Warriors announce trial game in Whangarei

[Rich102]

Kiwi coaches past and present will lead a galaxy of internationals when the Vodafone Warriors face the Wests Tigers in their second 2019 NRL trial at the Northland Events Centre in Whangarei on Saturday, March 2 next year.

It will be a double header event with the Vodafone Warriors and the Tigers also fielding their Intrust Super Premiership squads in the first game on the programme (ISP kick-off 2.15pm; NRL kick-off 5.00pm)

Jointly announced today by the Vodafone Warriors and the Northland Events Centre Trust, the NRL match will bring together long-time former Kiwi head coach Stephen Kearney and current national coach Michael Maguire.

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.

"We are very excited to be hosting the Vodafone Warriors and the Wests Tigers at Northland Events Centre on March 2," he said.

"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. 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.

"This trial will be really important for us being our last hit-out before starting our season against the Bulldogs at Mount Smart Stadium on March 16. It’s the same for our ISP team."

As well as their Kiwi coaching connection, Kearney and Maguire have Melbourne Storm links in common. They both served their coaching apprenticeships with the Storm under Craig Bellamy and then went on to coach against each other when Kearney was with the Parramatta Eels and Maguire with the Rabbitohs in 2012.

The Whangarei match-up offers a tantalising prospect for fans with the prospect of as many as 18 current or past Kiwis being on show.

The Vodafone Warriors have eight players from their 2019 squad who have been on tour with the Kiwis in England - Ken Maumalo, Peta Hiku, Gerard Beale, Shaun Johnson, Northland born and bred Adam Blair, Agnatius Paasi and Isaiah Papali’i plus new signing Leeson Ah Mau while they also boast Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Issac Luke and Tohu Harris as well as Tonga internationals David Fusitu’a and Solomone Kata, who have also played for the Kiwis.

Wests Tigers have centre Esan Marsters from the Kiwi party in England as well as former Kiwis Benji Marshall, Ben Matulino, Russell Packer and Elijah Taylor (who was brought up in Herekino in the Far North). Other New Zealand-born players in their squad include Michael Chee-Kam, Josh Aloiai and Thomas Mikaele.

As well as having both teams in Whangarei for their NRL and ISP trials, the Vodafone Warriors will be out and about in the area making a number of community appearances during the days leading up to game day.

It will the fourth time the Vodafone Warriors have held a trial in Whangarei. They staged New South Wales Cup hit-outs there in 2011 and 2012 and an NRL trial against the Gold Coast Titans in 2016.

Tickets and corporate hospitality

Tickets are available from www.ticketrocket.co.nz and Forum North Box Office, Rust Avenue, Whangarei.

Prices:

Grandstand | Adult $30, child $15. GA terraces/embankment | Adult $15, child $10.



http://www.voxy.co.nz/sport/5/325906

 

[Rich102]

Going Oz?

 

[Rich102]

I just hope their game day planning is better than the last time I went.
There were no team lists available and trying to make sense of the ground announcer was hard work.
Just an A4 list of the squads would be a huge step up.

 

[¿N. ig-mah¿]

Id like to see them come back to Invercargill. They havent been here since 2003. They have been to Dunedin a couple of times in the last few years tho. But small towns in the North seem to get more than the South gets.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Id like to see them come back to Invercargill. They havent been here since 2003. They have been to Dunedin a couple of times in the last few years tho. But small towns in the North seem to get more than the South gets.

Mate it’s invercargill, the arsehole of the universe.... can you blame them?

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Seriously though Whangarei, Hamilton, Rotorua, Tauranga and Taupo are all an easy coach ride from Auckland airport and Penrose so logistically they’re always going to be the preferred options.

 

[¿N. ig-mah¿]

Seriously though Whangarei, Hamilton, Rotorua, Tauranga and Taupo are all an easy coach ride from Auckland airport and Penrose so logistically they’re always going to be the preferred options.

