The New Zealand Warriors touched down in Tamworth, NSW last night. After their two week isolation, they will then transfer to the Central Coast, NSW for the rest of the season.
The Warriors, being the only NZ team in the NRL, have a special place in the Australia league. This also intensifies the impact that the travel restrictions have had on their families.
Former rugby league great Howie Tamati (Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāi Tahu) says, “They’re very very important to the NRL. For them, I think they are sacrificing probably the most (out) of any of the teams over there."
COVID-19 effectively ripped the 2020 NRL season in two. But now, Tamati says the boys are ready to finish what they started.
“They just wanna play rugby league mate. They just wanna bash someone up," he says in jest.
Coronavirus safety measures mean that the 2020 NRL games will be played in empty stadiums. Tamati says that there's nothing like a full stadium to energise and invigorate a player.
"To go before empty stadiums will be eerie I think," Tamati describes.
He also said that while the boys weren't doing too bad before the COVID-19 restrictions kicked in, it was too early for predictions on performance to be made.