's Player of the year and Ngani Laumape won Rookie of the year.
In September, after months of speculation, the Warriors confirmed the signing of former Man of Steel winner Sam Tomkins on a three-year deal from English club Wigan Warriors for a record transfer fee of $1,000,000 NZD.[6]
Third year since grand final; third head coach – 2014
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
9th (of 16) | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 571 | 491 | +80 |
In the First edition of the
A year of McFadden; some success, then the losses mount – 2015
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
13th (of 16) | 24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 445 | 588 | −143 |
The 2015 season marked 20 years since the Warriors first joined the Australian professional rugby league now known as the NRL.
The Warriors were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the 2015 NRL Auckland Nines by eventual runners up Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
Warriors ended the season with eight consecutive loses after Shaun Johnson broke his ankle while scoring a try against Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in Round 20. Ben Matulino was named club Player of the year with Tuimoala Lolohea named club Rookie of the year.
Big name signings – 2016
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10th (of 16) | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 513 | 601 | −88 |
To start 2016 the team welcomed the major signings of 2015 Dally M Fullback of the Year Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, from the Sydney Roosters and Kiwi international Issac Luke, from the South Sydney Rabbitohs. The Warriors finished as runners-up in the 2016 NRL Auckland Nines, losing to the Parramatta Eels in the final, 22–4.
The Warriors started the season losing their first three matches. The Warriors beat the Newcastle Knights 40–18 to record their first win of the season and then defeated the Sydney Roosters in a Golden Point thriller in Gosford a week later. After a loss to Melbourne Storm on Anzac Day, the team came under scrutiny with many calling for the sacking of coach, Andrew McFadden. As well as this, six Warriors players were stood down after mixing prescription drugs with energy drinks.
After 11 rounds, the Warriors stood at four wins from 11 games. As State of Origin came into effect, the Warriors started to elevate their performance. Winning four from five games, with the exception being a golden point loss to the table-topping Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. After Round 18, the Warriors were in the top eight and needing only to win four out of their final eight games with three of their final four games on home turf. An achievable target, however, the club recorded just two wins from their final eight games to finish tenth on the ladder and for the fifth year in a row, missed out on finals. Simon Mannering received his fifth Warriors Player of the Year.
On 12 September 2016, it was announced that Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney would replace Andrew McFadden as head coach for 2017, with McFadden being retained as an assistant.
The Kiwis spine – 2017
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
13th (of 16) | 24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 444 | 575 | −131 |
After the restructuring of the Warriors coaching staff and with the signing of
In December 2017, the New Zealand Warriors expressed their interest in applying for a licence to participate in the inaugural
End of finals drought – 2018
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8th (of 16) | 24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 472 | 447 | 25 |
After a dismal 2017 season, the Warriors made a few key signings. This included experienced New Zealand Internationals Gerard Beale, Adam Blair, Tohu Harris & Peta Hiku. Significantly it also included veteran journeyman playmaker Blake Green, along with Agnatius Paasi, Leivaha Pulu, Anthony Gelling & Karl Lawton. In the beginning of the year, many people tipped that the Warriors would finish last, and claim their first wooden spoon in history. But surprisingly enough, the Warriors began the season with five straight wins, their best ever start to a season, which included away wins over the Sydney Roosters, Canberra Raiders & the South Sydney Rabbitohs, marking their first win in Perth from numerous attempts. They ended up finishing 8th, but only two competition points out of 4th in one of the closest top 8's in NRL History, they played Penrith Panthers in an elimination final on Saturday 8 September at Stadium Australia. This was their first finals series appearance since 2011, but lost to Penrith 27–12.
In April 2018, the Warriors would be sold by long-time owner, Eric Watson, to the Carlaw Heritage Trust and Autex Industries, for $16 million NZD.
To top off the year, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck won the Dally M Medal, becoming the first Warriors player to do so, and the Warriors would become one of four inaugural teams in the NRLW.
This would also be the end of Shaun Johnson's first stint at the Warriors.
A disappointing 25th season – 2019
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
13th (of 16) | 24 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 433 | 571 | −141 |
The club celebrated its 25th season in top level Rugby League in 2019 by returning to their original jersey and colours, as well as modifying their logo close to their original 1995 logo (with Auckland being replaced by New Zealand). The season got off to a near-perfect start for the Warriors, defeating the
After just 16 months of joint ownership, Autex Industries would become the sole-owner of the team after buying out the 66% share in the Warriors owned by the Carlaw Heritage Trust
COVID Pandemic Season Part 1 - An Unexpected Sacrifice – 2020
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10th (of 16) | 20 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 343 | 458 | −115 |
Going into the
COVID Pandemic Season Part 2 - Central Coast Warriors - 2021
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12th (of 16) | 24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 453 | 624 | -171 |
Before the 2021 season, the Warriors signed former St. George Illawarra and Newcastle Knights coach Nathan Brown as head coach. Despite having to be based on the Central Coast again due to a lack of a travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand, the Warriors went into the new season with optimism, firstly, the Warriors upset a star studded Gold Coast 19–6 in their season opener at Gosford. The following week, Newcastle narrowly beat the Warriors 16–20 and were largely written off for their round 3 clash against Canberra at Canberra Stadium, after trailing 31–10 at the 48 minute mark, the Warriors produced their biggest ever comeback scoring 24 unanswered points to win 34–31.
