The Warriors will be based in Australia for the remainder of 2022, but may return to Auckland for some July fixtures. Photo / Photosport
The Warriors will be based in Australia for the remainder of 2022, but may return to Auckland for some July fixtures. Photo / Photosport
When it comes to the prospect of playing at Mt Smart Stadium this season, the Warriors will believe it when they see it.
Today, the New Zealand Government revealed the country's borders will open to vaccinated Australians from 11.59 pm on April 12, meaning the Warriors should be able toget into the country for their two scheduled home games at Mt Smart in July.
But it isn't the first time the team has had positive news on that front. They expected to host a game in June, but were forced to relocate it to a venue in Australia as, at that point, they could not be certain they'd be able to get into the country without some sort of testing or quarantine period.
The club won't be backtracking on their decision to not bring that June fixture to Auckland, and forward Jazz Tevaga said while the announcement from the Government was positive, he and his teammates had learnt their lesson.
"We've sort of given up listening to it," Tevaga admitted. "The past year or two, we've been waiting for the news to change, waiting for the rules to change, and it doesn't do you any good. We just ignore it. If the rules change and we get to come home, that's good, but we're just focused on our season. We don't pay too much attention to it any more.
"I think if it was set in stone, us coming home, then yeah, it would boost our morale. But we know how fast things can change so we know not to get our hopes up.
"We've learnt to ignore it and if we get to come home, we get to come home."
Jazz Tevaga of the Warriors. Photo / Photosport
Regardless of what the Government does to open the borders throughout the remainder of the NRL season, the Warriors will remain based in Australia for the season, with no chance of returning home. For the games at Mt Smart, they will essentially work as an away game with the teams flying in and out of Auckland.
Coach Nathan Brown said that decision had to be made long before the start of the new campaign in order to allow the club to settle into the reality of another full year in Australia.
"The decision was made for the stability of the club and the footy team all involved, trying to live in one location for 12 months was the best for all of us," Brown said. "There's always the risk that if you go home the borders could close again, so the decision was made for all the right reasons.
"Even though there have been changes to the borders, I still think in the short term for the club, whilst we would all like to live in New Zealand and be based there, for the club and performance and stability, it's certainly the right thing to do."
The Warriors last played at Mt Smart Stadium on August 30, 2019 – making it well over 1000 days since the club were able to run out onto their home turf.
Tevaga said while the club was hopeful the scheduled dates in July would bring that to an end, with two further New Zealand dates scheduled for August and September, there was no point in getting too excited about it.
"Nothing changes for us. We're set in stone camping here for the rest of the year. If we can get home that would be awesome, but we all know how fast it can change, so we just look to take it week by week. If we get to come home and play, that'd be good."
