New Zealand Warriors
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| New Zealand Warriors | |
 |
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| Full name | New Zealand Warriors Rugby League Club |
| Nickname(s) | Warriors |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1995 as Auckland Warriors |
| Ground | Mt Smart Stadium Penrose, Auckland |
| Capacity | 25,000 |
| CEO |  Wayne Scurrah |
| Coach |  Ivan Cleary |
| League | National Rugby League |
| 2006 | National Rugby League, 10th[1] |
The New Zealand Warriors (formerly Auckland Warriors) are a rugby league team based in Auckland, New Zealand who compete in the Australasian based National Rugby League competition.
The Warriors Club is based at Mt Smart Stadium (formerly Ericsson Stadium) in Auckland.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] The History of the Bid
Rugby league was largely centred around Auckland ever since the New Zealand Rugby League was founded in 1909. Auckland produced the bulk of the international squad for many years, and most of these players headed to either Australia or Great Britain to play.
The Auckland representative side was consistently providing top opposition to touring sides. 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, Eastern Suburbs. They remained into 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 Sydney competition commenced, encouraged mainly by the Mt Albert club. On 17 May 1992, the announcement stating an Auckland-based team's entry into the Australian Rugby League competition, the Winfield Cup in 1995, was made. This followed very good turnouts to a number of NSWRL club games played in Auckland. The new team was to be called the Auckland Warriors and run by the Auckland Rugby League organisation. The original colours selected were blue, white, red and green. Blue and white are recognised as the colours of Auckland, while red and green were the colours of the Warriors' original sponsor, DB Bitter.
[edit] The First Season
| Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points For | Points Against | Points Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (of 20) | 22 | 13 | 0 | 9 | - | 538 | 501 | +37 |
The coach of the new team would be former Parramatta and Wigan coach John Monie. A number of fading stars were signed, such as Greg Alexander and Andy Platt. Captain Dean Bell was one of the few signings who performed regurlarly. 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 March 10, 1995 in front of 30,000 people at a newly refurbished Mt Smart Stadium. The Warriors led 22-10 at one point in the second half of the match, however the Broncos finished far stronger and defeated the new club 25-22.
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 comfortably, 46-12. This error had disaterous consequences for the club, as they utimately missed 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 Parramatta in Sydney. The biggest issue with the season was the lack of consistency that plagues the Warriors even today, despite a six match late in the season. It was observed that when the Warriors weren't winning by 20 points they were losing by 20 points.
[edit] 1996
| Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points For | Points Against | Points Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11th (of 20) | 21 | 10 | 0 | 11 | - | 412 | 427 | -15 |
1996 could have been regarded as a better season for the Warriors. The Warriors found themselves siding with the Super League during the Super League War when the New Zealand Rugby League signed up to the rebel competition. They claimed their first 'victory' over the Broncos in round one of the competition that year, after all Super League clubs agreed to boycott the first round of the competition in protest. The Warriors won the two points when they travelled to Brisbane with a squad of players that were unsigned to Super League, forcing the Broncos to forfeit the match.
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. The only positives were that young New Zealand talents Stacey Jones and Joe Vagana had superb seasons.
[edit] Super League 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 1997 in the breakaway Super League Telstra Cup competition. Despite the reduced number of teams failed to make an impression on the competition. Monie was replaced by Frank Endacott as coach midway through the 1997 season. The only positive was the teams performance in the World Club Challenge. The Warriors hammered United Kingdom powerhouses Wigan and St Helens, and comfortably handled Warrington. The Warriors were knocked out in the Semi Finals by eventual winners Brisbane, going down 16-22.
[edit] 1998
| Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points For | Points Against | Points Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15th (of 20) | 24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | - | 417 | 518 | -101 |
The first season of the reformed competition was a year that saw few highlights for the club. It was readily apparent that the club needed a new approach and attitude. Fortunately for them, they were in a better than the other two clubs that joined the competition in 1995.
[edit] 1999 and the Tainui Era
| Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points For | Points Against | Points Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11th (of 20) | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | - | 538 | 498 | +40 |
Former Kiwi Mark Graham took over as coach in 1999. The club was sold off to a consortuim that included ex-Kiwi coach Graeme Lowe and the Tainui tribe. The club again disappointed on field, but a mid season ultimatum saw a strong finish to the season, with the side winning five of their last six games. The signs appeared promising for the new century.