Seriously though, they cant be taken serious as being qbout getting around the country when they are only venturing a short bus ride from home. They bear the name New Zealand, they should at least pretend to be about the whole country. To take a preseason game to a few of the bigger towns and smaller cities outside the local bus routes would be fair.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Seriously though, they cant be taken serious as being qbout getting around the country when they are only venturing a short bus ride from home. They bear the name New Zealand, they should at least pretend to be about the whole country. To take a preseason game to a few of the bigger towns and smaller cities outside the local bus routes would be fair.

Pretty sure with trials both sides need to agree with it though and it’s a big sell for the Aussie sides, particularly the non-Sydney ones.

 

[¿N. ig-mah¿]

You think the other clubs would choose Hamilton, Tauranga or Taupo? If they are agreeing to games in those towns, they would agree to Invercargill, etc.

 

[¿N. ig-mah¿]

Mate it’s invercargill, the arsehole of the universe.... can you blame them?

Have you ever actually been to Invercargill or are you basing your comments on the bullshit media attention the city is given because of out embarrassment of a mayor and his moronic ideas and deals. Or the stories that highlight the less attractive parts but only ever describe us as the "Deep South" when they are talking about positive parts of the city and its contribution to the tourism sector?

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Have you ever actually been to Invercargill or are you basing your comments on the bullshit media attention the city is given because of out embarrassment of a mayor and his moronic ideas and deals. Or the stories that highlight the less attractive parts but only ever describe us as the "Deep South" when they are talking about positive parts of the city and its contribution to the tourism sector?

Mate would Keith Richards lie? Anyway when your town is so dire that even the f**king Ingham twins were so desperate to escape it that they stowed away on a passing ship you know things are f**ked

 

[Rich102]

Hey, the last game in Whangarei was 5 years ago, maybe 6.
And quite a few people drive down to games at Mt Smart from here.
So from a bums on seats perspective it's a good move.

 

[¿N. ig-mah¿]

Mate would Keith Richards lie? Anyway when your town is so dire that even the f**king Ingham twins were so desperate to escape it that they stowed away on a passing ship you know things are f**ked

It was Mick Jagger, not Keith Richards. And he was just dirty cos my Aunty knocked him back at the Kelvin Hotel.

And the Ingham twins lived in Bluff, not Invercargill. I wouldnt wish a life in Bluff on anyone. I commuted daily to Bluff for work for 8 years.

However, it is the TRUE home of rugby league in NZ. The first game of league was played in Bluff.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Haha you know I’m just joking anyway.... I’m from Kawerau and we won’t get a trial because the local mobsters would try to stab the team for wearing the wrong coloured jerseys unless they wore that shit-awful red alternate strip from the late 90s.

 

[¿N. ig-mah¿]

Haha you know I’m just joking anyway.... I’m from Kawerau and we won’t get a trial because the local mobsters would try to stab the team for wearing the wrong coloured jerseys unless they wore that shit-awful red alternate strip from the late 90s.

Yeah, I know you are kidding. But now you are dissing one of my favourite jerseys too

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Haha was never a fan.... not helped by the fact we usually played like utter gash in it.

 

[¿N. ig-mah¿]

Haha was never a fan.... not helped by the fact we usually played like utter gash in it.

You could say the same about most of our jerseys though.

Red is my favourite colour, so i liked the jerseys. But my tastes have changed over the years. Never liked any unusual jerseys, but now i like the change. The Wellington jersey is my all time favourite.

They should play an Invercargill trial, and play in a preseason jersey of dark grey, gloomy clouds.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

What happened the the Ingham twins anyway? I remember one supposedly fell in love with that Malaysian seaman they jumped ship with and was converting to Islam and marrying him, but I’m guessing that didn’t last

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Agree on that Wellington jersey, that was awesome. I liked the Mt Albert one they played a trial against Souths back in 2001 in too.

 

[¿N. ig-mah¿]

Agree on that Wellington jersey, that was awesome. I liked the Mt Albert one they played a trial against Souths back in 2001 in too.

I refuse to like that. I could never afford to add that to my collection. So i must stand strong.