Warriors urge black-out to shake Eels
September 3, 2007 - 2:40PM
New Zealand Warriors fans are being asked to "black out" Mt Smart Stadium in an attempt to intimidate Parramatta in the NRL qualifying final in Auckland on Friday night.
More than 5000 extra seats will be introduced to take the ground's capacity to 29,000 in what's set to be a sell-out game.
Taking a lead from "Black Out" Tests involving the all-conquering All Blacks, Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah on Monday called on fans to don black clothing as their team contests its first finals match since 2002.
"We'd urge everyone coming on Friday night to make sure they're dressed in black," Scurrah said.
"Wear a Warriors jersey, bring a Warriors flag or just put on something black. Basically, let's black the place out and make it feel even more intimidating for the opposition," he said.
Hundreds of fans queued at Mt Smart Stadium on Sunday for tickets to the game.
Warriors fan Steve Langford who lined up for tickets told the New Zealand Herald his faith in his team had been repaid.
"There was a time when we were running off the rails, but a good supporter will stay with the team through the good and the bad," he said.
About 10,000 tickets sold on Sunday and another 15,000 tickets will go on sale on
Tuesday.
The Warriors play-off berth caps a roller-coaster season that saw the team appear on the skids after losing six games in a row mid-season.
Since then the team has rebounded and in their last five games in Auckland they amassed 216 points and conceded only 60.
(And trying to keep the topic on track about the game)