On Easter Sunday, the
COVID Pandemic Season Part 3 - Homecoming with No Wooden Spoon – 2022
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
15th (of 16) | 24 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 408 | 700 | −292 |
The Warriors began their season with two losses with defeats against
After the 3-3 start to the season, the Warriors went on to lose eight of their next nine games including defeats to Cronulla in Round 9 (29–10) in a game where the Cronulla side was reduced to 11 players and a 70–10 loss to Melbourne on ANZAC Day which is the club's biggest loss in their history.[15]
In this stretch, coach
On 3 July, the Warriors returned home to play at Mt Smart Stadium in New Zealand for the first time in 1038 days. They hosted the Wests Tigers in front of a sold-out crowd of 26,009. They would go on to win the match by a score of 22–2, breaking a 7-game losing streak.
In the Warriors remaining three home games of the season, the Warriors would go on to lose to the
In September 2022, the Warriors principal sponsor
Up the Wahs – 2023
Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points for | Points against | Points differential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4th (of 17) | 24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 572 | 448 | 124 |
After 3 years playing out of Australia, the Warriors returned to New Zealand full-time in 2023.
The Warriors had a large amount of turnover from the 2022 season, which included the signings of Kiwis representatives Marata Niukore, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, and Te Maire Martin, as well as 2016 assistant coach Andrew Webster rejoining the club after spending the past two seasons with the Penrith Panthers as an assistant, winning two consecutive premierships.
The team started the year 3-1, which featured victories over the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville, ending the longest away losing streak in club history, as well as the second biggest comeback in club history, defeating the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 32-30 after trailing 26-6 in the first half, which would win the Halberg Awards (which recognizes New Zealand's top sporting achievements) "Favorite Sporting Moment" for 2023.
Following a strong start to the year, the team went on to win 2 of their next 7 games, which included 3 consecutive defeats to the Melbourne Storm, Sydney Roosters, and Penrith Panthers, 3 teams which were considered premiership favorites in the preseason, in an 11-day stretch.
With several "contentious" calls in each of the three games, as well as the amount of travel required in a short period,
After the 2-5 stretch, the team went on the win 10 of their remaining 12 matches, including 7 consecutively, and 3 games scoring 40+ points. During this period the team also went on to set a new record for consecutive away wins, and secure their first Top 4 berth since 2007.
The team faced the Penrith Panthers in the week one qualifying final, missing halfback Shaun Johnson through injury, they went on to lose the match 32-6, in Sydney.
In week two, the Warriors played the Newcastle Knights at home, defeating the Knights 40-12 to qualify for their first Preliminary Final since 2011. The game would be the 2nd largest attendance in the club's history at Mount Smart Stadium, and the 3rd largest attendance for a Rugby League match at the ground (26,083).
In the Preliminary Final in Brisbane against the Broncos, the team was competitive the first half, going into the break 24-12, a score which could have been 24-18 if not for 3 consecutive missed conversion attempts. The second half resulted in a blowout, with the Broncos scoring 3 unanswered tries to finish the game 42-12.
At the annual Dally M Awards, Addin Fonua-Blake and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak were awarded Prop and Winger of the Year respectively, while Shaun Johnson was named the Halfback of the Year, and lost by 1 point in the Dally M Medal race, finishing in 2nd place to Kalyn Ponga. This decision is marred in controversy, as the majority of fans and current and former NRL players claimed he was the clear winner and the most consistent over the whole season. Andrew Webster was named Coach of the Year, winning the award over his former lead coach Ivan Cleary, who was nominated also.
