Auckland stadiums: Having four separate venues is unsustainable
The proposal was curious in that:
Auckland FC's debut season averaged 18,101 attendees yet it proposed a 12,500-capacity stadium with TAU acknowledging 'larger games would still require the capacity of Mt Smart or Eden Park'.
The location lacked critical infrastructure, including hospitality venues, public transport links, public car parking and crowd dispersal routes for the proposed capacity.
A '$200m-$300m' cost estimate presented a substantial $100m gap, suggesting cursory planning. The per-seat cost was significantly below Te Kaha in Christchurch, even accounting for the absence of a roof.
It's worth wondering: Why was TAU supporting the building of another stadium when it contradicts 15 years of consistent advice the council has received?
In 2020, a review of Auckland Council's resources led by Miriam Dean stated: 'The harsh economic reality is Auckland neither needs nor can afford four stadiums.'
The Long-Term Plan 2024–2034 provides for $146.3m of ratepayer money just to maintain (not improve) the aging stadium network.
This pattern of inaction isn't new. In 2006, the government offered to fully fund a waterfront stadium. Remarkably, the then-Auckland Regional Council rejected this proposal, turning down what would likely be well over $1b (from taxpayers) in today's money, preferring to maintain four aging stadiums (funded by ratepayers).
One key aim of the Super City amalgamation in 2010 was to rationalise water, transport and the four 'main stadiums'.
A 2019 confidential presentation to council highlighted issues with the region's stadium stock, noting 'under-utilisation leading to poor financial outcomes'. Councillors were told 'doing nothing is not an option'.
In 2023, when the council looked for expressions of interest to develop a new 'Main Auckland Stadium', they reiterated Dean's key point: 'Auckland neither needs nor can afford four stadiums.'
We should learn from other cities.
Warriors fans at Allianz stadium, where league, rugby and football teams all play. Photo / Photosport
In Sydney (population 5.5m), Allianz Stadium is home to the Waratahs (rugby), Roosters (league) and Sydney FC (football). In Brisbane (population 2.8m), Suncorp Stadium hosts four professional sports team across rugby, league and football. In Melbourne (population 5.3m), impressively 10 AFL teams collectively use just two stadiums, the MCG and Marvel. These stadiums also host international matches, concerts and community events.
Contrast this with Auckland (population just 1.7m) where, remarkably, we could have seen four professional sports teams across four disparate stadiums (Blues at Eden Park, Warriors at Mt Smart, Auckland FC at Western Springs and Moana Pasifika at Albany). How could any stadium (or business) be fully utilised or financially sustainable with just 13 regular season games (Auckland FC) annually – effectively guaranteed to be 'open for business' less than 4% of the year?
These four stadiums also compete with each other for the small number of concerts that come to Auckland.
Of course, the condition of the stadiums means many world-class performers simply bypass Auckland entirely, limiting Down Under tours to superior Australian venues. When artists such as Adele have to perform in torrential rain at Mt Smart, Taylor Swift's decision to skip Auckland in 2024 becomes entirely understandable.
Adele soaks up the rain at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland.
In the eight months since it was granted consent for 12 concerts a year, Eden Park has only hosted one artist, Luke Combs. For 2026, only the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has been announced.
The loss of major events costs Auckland money through the hospitality, accommodation, transport and retail sectors.
The financial implications for ratepayers are stark. They face mounting maintenance and operational expenses, while construction costs for any new stadium escalate. Meanwhile, we're counting the lost revenue from those lost events.
With Christchurch's world-class Te Kaha Stadium opening in 2026 and already revitalising the city, Auckland will become the only major Australasian city not to open a modern stadium this century.
Te Kaha, in Christchurch, is due to open next year. Photo / Christchurch City Council
The Long-Term Plan allocates $16b for water, $14.5b for transport, and $4.2b for community and parks. Yet while other cities have invested in this vital cultural infrastructure, Auckland remains held back by the legacy of four disparate, underutilised and ageing stadiums.
Auckland generates ample content for a premier venue. Imagine a modern covered stadium hosting Taylor Swift, the Warriors, Blues, Auckland FC and Moana Pasifika, national teams in black, unlimited concerts and community festivals such as the Pasifika, Diwali or Lantern festivals.
