NZ Warriors to take on West Tigers in Whangārei in March

Northland NZ Warriors player Adam Blair may play in Whangārei in March when the Warriors take on the West Tigers in a pre-season game at the Northland Events Centre at Okara Park.

Northland rugby league fans can rejoice with the NZ Warriors taking on the West Tigers in a pre-season game at Whangārei next year.

The Warriors and Tigers will face of in a double header at the Northland Events Centre at Okara Park on March 2, with their main NRL and Intrust Super Premiership (reserves) squads facing off.

The ISP game will kick off at 2.15pm and the NRL squad head-to-head at 5pm.

The match could also be a homecoming for players from both teams, with the Warrior's Adam Blair and Elijah Taylor from the Tigers both Northland-raised.

The match will also be one of the first for new Tigers coach (and Kiwis coach) Michael Maguire, where he will face off against former Kiwi's coach Stephen Kearney, who is in charge of the Warriors.

Maguire, who has just finished guiding the Kiwis in their Test series in England, is returning to NRL coaching with the Tigers after a year off following a six-season stint with South Sydney from 2012-2017.

Northland Events Centre Trust chairman Alastair Wells said the two trials would provide a huge boost for the region."It's a fantastic event for the Northland region. The games will be held on Saturday afternoon to allow plenty of travel time for everyone in Northland to be able to attend,'' Wells said.

''We would also love to see visitors from Auckland and further south come up for the weekend to enjoy the event along with our wonderful Northland hospitality. The event will include a load of pre-match entertainment and plenty of activities for kids and youth, so make sure you get your tickets and come along and support your team."

Kearney welcomed the opportunity to take both Vodafone Warriors squads to Northland.

"As a club, we really enjoy playing in areas around the country and giving locals the chance to see our players up close," he said.