The year also saw a rise of the "Wahs" nickname, with the phrase "Up the Wahs" becoming a sensation. The nickname is contentious among some supporters of the club. many say it implies the club and fans as "cry babies" due to the New Zealand/Australian phrase "Have a wah", meaning to be sad/upset, usually in a derogatory manner
Season summaries
Competition | Games played |
Games won |
Games drawn |
Games lost |
Ladder position |
P | R | M | F | W | Coach | Captain | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
22 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 10 / 20 | John Monie | Auckland Warriors 1995 | |||||||
21 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 11 / 20 | Auckland Warriors 1996 | ||||||||
18 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 7 / 10 | John Monie→Frank Endacott | Matthew Ridge | Auckland Warriors 1997 | ||||||
24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 15 / 20 | Auckland Warriors 1998 | ||||||||
24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 11 / 17 | Auckland Warriors 1999 | ||||||||
26 | 8 | 2 | 16 | 13 / 14 | Auckland Warriors 2000 | ||||||||
26 (1) | 12 (0) | 2 (0) | 12 (1) | 8 / 14 | ♦ | Kevin Campion & Stacey Jones | New Zealand Warriors 2001 | ||||||
24 (3) | 17 (2) | 0 (0) | 7 (1) | 1 / 15 | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | New Zealand Warriors 2002 | |||||
24 (3) | 15 (2) | 0 (0) | 9 (1) | 6 / 15 | ♦ | Monty Betham | New Zealand Warriors 2003 | ||||||
24 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 14 / 15 | Daniel Anderson→Tony Kemp | New Zealand Warriors 2004 | |||||||
24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 11 / 15 | New Zealand Warriors 2005 | ||||||||
24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 10 / 15 | Ivan Cleary | New Zealand Warriors 2006 | |||||||
24 (2) | 13 (0) | 1 (0) | 10 (2) | 4 / 16 | ♦ | New Zealand Warriors 2007 | |||||||
24 (3) | 13 (2) | 0 (0) | 11 (1) | 8 / 16 | ♦ | New Zealand Warriors 2008 | |||||||
24 | 7 | 2 | 15 | 14 / 16 | New Zealand Warriors 2009 | ||||||||
24 (1) | 14 (0) | 0 (0) | 10 (1) | 5 / 16 | ♦ | Simon Mannering | New Zealand Warriors 2010 | ||||||
24 (4) | 14(2) | 0 (0) | 10 (2) | 6 / 16 | ♦ | ♦ | New Zealand Warriors 2011 | ||||||
24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 14 / 16 | Brian McClennan→Tony Iro | New Zealand Warriors 2012 | |||||||
24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 11 / 16 | New Zealand Warriors 2013 | ||||||||
24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 9 / 16 | Matthew Elliott→Andrew McFadden | ||||||||
24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 13 / 16 | Andrew McFadden | ||||||||
24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 10 / 16 | |||||||||
24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 13 / 16 | Stephen Kearney | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck | |||||||
24 (1) | 15 (0) | 0 (0) | 9 (1) | 8 / 16 | ♦ | ||||||||
24 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 13 / 16 | |||||||||
20 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 10 / 16 | Stephen Kearney→Todd Payten | ||||||||
24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 12 / 16 | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck→Tohu Harris | ||||||||
24 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 15 / 16 | Tohu Harris | New Zealand Warriors 2022 | |||||||
24 (3) | 16 (1) | 0 | 8 (2) | 4 / 17 | ♦ | ||||||||
13 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 10 / 17 |
Finals appearances
9 (2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2018, 2023)
2024 squad
2024 signings & transfers
IN
|
OUT
|
Contracts
♦ = Player/Coach is contracted for that season
PLAYERS
|
COACHES
|
Captains
There have been 12 full-time captains of the Warriors since their first season in 1995. The current captain is Tohu Harris.
No | Captain | Years | Games | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dean Bell | 1995 | 19 | Inaugural Captain |
2 | Duane Mann | 1995 | 1 | Injury replacement |
3 | Stephen Kearney | 1995-1998 | 5 | Injury replacement |
4 | Greg Alexander | 1996 | 21 | |
5 | Matthew Ridge | 1997–1999 | 42 | |
6 | Denis Betts | 1997 | 0 | Injury replacement |
7 | Quentin Pongia | 1998 | 3 | Injury replacement |
8 | Stacey Jones | 1999–2005 | 69 | |
9 | John Simon | 1999–2000 | 31 | |
10 | Terry Hermansson | 2000 | 4 | Injury replacement |
11 | Kevin Campion | 2001 | 23 | |
12 | Monty Betham | 2002–2005 | 40 | |
13 | Ivan Cleary | 2002 | 3 | Injury replacement |
14 | Awen Guttenbeil | 2003–2004 | 9 | Injury replacement |
15 | Steve Price | 2005–2009 | 90 | 2007 Dally M Captain of the Year |
16 | Ruben Wiki | 2006–2008 | 12 | Injury replacement |
17 | Micheal Luck | 2008–2012 | 15 | Injury replacement |
18 | Simon Mannering | 2010–2018 | 133 | Most matches as Warriors Captain |
19 | Brent Tate | 2010 | 2 | Injury replacement |
20 | Manu Vatuvei | 2012 | 5 | Injury replacement |
21 | Sam Rapira | 2013 | 1 | Injury replacement |
22 | Ryan Hoffman | 2016–2017 | 24 | |
23 | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck[18] | 2017–2021 | 104 | 2020 Dally M Captain of the Year |
24 | Blake Green | 2018 | 2 | Injury replacement |
25 | Issac Luke | 2019 | 1 | Injury replacement |
25 | Tohu Harris | 2020–present | 50 | Incumbent Captain |
26 | Addin Fonua-Blake | 2021–2022 | 16 | Injury replacement |
27 | Peta Hiku | 2021 | 1 | Injury replacement |
28 | Wayde Egan | 2023-2024 | 4 | Injury replacement |
29 | Dylan Walker | 2023 | 1 | Injury replacement |
29 | Mitch Barnett |
2024 | 1 | Injury replacement |
Coaches
There have been 15 coaches of the Warriors since their first season in 1995. The current coach is Andrew Webster.