If situated on the waterfront, the venue could also host the prestigious sailing events that have made Auckland the renowned 'City of Sails'.
Hiroki Sakai, Ardie Savea, Taylor Swift, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Michaela Brake
The cultural and economic benefits to the city would be transformative. This vision is entirely achievable, as every other major city in Australasia has shown.
It's time for Auckland to emulate Wellington, Dunedin and now Christchurch in charting a pathway which reflects a visionary and aspirational Auckland investing strategically for future generations.
Rather than remaining constrained by legacy, shoestring maintenance, and decades of inaction, perhaps the rise of Christchurch's impressive Te Kaha Stadium can finally focus Auckland on the advice urged by experts for 15 years.
We can emulate Wellington, Dunedin and now Christchurch in charting a pathway which reflects a visionary and aspirational Auckland investing strategically for future generations.
Auckland neither needs nor can afford four stadiums... but surely it makes sense to have one great one.
Richard Dellabarca was head of the Wynyard Point consortium which proposed a new stadium built on the Auckland waterfront.
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NZ Herald
2 hours ago
- NZ Herald
The life and near death of the Ranfurly Shield
'We were definitely a major underdog and we weren't given a show at all. I think that's the beauty of the Ranfurly Shield. If you get everything right on the day, you can achieve what you need to achieve,' says Sloane. Shield fever! A huge crowd of 40,000 piled into Ōkara Park to watch Northland (then North Auckland) play Auckland on August 26, 1972 for the Ranfurly Shield. Auckland won 16-15. Northland reclaimed the Shield in 1978. If Northland are successful, it'll be the 14th time the trophy has changed hands in the past decade. Whilst the gloss has largely been removed from New Zealand's premier domestic competition (and by gloss, read All Blacks), the 121-year-old Ranfurly Shield still provides a pulse for the NPC. Players and fans (especially of a certain demographic) still hold it in the highest regard – a symbol of provincial pride. 'There's no bigger trophy in New Zealand sport than the Ranfurly Shield, really,' says Sloane. However, there was a time when the Log o' Wood was badly broken – well before Hawke's Bay players dropped it on to a concrete floor in 2023. Before New Zealand Rugby held an inquiry as to the nature of the white powder that dusted it during the same ill-fated Magpies celebrations. Last time it was figuratively broken was way back when corner flags were obliterated by try-scoring wingers and the cricket pitch at Eden Park wasn't dropped in – it was visible all year round. When big games were played in the afternoon ... on TV One. David Kirk passes under the pressure of Bruce Deans during the 1985 Ranfurly Shield match between Auckland and Canterbury. Photo / Photosport 'The shield wasn't dead at all' By the 18th of September 1993, 'Shield Fever' had been sweated out. In some corners of the country, it had become hypothermic – a chill so bad it was on the verge of being terminal. Or at least that's how it felt for those without the Shield and little chance of their team winning it. Auckland had held the Shield for 2926 days – or eight whole years. In that time, their grip on the Shield was so monotonous that they began to take the shield on tour. On the face of it, it looked like the Auckland rugby public was so disinterested in the lightweight challenges that the holders had to take it on the road to find a crowd. That might've been true to some degree, but what they found was provinces hungry for quality rugby and a shot at New Zealand rugby's most coveted prize. 'If you went to those games in those towns, you know, the shield wasn't dead at all,' says All Blacks and Auckland point-scoring machine, Grant Fox. Fox holds the record for the most points in Ranfurly Shield history with 935. More points than many unions have scored. Grant Fox, the record points-scorer in Ranfurly Shield rugby. Photo /Photosport In 1988, Auckland travelled to Te Kūiti to play King Country – giving away the home advantage that holders had generally enjoyed since the Shield's very first defence in 1904. 'When you've held on to the Shield at home, the rest of the country are saying they want to see the Shield. We all bought into it,' says veteran All Blacks and Auckland flanker Alan Whetton. 'We thought if we're good enough, we'll hold on to it and if not, so be it. Alan Whetton backed up by his brother Gary during Auckland v New South Wales in the AGC South Pacific Championship at Eden Park, April 11, 1988. Photo / NZME 'But to see the crowds come out and support it, what it did to those provinces just ignited the shield again. To give these provinces a chance to challenge for the Shield where they may never get an opportunity.' Te Kūiti is 200km from Auckland – but for the visitors, Rugby Park was a world away from Eden Park. 