[edit] 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 2000 the Warriors could only finish second last. This season included the Warriors largest ever loss, 0-54 to the Dragons in Wollongong. Alarmingly, the problems off-field overshadowed the on-field problems. The majority shareholders were under intense financial pressure, and the clubs future was looking bleak at best. The key assets of the club were purchased by business tycoon Eric Watson. This did not include player contracts, and many players were released and had to fight to get the money they had been promised. Ultimately only 10 players from the 2000 season were retained.
The club was rebranded as the New Zealand Warriors, with new colours of black and grey - resembling the national sporting colours. New coach Daniel Anderson 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.
[edit] The Glory Years
[edit] 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 |
The cleanout at the club seemed to work, with the team making their first ever finals appearance. They were hammered by the Minor Premier Parramatta Eels 56-12. The loss was at the time the largest in finals series history, but at last things seemed to be going in the right direction at the Warriors.
[edit] 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 2002. They won the Minor Premiership, finishing in first place at the conclusion of the regular season after the Canterbury Bulldogs lost most of their competition points late in the season as a result of salary cap breaches. The club played what stands as the only finals match to have been held outside Australia at Mt Smart Stadium in Week One of the Finals Series. The Warriors would defeat their bogey side Canberra 36-20.
For the Preliminary Final against the Sharks at Telstra Stadium the Warriors' sponsors, such as Vodafone New Zealand and Eric Watson, purchased 15,000 tickets and gave them away for free to anyone with a New Zealand passport. Reportedly, in the 45,000 crowd there were more Warriors supporters than Sharks supporters - astonishing considering the Sharks are a Sydney based club. The Warriors went on to win 16-10.
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 halfback Stacey Jones scored one of the games most memorable individual tries 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 an unflattering 8-30.
[edit] 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. They played their first ever extra time match, defeating South Sydney 31-30, recovering from a 6-24 defecit. Their first finals match was against the Bulldogs at the Sydney Showground. The Warriors turned on one of their finest performances ever, defeating the Bulldogs 48-22. Winger Francis Meli scoring five tries by himself. The next week a Stacey Jones field goal with only three minutes to play got the Warriors up over the Raiders 17-16. They lost in the Preliminary Final to Minor Premiers and eventual Premiers Penrith Panthers, 20-28.
[edit] Return To Being Battlers
[edit] The Worst Year Ever - 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 season started, there were predictions of the Warriors having a highly successful season. These were proved wrong, as the Warriors managed to only win six games to finish equal last, only escaping the wooden spoon by having a superior points differential to South Sydney. Coach Daniel Anderson resigned mid season after an embarrassing 52 point loss to the Sydney Roosters. His assistant Tony Kemp was given the Head Coach position, and in his first game in charge the Warriors recorded an emotional 20-14 win over Canberra. A week later, the Warriors first match in Christchurch since 1996 was a flop, as the Warriors were destroyed by the Wests Tigers 4-50. The season finished with an embarrassing six game losing streak.
The management looked to rescue a poor year with some high profile signings. Bulldogs captain Steve Price was signed, as was Kiwis captian Ruben Wiki, Cowboys half Nathan Fien and Roosters winger Todd Byrne.
[edit] The Rebuilding Begins 2005
| Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points For | Points Against | Points Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11th (of 15) | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 515 | 523 | -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 Les Catalans. 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 Warriors win.
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.
[edit] The 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 |
2006 got off to a bad start for the club. In February, 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 the 27th of February the NRL announced the club would be deducted four competition points and the club would also be assessed a A$430,000 fine.
Even before the penalty the Warriors were being picked to struggle and were being picked as wooden spooners in some quarters. Impressively, it took the Warriors 24 weeks to be completely out of finals contention. 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 has been 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.
On the 25th of June the Warriors recorded their largest ever win, defeating South Sydney 66-0 at Telstra Stadium, 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 extra time loss to the second placed Bulldogs. The Warriors also caused the upset of the season, defeating the Minor Premiers Melbourne 24-20 at Olympic Park Stadium in Melbourne.
The Warriors finished winning eight of their final twelve games to give optimism to the fans ahead of the 2007 season. Continual improvement should see them make the playoffs.