No | Name | Seasons | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win % | Premiers | Runners-up | Minor premiers | Wooden spoons | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | John Monie | 1995–1997 | 52 | 26 | 0 | 26 | 50% | — | — | — | — | Sacked mid-season |
2 | Frank Endacott | 1997–1998 | 33 | 13 | 0 | 20 | 39.4% | — | — | — | — | — |
3 | Mark Graham | 1999–2000 | 50 | 18 | 2 | 30 | 36% | — | — | — | — | — |
4 | Daniel Anderson | 2001–2004 | 92 | 51 | 2 | 39 | 55.4% | — | 2002 | 2002 | — | First finals appearance in 2001 First minor premiership in 2002 First grand final appearance in 2002 Resigned mid-season 2004 |
5 | Tony Kemp | 2004–2005 | 37 | 13 | 0 | 24 | 35.1% | — | — | — | — | — |
6 | Ivan Cleary | 2006–2011 | 137 | 68 | 3 | 66 | 49.6% | — | 2011 | — | — | — |
7 | Brian McClennan | 2012 | 22 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 36.4% | — | — | — | — | Sacked mid-season |
8 | Tony Iro | 2012 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% | — | — | — | — | Caretaker Coach |
9 | Matthew Elliott | 2013–2014 | 29 | 13 | 0 | 16 | 44.8% | — | — | — | — | Sacked mid-season |
10 | Andrew McFadden | 2014–2016 | 50 | 22 | 0 | 28 | 44% | — | — | — | — | — |
11 | Stephen Kearney | 2017–2020 | 79 | 33 | 1 | 45 | 41.8% | — | — | — | — | Sacked mid-season |
12 | Todd Payten | 2020 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 42.9% | — | — | — | — | Caretaker coach |
13 | Nathan Brown | 2021–2022 | 31 | 11 | 0 | 19 | 35.4% | — | — | — | — | Resigned mid-season |
14 | Stacey Jones | 2022 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 18.2% | — | — | — | — | Caretaker coach |
15 | Andrew Webster | 2023– | 42 | 23 | 1 | 18 | 54.8% | — | — | — | — | Incumbent coach |
Kits
-
1995–1996
-
1997–1999
-
2009–2011
-
2012–2018
-
2019–2021
-
2022-2023
Sponsors
Year | Kit manufactuerer | Major sponsor | Back Top sponsor | Sleeve sponsor | Back Bottom sponsor | Front Shorts sponsor | Back Shorts sponsor | Chest sponsor |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1995 | Canterbury | DB Bitter | DB Bitter | Ansett | - | - | - | - |
1996 | ||||||||
1997 | Nike | - | DB Bitter | DB Bitter | ||||
1998 | Nike | Bartercard | ||||||
1999 | Vodafone | - | ||||||
2000 | Puma | Vodafone | - | |||||
2001 | Lion Red | |||||||
2002 | Electric & Automation Services | |||||||
2003 | Bond & Bond | |||||||
2004 | Bond & Bond | |||||||
2005 | Konica Minolta | Keno | ||||||
2006 | Loadlift | Western Union | Konica Minolta | |||||
2007 | Suzuki | |||||||
2008 | Canterbury | HiFX | ||||||
2009 | ||||||||
2010 | ||||||||
2011 | SkyCity | |||||||
2012 | Wendy's | |||||||
2013 | ||||||||
2014 | Fernbaby | |||||||
2015 | Woodstock Bourbon | - | ||||||
2016 | ||||||||
2017 | Bendon
| |||||||
2018 | TNT | dtr | ||||||
2019 | Mazda | FedEx | ||||||
2020 | ||||||||
2021 | Sky Sport | Autex Acoustics | ||||||
2022 | Puma | |||||||
2023 | One New Zealand |
One New Zealand |
Autex Acoustics | I AM HOPE | ||||
2024 | Dynasty | Maxigesic | GWM |
Individual records and awards
* indicates player still active for Warriors
Simon Mannering Medal
- Called 'Player of the Year' until 2018; named after the club's most capped player, Simon Mannering as of 2019.