'I think a pig ran on to the field! There wasn't any room to warm up, that's how small the sheds were. The crowd was stacked on the sidelines and boy, they gave it to us,' says Whetton. On one occasion, they took the Shield and their cheerleaders to Paeroa to play the Swamp Foxes of Thames Valley in front of 7000 locals. 'I remember the vast crowd – and that the last time we played them, we kept them out from [scoring] 100 points and hoped it wasn't going to be the same,' says former Thames Valley winger Wayne Warlow. It wasn't the same – but it was still a one-sided contest that finished 58-7 to the visitors. Whilst the score would test a few memories now, nobody who was there could forget the spectacular team try scored by the hosts. Launched from near the home side's 22m line, the ball went through 10 sets of hands in one sweeping movement that travelled from the right side to Warlow on the left wing and finished back in the right corner by winger Kevin Handley. 'It just seemed to be a bit surreal, I suppose. Things, for the first time in the game, just opened up and you could actually move. We got it into space and just took off,' recalls Warlow. Warlow moved to Waikato in 1991. This would not be his last Shield challenge. Wayne Warlow in action during the NPC match between Waikato and King Country, 1995. Photo / Photosport Party in the provinces 'I can tell you, the shindigs afterwards and the after-matches were just as important as the actual event and they go down in history, I assure you,' says Whetton. The Thames Valley after-match almost didn't begin. Having expected a sizeable turnout for the post-game celebrations the following day – the venue was well stocked with refreshments. But the night before the big game, the booze to keep thousands refreshed was allegedly uplifted by an organised crime syndicate. The small-town tours kept coming – and so did the heavy scorelines. Gary Whetton lifts both the Ranfurly Shield and the NPC championship trophy after the 1988 NPC final at Eden Park. Photo / Photosport In 1993, Auckland had taken it to Levin, Westport and lastly Ōamaru – where they dished out a 139-5 hiding to North Otago. They then returned home and belted a talented Wellington side 51-14. The Shield's heartbeat was growing ever more faint as the greatest provincial team in New Zealand rugby history showed no signs of weakness. 'Someone had to turn up on Eden Park and play well to beat us because, you know, we weren't a bad footy team,' says Fox. The errors that ended an era That 'someone' was John Mitchell and his band of nearly men from Waikato. They were 'nearly men' because many of them were either denied an All Blacks career – or had limited opportunities, due to the men they were about to oppose. Captain of that unofficial club was Duane Monkley, widely regarded as the greatest All Black that never was. 'When you run on to the paddock and you can believe in your forwards, that they're gonna match an All Black pack - all we have to do as backs is just finish any chances off. And make sure we're just up in their faces,' says Warlow. Before they ran out on to Eden Park, Warren Gatland had asked his teammates to visualise the Shield in their shed. 'He goes, 'Look, I'm telling you it's gonna be on the table when we walk in the changing shed. If you can't see it now, you don't belong here', sort of thing. Craig Stevenson (from left), Warren Gatland and Graham Purvis with the Ranfurly Shield after winning it from Auckland in 1993. Photo / Photosport 'And it was just like, 's***, imagine if it was here though?'. And then we all got on board, I suppose,' says Warlow. The Mooloo men planned to make life as uncomfortable as possible for the Shield holders. 'Let's get early points and see if it rattles them. And it did. I remember a big drop kick down field and J.K. [Sir John Kirwan] got it and he just throws this loopy pass to Foxy because Duane [Monkley] was right on him, and then bloody Rhys Ellison smashes Foxy, he throws it back again. 'He gets smashed by bloody someone else and we end up scoring. It was like, that's not Auckland. Jesus,' says Warlow. The shield in the sheds was getting easier to picture. 'We did that for the whole game, probably antagonised them a bit. Loey [Richard Loe] was doing his bit to get under their skin. All legal, of course,' says Warlow with tongue in cheek. John Mitchell holds up the Ranfurly Shield after defeating Auckland on September 18, 1993 at Eden Park. Photo / Photosport Fox's memory of the clash isn't quite so vivid. He remembers more of what happened after the final whistle, after their unthinkable reign was over. He recalls the disappointment of his teammates – and particularly that of new coach Sir Graham Henry. 'When we won the Shield in '85, Alex Wylie brought the Canterbury team into our dressing room to have a beer, right? 