Source: nrl.com / YouTube
Warriors captain Tohu Harris (Ngāti Kahungunu) is enjoying being home, especially after the New Zealand side scored a 20-12 season-opening win over the Newcastle Knights in Wellington on Friday.
"It feels a lot different being back home," said Harris, referencing the two-and-a-half years the Warriors spent based in Australia due to Covid border restrictions.
"It's great that we're able to take these games to different parts of the country."
Harris told reporters he saw a "huge" change-up in the team's defensive approach in this first game.
"We weren't frantic, everyone was talking calmly, giving clear instructions and knew their job - and that's huge when you're defending a line."
"I thought that was a huge difference to us in the past."
This defensive "resilience" as new Warriors coach Andrew Webster described it, impressed the new boss who says it is "no fluke".
"We weren't smart at times. We made it hard for ourselves, but there were three big chunks of resilience that we had tonight. I'm really proud of that. I was proud how we dug in and defended our line."
Webster said if his new charges keep 'digging in' like this it will end up being a hallmark of this side.
"We did it in the trial against Melbourne. It's not a fluke. If we keep going, it's going to be our DNA."
Tohu agreed and says this defensive energy can quickly transmit through the team.
"It's infectious, players want to do that for each other."
The Warriors are away to the Roosters next Saturday in Sydney.