Year | Player | Notes |
---|---|---|
2023 | Shaun Johnson* | Also Dally M Halfback of the Year Also RLPA Players' Champion (RLPA Player of the Year)
|
2022 | Euan Aitken | |
2021 | Tohu Harris* | Second time awarded |
2020 | Tohu Harris* | Also Dally M Second Row of the Year |
2019 | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck* | Third time awarded First player to win three consecutive awards |
2018 | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck* | Second time awarded Also Dally M Medal Winner (NRL Player of the Year) |
2017 | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck* | |
2016 | Simon Mannering | Fifth time awarded First player to win five awards |
2015 | Ben Matulino | Second time awarded |
2014 | Simon Mannering | Fourth time awarded First player to win four awards |
2013 | Simon Mannering | Third time awarded First player to win three awards |
2012 | Ben Matulino | |
2011 | Simon Mannering | Second time awarded |
2010 | Manu Vatuvei | |
2009 | Micheal Luck | |
2008 | Simon Mannering | |
2007 | Steve Price | Second time awarded First player to win two awards First player to win back to back awards Also Dally M Prop of the Year |
2006 | Steve Price | |
2005 | Ruben Wiki | |
2004 | Wairangi Koopu | |
2003 | Francis Meli | |
2002 | Ali Lauiti'iti | Also Dally M Second Row of the Year |
2001 | Jerry Seuseu | |
2000 | Robert Mears |
|
1999 | Jason Death | |
1998 | Joe Vagana | |
1997 | Stacey Jones | |
1996 | Stephen Kearney | |
1995 | Tea Ropati |
Rookie of the Year
- Named 'Young Player of the Year' until 2013.
Year | Player | Notes |
---|---|---|
2023 | Taine Tuaupiki* | |
2022 | Viliami Vailea | |
2021 | Reece Walsh | Also RLPA Rookie of the Year Award Winner |
2020 | Jamayne Taunoa-Brown | |
2019 | Chanel Harris-Tavita* | |
2018 | Isaiah Papali'i | |
2017 | Bunty Afoa* | |
2016 | Nathaniel Roache | |
2015 | Tuimoala Lolohea | |
2014 | David Fusitu'a | |
2013 | Ngani Laumape | |
2012 | Ben Henry | |
2011 | Shaun Johnson* | |
2010 | James Maloney | |
2009 | Russell Packer |
Dally M Awards
The Dally M Awards are the official annual awards for the National Rugby League competition.
Year | Award | Winner |
---|---|---|
2023 | Coach of the year | Andrew Webster* |
2023 | Winger of the year | Dallin Watene-Zelezniak* |
2023 | Prop of the year | Addin Fonua-Blake* |
2023 | Halfback of the year | Shaun Johnson* |
2023 | VB Hard Earned player of the year | Addin Fonua-Blake* |
2020 | Provan-Summons Medal | New Zealand Warriors |
2020 | Captain of the year | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck* |
2020 | VB Hard Earned player of the year | Tohu Harris* |
2020 | NRLW Try of the year | Madison Bartlett |
2020 | Second Row of the year | Tohu Harris* |
2019 | Winger of the year | Ken Maumalo |
2018 | Ken Irvine Medal | David Fusitu’a
|
2018 | Interchange of the year | Jazz Tevaga* |
2018 | Fullback of the year | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck* |
2018 | Dally M Player of the year | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck* |
2015 | Peter Frilingos Memorial Award | Nathan Friend |
2007 | Captain of the year | Steve Price |
2007 | Prop of the year | Steve Price |
2002 | Second Row of the year | Ali Lauiti'iti |
2002 | Coach of the year | Daniel Anderson |
1995 | Winger of the year | Sean Hoppe |
Most games
Rank | Games | Player | Career |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 301 | Simon Mannering | 2005–2018 |
2 | 261 | Stacey Jones | 1995–2005, 2009 |
3 | 226 | Manu Vatuvei | 2004–2017 |
4 | 220 | Shaun Johnson* | 2011–2018, 2022- |
5 | 212 | Ben Matulino | 2008–2017 |
6 | 195 | Logan Swann | 1997–2008 |
7 | 188 | Jacob Lillyman | 2009-2017 |
8 | 185 | Lance Hohaia | 2002–2011 |
9 | 175 | Awen Guttenbeil | 1996-2006 |
10 | 173 | Sam Rapira | 2006–2015 |
Most tries
Rank | Tries | Player | Career |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 152 | Manu Vatuvei | 2004–2017 |
2 | 82 | Stacey Jones | 1995–2005, 2009 |
3 | 78 | Shaun Johnson* | 2011–2018, 2022- |
4 | 63 | Simon Mannering | 2005–2018 |
5 | 61 | David Fusitu'a | 2014–2021 |
6 | 60 | Francis Meli | 1998–2005 |
T-7 | 57 | Clinton Toopi | 1999–2006 |
T-7 | 57 | Lance Hohaia | 2002–2011 |
9 | 54 | Jerome Ropati | 2003-2014 |
10 | 53 | Sean Hoppe | 1995-1999 |
Most tries in a season