'I know there's an official thing you do on the park afterwards when the captain hands it over to the other captain, but what resonated with me was the Canterbury team's gesture in '85. 'All those years later, we remembered that, and so we went through to the Waikato guys and had a beer with them,' says Fox. Sir John Kirwan of Auckland congratulates Graham Purvis on winning the Ranfurly Shield. Photo / Photosport Warlow remembers the 1993 post-match beers, too. 'When they came into the shed, Foxy and J.K. and all of them, it was almost like they were relieved. It was like, just a message to us to say, 'guys, just respect it'. 'Foxy, in particular, was just like, 'It's been a hard thing to hang on to for eight years',' recalls Warlow. Cauliflowered heirs The trip from Eden Park to Hamilton by bus is not a long one – but it still provided enough time for the new holders to get into trouble. Warlow recalls the bus pulling over for a toilet stop as they headed south. 'We may have got in trouble for having a cauliflower fight up at Pukekohe there while we were having a pee. I think we got a bill for about, I don't know, 40 cauli or so. The union were quite happy to pay it!' says Warlow. For much of the country, Auckland's reign may have admitted the shield into palliative care – but it had first fallen ill in 1982 when Canterbury, masterminded by the late Sir Alex 'Grizz' Wylie, lifted the log against Wellington at Athletic Park. Alex "Grizz" Wyllie lifted the Ranfurly Shield in 1969 and 1972 as a player - then again in 1982 as a coach. Photo / Photosport They held the shield for 25 successful challenges – equalling the record held by Auckland (1960-1963). They'd have broken the record by defeating their northern rivals at Lancaster Park in 1985 in what was later dubbed the 'match of the century'. Instead, the 28-23 defeat marked the beginning of its stay at Eden Park - a residency that lasted even longer than the famous stay of Elvis Presley's at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Canterbury comes a cropper Between those two Shield eras, there was just one successful challenge in 87 Ranfurly Shield matches. Two careful owners in 11 years. The closest Auckland got to losing it in that eight-year retention was their second defence against a spirited Counties side (12-9) in 1985 and a much more memorable clash with Canterbury in 1990. That match was shrouded in controversy as John Buchan – celebrating his 100th game for Canterbury – was sent off in what legendary commentator Keith Quinn described as 'the second minute' of play. Quinn detailed the sequence of events in his commentary – naming Gary Whetton as the protagonist for stomping on the chest of Canterbury lock Chris England as he entered a ruck. He then suggested 'the boot went in from Buchan' - presumably in retaliation, before referee Keith Lawrence gave him his marching orders. Buchan was able to be replaced by Phil Cropper – and this is where controversy enters the dimly lit corridors of skullduggery. Buchan stops to talk to Cropper before he runs on to Eden Park. The challengers were fully aware of the opportunity this situation presented. At that time, teams didn't have to have a reserve hooker on their bench. Rob Penney in action for Canterbury against Fiji in 1991. Photo / Photosport 'Bizarrely, there was a bit of a conversation at some time, and I can't recall exactly when prior, around that anomaly,' says former Canterbury loosie, Rob Penney. The problem with that anomaly is that it wasn't one on this occasion – because everyone knew Cropper was up to it. 'There's a little lucky break here for Canterbury, because Cropper is a former hooker. Even though we know him now as a flank forward,' says Quinn in commentary. 'Yeah, we all did,' says Whetton. 'He has a well-documented history as a hooker,' he adds. At the next scrum, Penney and Robbie Deans explain to referee Lawrence that they can't scrum without a hooker. From that moment, scrums are replaced by free kicks. 'One of the fastest games probably ever played,' suggests Penney. And a stroke of luck for the challengers. 'Everyone was struggling with the power that they had. Scrum time was always a disaster or very challenging when you played them up there, when you played them anywhere,' says Penney. His opposing No 6 agrees. 'It certainly helped them because we were very dominant in the scrum in those days. But that just adds another bit of drama and a chapter to the Ranfurly Shield era, doesn't it? Creates that history to talk about and, you know – great!' says Whetton. The match became a kicking contest between Fox and Canterbury's sharpshooter Greg Coffey. Fox scored 29 of his team's 33 points as the challengers went home empty-handed. Canterbury coach Rob Penney with the Ranfurly Shield after his side defeated Wellington in 2009. Photo / Photosport 'I don't know if we would have got out of there if we'd won it anyway. I think that they would have locked it away and probably sued us or something,' suggests Penney. 