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The Warriors' preparations for the upcoming NRL season have been hit by the Covid-19 outbreak in Melbourne, with next week's trial match against the Storm cancelled.
The Warriors were due to have their first hit out of the year in Redcliffe, near Brisbane, next Saturday. However, the Storm announced the game has been called off after the Queensland government on Friday closed its borders to the Greater Melbourne region for a 14-day period.
Queensland's stance comes after the state of Victoria entered a five-day lockdown in response to 13 Covid-19 cases being linked to a quarantine hotel, amid fears the new strain of the virus could be spreading in the community.
The border closures have wreaked havoc on next week's NRL All Stars fixture in Townsville, with seven Storm players - including six Māori All Stars - ruled out of the fixture.
The Warriors, who are based on the NSW Central Coast, have also been affected, although not to the same extent.
With both the Warriors and Storm agreeing to only use players who played 12 NRL games or less in 2020, the majority of the Kiwi club's first-choice lineup were being saved for the second trial against the Gold Coast on February 27.
However, the cancellation has still robbed new coach Nathan Brown the chance to get a closer look at his rising stars and fringe players, while preventing those returning from injury, such as props Leeson Ah Mau, Bunty Afoa and Jackson Frei, of a much-needed run.
The game against the Titans in Lismore, northeastern NSW, is now the Warriors' only pre-season match before they open their 2021 campaign against the same team at Central Coast Stadium on March 13.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/leagu...bourne-storm-cancelled-due-to-border-closures
The Warriors were due to have their first hit out of the year in Redcliffe, near Brisbane, next Saturday. However, the Storm announced the game has been called off after the Queensland government on Friday closed its borders to the Greater Melbourne region for a 14-day period.
Queensland's stance comes after the state of Victoria entered a five-day lockdown in response to 13 Covid-19 cases being linked to a quarantine hotel, amid fears the new strain of the virus could be spreading in the community.
The border closures have wreaked havoc on next week's NRL All Stars fixture in Townsville, with seven Storm players - including six Māori All Stars - ruled out of the fixture.
The Warriors, who are based on the NSW Central Coast, have also been affected, although not to the same extent.
With both the Warriors and Storm agreeing to only use players who played 12 NRL games or less in 2020, the majority of the Kiwi club's first-choice lineup were being saved for the second trial against the Gold Coast on February 27.
However, the cancellation has still robbed new coach Nathan Brown the chance to get a closer look at his rising stars and fringe players, while preventing those returning from injury, such as props Leeson Ah Mau, Bunty Afoa and Jackson Frei, of a much-needed run.
The game against the Titans in Lismore, northeastern NSW, is now the Warriors' only pre-season match before they open their 2021 campaign against the same team at Central Coast Stadium on March 13.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/leagu...bourne-storm-cancelled-due-to-border-closures