Rank | Tries | Player | Season |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 24 | Dallin Watene-Zelezniak | 2023 (Including 3 Finals Matches) |
T-2 | 23 | Francis Meli | 2003 (Including 3 Finals Matches) |
T-2 | 23 | David Fusitu'a | 2018 (Including 1 Finals Match) |
4 | 20 | Manu Vatuvei | 2010 (Including 1 Finals Match) |
5 | 19 | Sean Hoppe | 1995[19] |
Most points
Points | Player | Career |
---|---|---|
1,195 | Shaun Johnson* | 2011–2018, 2022- |
694 | Stacey Jones | 1995–2005, 2009 |
608 | Manu Vatuvei | 2004–2017 |
547 | James Maloney | 2010–2012 |
439 | Ivan Cleary | 2000–2002 |
357 | Lance Hohaia | 2002-2011 |
340 | Matthew Ridge | 1997-1999 |
331 | Gene Ngamu | 1995-1999 |
291 | Michael Witt | 2007-2009 |
270 | Tony Martin | 2004-2007 |
Most points in a season
Rank | Points | Player | Season |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 242 | Ivan Cleary | 2002 |
2 | 188 | James Maloney | 2010 |
3 | 180 | James Maloney | 2011 |
4 | 177 | Shaun Johnson | 2013 |
5 | 176* | Shaun Johnson | 2023 |
Most points in a match
Points | Player | Details |
---|---|---|
28 | Gene Ngamu | 3 tries, 8 goals vs North Queensland, 1996 (Won 52–6) |
28 | Ivan Cleary | 1 try, 12 goals vs Northern Eagles, 2002 (Won 68–10) |
28 | James Maloney | 3 tries, 8 goals vs Brisbane Broncos, 2010 (Won 48–16) |
26 | Shaun Johnson | 3 tries, 7 goals vs Canberra Raiders, 2013 (Won 50–16) |
26 | Shaun Johnson | 2 tries, 9 goals vs Canberra Raiders, 2014 (Won 54–12) |
Club records
Biggest wins
Margin | Score | Opponent | Venue | Year | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 66 | 66–0 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | Stadium Australia | 2006 |
2 | 58 | 68–10 | Northern Eagles | Mount Smart Stadium | 2002 |
3 | 48 | 48–0 | Parramatta Eels | Mount Smart Stadium | 2014 |
4 | 46 | 52–6 | North Queensland Cowboys | Mount Smart Stadium | 1996 |
T-5 | 44 | 60–16 | Western Suburbs Magpies | Campbelltown Stadium |
1999 |
T-5 | 44 | 52-8 | Penrith Panthers | Mount Smart Stadium | 2001 |
Biggest losses
Margin | Score | Opponent | Venue | Year | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
T-1 | 60 | 10–70 | Melbourne Storm | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium |
2022 |
T-1 | 60 | 6–66 | Gold Coast Titans | Robina Stadium | 2024 |
2 | 56 | 6–62 | Penrith Panthers | Penrith Stadium |
2013 |
3 | 54 | 0–54 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | Wollongong Showground |
2000 |
4 | 52 | 6–58 | Sydney Roosters | Sydney Football Stadium | 2004 |
T-5 | 46 | 10–56 | Melbourne Storm | Olympic Park Stadium | 2000 |
T-5 | 46 | 6–52 | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles | Brookvale Oval | 2008 |
T-5 | 46 | 4–50 | Wests Tigers | Lancaster Park | 2004 |
Kept opposition to nil
Score | Opponent | Venue | Year |
---|---|---|---|
66–0 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | Stadium Australia | 2006 |
48–0 | Parramatta Eels | Mount Smart Stadium | 2014 |
42–0 | Newcastle Knights | Mount Smart Stadium | 1999 |
42–0 | Gold Coast Titans | Mount Smart Stadium | 2014 |
30–0 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | Mount Smart Stadium | 2001 |
26–0 | North Queensland Cowboys | Mount Smart Stadium | 2006 |
18–0 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | Central Coast Stadium | 2020 |
14–0 | Wests Tigers | Mount Smart Stadium | 2009 |
13–0 | Newcastle Knights | Mount Smart Stadium | 2009 |
Kept to nil
Score | Opponent | Venue | Year |
---|---|---|---|
0–54 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | Wollongong Showground |
2000 |
0–44 | Sydney Roosters | Sydney Football Stadium | 2002 |
0–44 | Gold Coast Titans | Robina Stadium |
2021 |
0–42 | Melbourne Storm | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium |
2016 |
0–36 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | Wellington Regional Stadium | 2015 |
0–32 | Sydney Roosters | Mount Smart Stadium | 2018 |
0–26 | Penrith Panthers | Campbelltown Stadium |
2020 |
0–24 | North Queensland Cowboys | Mount Smart Stadium | 1999 |
0–24 | Sydney Roosters | Sydney Football Stadium | 2015 |
0–20 | Newcastle Knights | Hunter Stadium | 2020 |
0–14 | Sydney Roosters | Mount Smart Stadium | 2023 |
Most consecutive wins/losses
|
|
Most consecutive home wins/losses
|
|
Most consecutive away wins/losses
|
|
Biggest comeback
Recovered from a 21-point deficit.