[edit] 2007
| Position (in progress) | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points For | Points Against | Points Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th (of 16) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 58 | 32 | +26 |
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 Bulldogs 36-6.
The 2007 season kicked off 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 the Brisbane Broncos - the first time they have ever won their opening two games of the season.
See Also: Peter Leitch (Mad Butcher) - Arguably the Warrior's biggest fan and promoter
[edit] Squad
See Also: List of New Zealand Warriors players
| Current Squad Backs Forwards |
[edit] 2008 Losses
Louis Anderson (to Warrington Wolves)
[edit] Signings/Contract Extensions
Steve Price (until 2008)
Jerome Ropati (until 2009)
[edit] Captains
| Years | Captain |
|---|---|
| 1995 | Dean Bell |
| 1996 | Greg Alexander |
| 1997-1999 | Matthew Ridge |
| 2000 | John Simon |
| 2001-2002 | Kevin Campion (Co-Captain With Stacey Jones) |
| 2001-2003 | Stacey Jones (In 2001-2002, he was Co-Captain With Kevin Campion) |
| 2004 | Monty Betham |
| 2005-present | Steve Price |
[edit] Coaches
| Coach | Tenure | Matches | Won | Drawn | Lost | Winning Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Monie | 1995-1997 (sacked mid-season) | 52 | 26 | 0 | 26 | 50.00% |
| Frank Endacott | 1997-1998 | 33 | 13 | 0 | 20 | 39.39% |
| Mark Graham | 1999-2000 | 50 | 18 | 2 | 30 | 36.00% |
| Daniel Anderson | 2001-2004 (resigned mid-season) | 92 | 51 | 2 | 39 | 55.43% |
| Tony Kemp | 2004-2005 | 37 | 13 | 0 | 24 | 35.14% |
| Ivan Cleary | Incumbent | 26 | 14 | 0 | 12 | 53.85% |
[edit] Club Records
1995-2006
Most Games
| Games | Player |
|---|---|
| 238 | Stacey Jones |
| 170 | Awen Guttenbiel |
| 147* | Logan Swann |
| 136* | Wairangi Koopu |
| 132 | Jerry Seuseu |
Most Tries
| Tries | Player |
|---|---|
| 75 | Stacey Jones |
| 60 | Francis Meli |
| 57 | Clinton Toopi |
| 44 | Sean Hoppe |
| 38 | Henry Fa'afili |
Most Tries in a Season
| Tries | Player | Season |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Francis Meli | 2003 |
| 19 | Sean Hoppe | 1995 |
| 18 | Clinton Toopi | 2002 |
Most Points
| Points | Player |
|---|---|
| 654 | Stacey Jones |
| 439 | Ivan Cleary |
| 283 | Gene Ngamu |
| 240 | Francis Meli |
| 238 | Matthew Ridge |
Most Points in a Season
| Points | Player | Season |
|---|---|---|
| 242 | Ivan Cleary | 2002 |
| 173 | Ivan Cleary | 2001 |
| 162 | Tony Martin | 2006 |
| 147 | Stacey Jones | 2005 |
Most Points in a Match
| Points | Player | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | Ivan Cleary | 1 try, 12 goals vs Northern Eagles, 2002 (Won 68-10) |
| 28 | Gene Ngamu | 3 tries, 8 goals vs North Queensland, 1996 (Won 52-6) |
| 22 | Tony Martin | 1 try, 9 goals vs South Sydney, 2006 (Won 46-14) |
| 22 | Tony Martin | 1 try, 9 goals vs South Sydney, 2006 (Won 66-0) |
| 20 | Ivan Cleary | 1 try, 8 goals vs North Queensland, 2002 (Won 50-20) |
| 20 | Francis Meli | 5 tries vs Canterbury Bulldogs, 2003 (Won 48-22) |
[edit] All Time Premiership Record
| Games | Won | Lost | Drawn | Win Percentage | Points For | Points Against | Points Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 290 | 135 | 151 | 4 | 46.55% | 6,243 | 6,493 | -250 |
[edit] External links
- New Zealand Warriors Official site
- NRL New Zealand Warriors site
- RL1908.com Club History
- Unofficial Warriors Forum
[edit] Notes
- ^ The Warriors were deducted four points for salary cap breaches. Had they not been deducted these points, they would have finished in eighth place
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