Editorial: Warriors kick off in a strange new world

Warriors coach Stephen Kearney has a little help to maintaining a poker face ahead of the team returning to the paddock today. Photo / photosport.nz

EDITORIAL

When Roger Tuivasa-Sheck leads the Warriors out on to Central Coast Stadium to resume their NRL campaign this afternoon, it will be 10 weeks to the day since we saw a professional Kiwi team in action.

The terrifying uncertainty of Covid-19 has been compounded by the absence of live sport and the escapism of watching your favourite team or athlete - for many a part of the fabric of our Kiwi culture in a time when life has been anything but.

Naturally, sporting organisations haven't been spared the pandemic's impact, casting doubts on the futures of grassroots clubs and flagship bodies like New Zealand Rugby, New Zealand Cricket and the TAB.

The Warriors have remained more pragmatic than most, their decision to abandon the familiar and relocate to Australia - for up to six months - widely lauded.

The bookmakers haven't been as kind, however, giving the team short shrift as they have had limited preparation time due to self-isolation regulations across the ditch and are already suffering from long-term injuries to key players.

Add to that their underwhelming form in the two completed rounds of the season and it would be considered a minor modern-day miracle if Stephen Kearney's men were within sight of the finals by October - a feat they've only managed once since 2011.

Then again, perhaps the prospect of watching live sport, less than two months after the world came to a grinding halt, is proof enough of a new kind of sporting fairy tale in a new kind of normal.