- Trailed GIO Stadiumon 27 March 2021
Recovered from a 20-point deficit.
- Trailed McDonald Jones Stadiumon 17 April 2005
- Trailed Shark Parkon 2 April 2023
Recovered from a 16-point deficit.
- Trailed Sky Stadiumon 7 April 2001
Recovered from a 16-point deficit.
- Trailed Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 16-0 after 35 minutes to tie 22-22 at Mount Smart Stadium on 13 April 2024
Worst collapse
Surrendered a 26-point lead.
- Led CUA Stadiumon 1 August 2009
Surrendered an 18-point lead (three-times).
- Led Wests Tigers 22–4 after 64 minutes to lose 26–22 at Mount Smart Stadium on 12 June 2011
- Led Newcastle Knights 18–0 after 16 minutes to lose 24–19 at Mount Smart Stadium on 21 July 2012
- Led Patersons Stadiumon 28 July 2012
Surrendered a 16-point lead (three-times).
- Led Newcastle Knights 16–0 after 34 minutes to lose 36–26 at Mount Smart Stadium on 16 March 2003
- Led Canterbury Bulldogs 16–0 after 21 minutes to lose 22–18 (in extra-time) at Stadium Australiaon 9 July 2006
- Led Canberra Raiders 22–6 after 45 minutes to lose 22–42 at Mount Smart Stadium on 2 September 2012
Golden Point record
Result | Score | Opponent | Round |
---|---|---|---|
Won | 31-30 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | Round 16, 2003 |
Lost | 26-28 | North Queensland Cowboys | Round 15, 2004 |
Lost | 29-30 | Canberra Raiders | Round 20, 2004 |
Lost | 18-22 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | Round 18, 2006 |
Draw | 31-31 | Sydney Roosters | Round 21, 2007 |
Won | 17-16 | Sydney Roosters | Round 6, 2009 |
Draw | 14-14 | Melbourne Storm | Round 7, 2009 |
Draw | 32-32 | Penrith Panthers | Round 21, 2009 |
Won | 17-13 | Parramatta Eels | Round 10, 2015 |
Won | 32-28 | Sydney Roosters | Round 5, 2016 |
Lost | 18-19 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | Round 16, 2016 |
Lost | 21-22 | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles | Round 25, 2017 |
Draw | 18-18 | Brisbane Broncos | Round 17, 2019 |
Won | 25-24 | North Queensland Cowboys | Round 5, 2022 |
Won | 21-20 | Canberra Raiders | Round 8, 2022 |
Lost | 27-26 | Gold Coast Titans | Round 25, 2022 |
Won | 21-20 | Canberra Raiders | Round 21, 2023 |
Draw | 22-22 | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles | Round 6, 2024 |
Largest home attendances
Largest attendances at the four venues used as home grounds.
