Warriors to host an NRL final at Eden Park in New Zealand for the first time
New Zealand club the Warriors will play a National Rugby League (NRL) elimination final against the Newcastle Knights at Eden Park in Auckland. It will be the first NRL finals match the team has hosted at this venue, ABC News Australia reports.
The NRL confirmed that the second-week playoff match will take place next Sunday at 6:05 p.m. local time. The Warriors lost 16:26 to the Dolphins in the qualifying final on Saturday.
A 50,000-seat stadium
The Warriors' first choice was Mount Smart Stadium, where the team has substantial fan support. However, Eden Park has a capacity of 50,000 spectators and is a more modern venue. The match against the Dolphins at Mount Smart was attended by 26,131 spectators and was completely sold out.
The Warriors have previously hosted finals matches in Auckland five times, but all of them were held at Mount Smart. In Round 25 of the season, the team defeated the Newcastle Knights 46:32 in Auckland.
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Injuries ahead of the match
The Warriors have squad issues ahead of the meeting with the Knights. Centre Leka Halasima did not play against the Dolphins after feeling pain in his hamstring during the warm-up. According to head coach Andrew Webster, the problem is unrelated to the ankle injury the player had suffered earlier. Halasima is expected to miss the match against the Knights.
Prop Jackson Ford's participation is also in doubt. He returned after a 12-week absence due to a torn pectoral muscle, but left the field limping with an ankle problem in the match against the Dolphins. Webster said the club does not yet have further information about the nature of the injury.
The coach also said his team was in a good position at 12:8 after the first half, but was unable to contain the opponent, particularly Dolphins centre Herbie Farnworth.