'There was a lot of emotion post that game. The changing rooms in Auckland at that time were just below ground level. They opened out just above footpath level and a few of them got kicked in, so glass splattered across the changing room floor,' recalls Penney. Incidentally, Cropper's next game for Canterbury saw him start against Otago the following season. At hooker. Ranfurly back on tour As Zinzan Brooke handed the shield to John Mitchell on that spring afternoon in 1993, the embodiment of provincial rugby supremacy sat up and breathed again. The 17-6 victory was cheered across the country – possibly even by some apathetic Aucklanders. The Eden Park residency was over, Ranfurly had left the building and it was back on tour. Andy Slater and Kevin Barrett at the Auckland v Taranaki, Ranfurly Shield match at Eden Park, 1996. Photo / Photosport Thirty-nine teams have held the Shield in the 32 years since, with an average Shield reign of just five successful defences. And it has got around. Warlow wonders if the Shield needs another lengthy reign. 'When it moves around like it does, you know, when someone's got a stranglehold, I suppose it always feels more compelling that you've taken it off them,' he says. The Barrett family's Ranfurly Shield history continues with Jordie Barrett (left) and Beauden Barrett taking it back to Taranaki, after beating Canterbury in 2020. Photo / Photosport In the past decade, the Shield has been held by Taranaki, Tasman, Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Otago, Canterbury and Waikato. Many of them on multiple occasions. All but two of New Zealand's major provinces have had Shield success since 2004, and ironically, Auckland haven't held it since 2008. Wellington captain Piri Weepu is handed the shield by Auckland captain Ben Atiga in 2008. Auckland haven't held the Shield since. Photo / Photosport Northland and Manawatū have been waiting the longest to reclaim the log of wood. It was Northland who relieved Manawatū of the Shield in 1978 – under supposedly controversial circumstances. Reports from that time suggest the referee played six extra minutes before North Auckland (now Northland) kicked a penalty to lead 12-10. 'Rubbish,' says Sloane. 'When we got the penalty, there was still a little time to go on the clock. 'When we got the penalty, it stemmed from a stoppage of play and there was a lineout. And me being the hooker, while the stoppage was on, I said to the team, 'we've got every chance here, it's just the next mistake - it'll go one way or the other'. Peter Sloane in 1978 after North Auckland took the Ranfurly Shield off Manawatū. Photo / Photosport 'The referee blows time on again and I go over to the lineout and throw the ball in and promptly throw the thing crooked. I was so embarrassed in front of the team. 'So it went 15 in and a scrum. We did a few changes with bigger guys on the right-hand side of the scrum, and I just said push to the right,' says Sloane. 'The halfback kindly fed it in a bit quick and we got a tight head and he got caught offside,' recalls Sloane. Stuart 'Chippie' Semenoff kicked the penalty – his fourth of the match, to put the challengers ahead. 'What a lot of people don't say is that there was a restart and obviously you want to retrieve the kickoff and then kick it out. Well, we didn't. They got the ball back and [Jim] Carroll had a long attempt at a field goal that only just missed,' says Sloane. 'And if that kick would have gone over, no one would be talking about how long it went.' Sloane is hopeful that the current Northland side will get to experience the highs of winning the Shield as well. The shield still has pulling power. Counties captain Fritz Lee (from left), Baden Kerr and Sherwin Stowers with the Shield as fans turned out to line Great South Road in Papakura to see the team parade in 2013. Photo / Photosport 'Perhaps it doesn't mean quite as much as it did in the ′50s, ′60s and ′70s, but certainly something you want to get your hands on. And it can inspire a lot of people,' says Sloane. The greats of the ′80s and ′90s believe the Old Log has new admirers. 'If you ask the players nowadays what the Shield means, I reckon it means just as much to them as it ever has throughout its history. I honestly do,' says Fox. Ash Dixon celebrates victory with the Ranfurly Shield, Otago v Hawkes Bay, Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin on October 4, 2020. Photo / Photosport 'It's a special trophy and I think that responsibility is on all of us that have been blessed to be involved in any way to keep those stories alive,' says Penney. 'Long may the Shield continue. It's a remarkable piece of wood,' says Whetton The Shield is alive and well in 2025. Mike Thorpe is a senior multimedia journalist for the Herald, based in Christchurch. He has been a broadcast journalist across television and radio for 20 years and joined the Herald in August 2024.