- 38,405 – vs Parramatta Eels at Eden Park on 12 March 2011
- 37,502 – vs Manly Warringah Sea Eagles at Eden Park on 4 March 2012
- 32,740 – vs Sydney Roosters at Eden Park on 16 March 2013
- 32,174 – vs Illawarra Steelers at Mount Smart Stadium on 16 April 1995
- 30,112 – vs Manly Warringah Sea Eagles at Mount Smart Stadium on 7 April 1995
- 30,112 – vs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at Wellington Regional Stadium on 11 May 2013
Head-to-head records
Opponent | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points Differential | Win % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dolphins | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 67% |
Titans | 34 | 20 | 0 | 14 | 75 | 58.8% |
Tigers | 36 | 20 | 0 | 16 | -22 | 55.6% |
Cowboys | 48 | 26 | 0 | 22 | 32 | 54.2% |
Raiders | 51 | 25 | 0 | 26 | -76 | 49% |
Knights | 51 | 25 | 1 | 25 | 52 | 49% |
Roosters | 47 | 22 | 1 | 24 | -287 | 46.8% |
Rabbitohs | 41 | 20 | 0 | 21 | 70 | 48.8% |
Bulldogs | 43 | 20 | 2 | 21 | 88 | 46.5% |
Eels | 44 | 19 | 0 | 25 | -7 | 43.2% |
Broncos | 48 | 20 | 1 | 27 | -86 | 40.8% |
Sharks | 49 | 20 | 0 | 29 | -160 | 40.8% |
Panthers | 52 | 19 | 1 | 32 | -270 | 36.5% |
Dragons | 37 | 12 | 0 | 25 | -218 | 32.4% |
Sea Eagles | 41 | 13 | 1 | 27 | -221 | 31.7% |
Storm | 52 | 16 | 2 | 34 | -531 | 30.8% |
Women's team
In December 2017, the New Zealand Warriors expressed their interest in applying for a licence to participate in the inaugural NRL Women's Premiership.[8] In March 2018, they were awarded one of four licences for the league's inaugural season, to commence in September of the same year.[20] Luisa Avaiki was named the coach of the side.
The team competed in, and finished 3rd place in both the 2018 and 2019 seasons, the latter of which included the first ever standalone NRLW match held at Mount Smart Stadium.
In the 2020 season, because of COVID-19, the team was forced to field a side which only included five players from the previous season, with the rest of the team being Australian players. The team was coached by Jillaroos coach, Brad Donald. The side came in third place (from four) for the third consecutive year.
In June 2021, CEO Cameron George announced the team would not compete in the 2021 competition but plan to re-enter the competition in 2022. This did not eventuate, however, with the NRL announcing NRLW expansion to 10 teams for the 2023 season that did not include the Warriors.
In August 2022, during a Members-Only meeting with CEO Cameron George, Owner Mark Robinson, Coach Stacey Jones, and Captain Tohu Harris. It was announced their intention to re-enter the competition for the 2025 season.
On March 28 2024, NRL CEO Andrew Abdo announced the Warriors would rejoin the NRLW, along with a Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs team, in an expanded 12-team competition from 2025.
Women's head-to-head records
Opponent | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Titans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tigers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Raiders | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Knights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Roosters | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66.66 |
Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Eels | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Broncos | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.33 |
Sharks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Dragons | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.33 |
See also
References
- ^ "View All Details". Companiesoffice.govt.nz. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
- ^ "Eels beat Warriors in NZ". NRL.Com. 12 March 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- ^ "Warrior chief living life to the Maximus – www.smh.com.au". Smh.com.au. 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
- ^ Guy Hand (14 September 2008). "Warriors play Storm at their own game". Fox Sports News (Australia). Retrieved 20 September 2008.
- ^ Auerbach, Taylor (5 October 2012). "Season review: Warriors". National Rugby League. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
- ^ "Warriors seal deal to sign Tomkins". The Sydney Morning Herald. 23 June 2013. Archived from the original on 28 July 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
- ^ Keogh, Brittany (23 September 2017). "Pupils made to say sorry to Warriors for curly questions". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
- ^ Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
- ^ NRL.com (15 March 2020). "Warriors to stay in Australia after NZ announces travel restrictions". National Rugby League. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ Dan Walsh (23 March 2020). "NRL suspends competition due to coronavirus pandemic". National Rugby League.
- ^ NRL says it has government approval for 28 May restart of coronavirus-hit competition ABC News 22 April 2020
- ^ Newton, Alicia (28 April 2020). "NRL announces 20 round competition for 2020". NRL.com. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
- ^ NRL.com (20 June 2020). "Warriors end Kearney's tenure after heavy defeat". National Rugby League.
- ^ "Ugly scenes as Warriors end season on miserable note". www.nzherald.co.nz.
- ^ "Storm's 'astronomical' spine hand Warriors a record-breaking reality check — 3 Big Hits". www.foxsports.com.au. 25 April 2022.
- ^ "From Vodafone Warriors to One New Zealand Warriors". 27 September 2022.
- ^ "2022 NRL Signings Tracker: Munster inks long-term deal with Storm, Eels lock in Lane". 7 October 2022.
- ^ "Warriors name Roger Tuivasa-Sheck captain". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
- ^ "Vatuvei closing in on recordeague - News - Yahoo!Xtra Sport". Archived from the original on 25 August 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
- ^ Newton, Alicia (27 March 2018). "Geographic location the focus as NRL women's teams announced". NRL.com. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
External links
- Official website
- NZWarriors.com NZ Warriors fan forum
- RL1908.com Club History