SYDNEY - The logic in the Warriors' decision to stay in Sydney until their NRL match against North Queensland in Townsville on Saturday looked watertight.
But it has turned into a damp squib.
They started with a beach run on Monday, but it seems the Auckland weather has caught up with them.
Persistent rain and thunderstorms forced the cancellation of a run at Redfern Oval in the south of the city.
The waterlogged ground was unplayable and team managers struggled to find another venue.
"It's been a nightmare, we've tried all sorts," a spokesman said.
The Warriors trained in the rain yesterday at Scots College, an exclusive private school, but could not go through all their paces because it was too wet to use tackle bags.
Their final run before the match is at the venue's outer ground at Dairy Farmers Stadium after they arrive in Townsville tomorrow.
To compound the disruption, the Warriors face a drastic climate change when they reach Townsville because the city has had an unexpected heatwave this week with temperatures nudging 30C.
The decision to stay in Sydney was aimed at avoiding a heavy travel schedule that would have involved returning home to Auckland, then flying back to Brisbane and a connecting flight to Townsville.
A previous journey was hit by delays which added several hours to the trip, disrupting the team's preparation.
- NZPA
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