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
The Warriors' defeat to the Dolphins endangers NRL playoff hopes
Analysis: NZ Warriors are in NRL freefall, after suffering a fourth defeat in their last six outings. Their last-gasp 20-18 loss to the Dolphins at Go Media Stadium was reminiscent of their last-gasp win over Newcastle Knights two weeks ago - except with the opposite emotions. Kiwis winger Jamayne Isaako raced over for the Dolphins' winning try with seconds remaining on the clock, after the Warriors seemed to control much of the second half and had a numerical advantage, with veteran prop Felise Kaufusi serving time in the sin bin. "The game was in our hands at the end, we turned the ball over in two really good spots late and we left them out," Warriors coach Andrew Webster said. "That's the frustrating bit. "We gave ourselves an opportunity to win the game and didn't find a way in the end." Already reeling from the loss of co-captain Mitch Barnett and Dally M-leading halfback Luke Metcalf to season-ending knee injuries, and a neverending midfield crisis, they were forced to make three injury-related changes in their initial team announcement and then another later in the week, before Webster reshuffled his line-up for kickoff. The result now puts their top-four hopes in serious jeopardy and even their playoff position may be under threat, as teams behind them make up ground. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow celebrates the Dolphins' late win over the Warriors. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ Here's what this defeat means for the Warriors: With co-captain James Fisher-Harris sidelined by a calf strain, young forward Demitric Vaimauga was initially named for his first start in the front row, but withdrew with injury 24 hours out. Tanner Stowers-Smith was installed as his replacement, but there was always the sense that Webster had something else up his sleeve. Word filtered out - actually, prop Jackson Ford let it slip in the midweek media opp - that Kurt Capewell was training in his preferred second-row spot and Webster was obviously considering his options at centre. Before kickoff, he moved Marata Niukore into the front row, Capewell to the pack, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad to centre and Taine Tuaupiki to fullback, with Stowers-Smith shifted back to the interchange and Eddie Ieremia-Toeava replacing Bunty Afoa on the bench for his debut. "We had to get the best players on the field that we could," Webster explained. "Whatever the positions was, we found the best solution that suited the team and not always the individual. "Charnze had a great mentality towards that. Having no Fish or Demitric, we needed minutes back in the forward pack and Kurt was going to give us that. "He could 80 minutes, so you don't have to make a sub for him, and if something went wrong on the edge, we could move him out there during the game. Leka Halasima scored his fifth try in five games to extend his lead atop the team standings. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ "Most of the decisions this week, there weren't many I had to think about, because they were the options in front of us." Nicoll-Klokstad has the ability to play anywhere in the backline - he has played at centre for the Kiwis and started at five-eighth in a 'Magic Round' win over Penrith Panthers last season - so that was an option that probably should have been tried earlier, given the glut of midfield injuries this season. Ieremia-Toeava became Warrior No.294, logging 25 minutes, running for 58 metres and making 20 tackles. Nominating the last-minute, matchwinning try would seem a little obvious, so let's go back a bit to the 74th minute, when Dolphins prop Felise Kaufusi was binned for a vicious hipdrop tackle on second-rower Jacob Laban and the Warriors had a penalty just left of the posts. A successful kick at goal would have given them a four-point buffer and burnt some time off the clock, but instead, they opted to tap, the subsequent set came to nothing and the rest is history. "That was my call," Webster admitted. "If you kick that goal and get a lead, then they go short, get the ball back and score, you'd never forgive yourself. "You want to put them there [on their goal-line] for the rest of the game. Just put them in the corner, keep them there and don't let them out. "I'll stick by that decision." Instead, Webster pointed a finger at the high tackle from Dallin Watene-Zelezniak that set the Warriors back on their heels in the dying moments and opened up the field for Isaako's heroics. