Hastings Boys' high belt out Warriors anthem to support captain and school old boy, Tohu Harris. Video / Hastings Boys' High School
When the NRL draw comes out every November, there are a couple of things that coaches look for immediately.
One aspect is the teams that they will face twice in the season and another is the turnaround time – or days between games - across the arduous competition.
On both counts the Warriors will be satisfied with their 2024 schedule, which was released on Monday.
The confirmation of a home Anzac Day clash against Gold Coast Titans – putting an end to those late night games in Melbourne – will capture the headlines, along with the chance to start their year at Mt Smart, against the Sharks on March 8. They are both positive outcomes but Andrew Webster and his staff will be drilling into the detail as they plan their campaign and seeing opportunities.
The first is clear. Like last year, they will only face the Penrith machine once in the regular season, with another Magic round clash. They have also avoided a double against the Broncos – clearly the next best team – with their solitary clash at Mt Smart in round 17. And they won’t be unhappy about seeing Souths just once, given the Rabbitohs have won 15 of the previous 16 clashes, including the last eight in succession. The same applies to the Roosters, who did the double over the Warriors last year and are unbeaten against the Auckland team since May 2018.
The above is all a welcome bonus, given the fine margins of the NRL, while they also face the Dragons, Tigers, Eels and Cowboys once.
Conversely, they have home and away games with Melbourne, Canberra, Newcastle and Cronulla – which will be tough – along with the Sea Eagles, Dolphins and Bulldogs.
Given they travel more than any other club, the periods between matches are also vital.
The Warriors have only one five-day turnaround (they had two in 2023) and four six-day gaps (five last year). For the other 18 games they have seven or more days to prepare, with only Souths having more extended turnarounds across the NRL next season.
The situation is helped by the long awaited Anzac Day switch. While the games against the Storm were great occasions, the toll of those matches can’t be underestimated. The late kickoff (after 10pm NZT) never really suited the team, while also comprising the next day’s recovery, before they had to prepare for a game the following weekend.
Now they have a unique spectacle of a 2pm game in Auckland on April 25, before a decent break (10 days) to their next match.
Overall the draw probably isn’t as helpful as last season, when they avoided most of the big guns across the last two months and had long stretches in Auckland.
It’s an intimidating start, with the Sharks (home), Melbourne (away), Canberra (home), Knights (home) and Rabbitohs (away) in the first five rounds.
But things are spread more evenly from there and they’ll have the bonus of facing the Cowboys and Titans during the State of Origin period, when those Queensland clubs will be affected by the interstate series.
However, on paper they will have a tougher run in the final month. It starts at Suncorp Stadium where they face the Dolphins, before a trip to Manly, where they have only won once since 2009. After they host the Bulldogs, the Warriors will return to Australia to face the Sharks in round 26.
They also have a round 27 bye, which is a double-edged sword. It might be handy before the finals but the coaching staff would prefer the benefits of an additional week off during the season.
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. He has also reported on the Warriors and NRL for more than a decade.