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak was back to his tryscoring best against Dolphins. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ "We just didn't really do our job on that last set, we gave that head-high penalty away and what happened happened," captain Kurt Capewell rued. After the intense scrutiny on his defensive work on the right edge , Watene-Zelezniak reminded everyone why he is regarded as one of the NRL's best finishers, grabbing a try double that must give him confidence going forward. Unfortunately, he undid some of that good work with his late indiscretion and still managed to miss four tackles, one of which allowed Dolphins centre Herbie Farnworth to score the opening try. Moved back to his preferred position in the second row, Capewell produced probably his best performance for the Warriors this season, running for 126 metres and making 31 tackles, but could not get across in cover defence with his despairing dive to stop Isaako at the death. Winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck broke eight tackles and ran for 331 metres, more than 100 after contact, while lock Erin Clark also cracked 200, along with 35 tackles. Prop Jackson Ford led his team with 40 tackles and ran for 144 metres. Teenager Leka Halasima added another try to this team-leading season tally and has now scored in the last five games. The margin for error is surely gone. They still sit fourth on the table, but are rapidly losing ground on those above them, although they can make some of that up next week, when they visit Canterbury Bulldogs. Penrith Panthers face Gold Coast Titans on Saturday, gunning for an eighth-straight win that would bring them within a point of the Warriors. Behind them, the Dolphins, Brisbane Broncos and Cronulla Sharks are lining up. The Sharks still have North Queensland Cowboys this weekend and may close within two points of the Warriors. In ninth, Manly Sea Eagles may close to within four points with victory over Sydney Roosters, with five rounds remaining, and a third straight loss to the Bulldogs could put the Warriors at risk of missing out on playoffs altogether. Jacob Laban suffered a leg injury from a dangerous tackle by Felise Kaufusi. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ Given the adversity they faced during this encounter, the visitors were overjoyed at walking away with two valuable competition points. Farnworth has been the form centre of the competition this season and they lost him to a hamstring injury, as he broke clear with speedy fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow unmarked beside him. They lost Kaufusi to the bin, after his ugly tackle on Laban, and had another certain try disallowed for a knock-on by five-eighth Kodi Nikorima. Farnworth is probably gone for a few weeks, while Kaufusi has already served two weeks for dangerous contact this season and may be lucky to avoid more. "To win the way we did, that second half, I thought we were so brave," coach Kristian Woolf reflected. "We did so much defence in our own half and on our own line, we had blokes playing out of position and blokes playing bigger minutes than they're used to. "To hang in like we did and come away with the win at the end, I'm just really proud of them." The Dolphins have the Roosters next and the Warriors' best hope now may be that some of their playoff rivals will start eliminating each other, as they scramble for spots in the eight. After opening the season with six straight wins, the Bulldogs sat atop the table until Round 17, when they lost to the four-time defending champion Panthers. They lost the following week to the Broncos, but have righted the ship with three straight victories and face Wests Tigers on Sunday. They are the toughest team left on the schedule, but a Warriors win may yet turn around their season. Fisher-Harris is unlikely to return, but hooker Wayde Egan will be back from concussion protocols and five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita's niggly calf may also pass. Vaimauga's injury and prognosis is unknown at this stage, but Laban reported a pop in his leg, as Kaufusi landed on it, so that doesn't sound good. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
4 hours ago
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NZ Warriors skipper Apii Nicholls grappling with NRLW captaincy conundrum
Apii Nicholls leads her team onto Go Media Stadium against Parramatta Eels. Photo: Brett Phibbs/ As her NZ Warriors teammates acclimatise to the demands of NRLW, captain Apii Nicholls is locked into her own steep learning curve, trying to lead them through the minefield. The wāhine slipped to a 20-10 defeat to Gold Coast Titans last Saturday, with Nicholls lamenting that she couldn't find a way to inspire those around her in their time of need. "I think a few people talk about how I lead with my actions, but I felt in that game, I needed to lead with my voice," she reflected. "It was really challenging - there were moments when we felt the pressure and it was challenging for me to change that for our team." The Auckland club has re-entered the Aussie women's rugby league competition after a five-year absence, winning one of their first four games against opposition rosters stacked with experience. By contrast, less than half the Warriors 25-strong squad had played at this level before, and many are still adjusting to a switch from rugby union or sevens. Fullback Nicholls, 32, is the most seasoned league performer on show, with 23 NRLW games under her belt - only lock Laishon Albert-Jones (24) has more - along with 11 tests for the Kiwi Ferns. She is also the only foundation member of the women's programme - Warriors player No.2 in 2018 - to return for its rebirth. Apii Nicholls is tackled against Parramatta Eels. Photo: Brett Phibbs/ When new coach Ron Griffiths began considering his captaincy options, the choice was obvious, but Nicholls needed persuading. "Last year, when we signed her, my wife and I met her in Canberra, and I thought she could lead the team," he remembers. "She's the sort of player, the way she speaks, her humility, she leads by her actions… she could captain this team. "I didn't even mention leadership to her, but by the time I got back to Newcastle that night, I had a message saying she didn't want a leadership role with the club. "We've taken her right outside her comfort zone and she's going through growing pains." Nicholls has had to understand she is a work in progress. This is her first time as a skipper and, while that responsibility comes naturally to some, others have to work harder at it. "That's something I've been able to accept over these past few days and that's helped me move on from that last game," Nicholls conceded. "It's challenging and this week has been the most challenging for me, but I've been able to speak to a few people that have given me a lift that I can keep going. "I really wanted to turn things around, but we didn't in the end. Leaving that game, what mattered the most was staying connected as a team. "We reflect, we learn, we take ownership of our roles and keep building." Whether she realises it or not, Nicholls has made an impact on those around her. She exudes mana and, yes, she has provided a couple of highlight plays already this season, especially on defence. As Parramatta Eels counterpart Abbi Church broke from her own half and threatened to run the length of the park for a try, Nicholls' one-on-one tackle in midfield undoubtedly lifted the Warriors at a time when their first-ever win at Mt Smart still hung in the balance. Griffiths tells of another senior player becoming quite emotional, while discussing Nicholls' growth in such a short time. "That shows you she's well on her way to getting where she needs to be," he said. "Whatever Apii said on Sunday wouldn't have won or lost us that game. Apii Nicholls is the only player returning from the previous Warriors women's programme. Photo: BIANCA DE MARCHI "She might have felt she needed to lead with her voice, and at certain times, she will need to say things to lift her players or get them on track, but I didn't feel that had a bearing on the outcome on Sunday. She still feels like she needs to put the team on her back at times - that's probably where she's at as a leader - but she doesn't need to. "She's always hard on herself and I get that, but when you watch good leaders, they self-reflect and think, 'Maybe I didn't get that right'. It can create some uncertainty at times, if you haven't had leadership roles before, so that's weighing on her mind." Self-awareness can be a burden, but as the campaign progresses and other players become more comfortable in their new surroundings, Nicholls will find the support she needs from her teammates. "I just want to make sure these girls have a good season, because it's their first time," she said. "As a leader, I want the best for each and every one of these players - that's the biggest focus for me. "I'm a huge believer that everything happens for a reason. We'll continue to build, we're always going to be learning and we can't always get things right, so we are where we are meant to be." Just like their captain. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
