KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand Warriors are on course for a home crowd attendance not seen since their debut year in the National Rugby League 12 years ago.
The Warriors, who have lost just one of their last nine matches to be in firm contention for the playoffs, have one more scheduled game in Auckland this season, against second-placed Manly on Sunday week.
Chief executive Wayne Scurrah said more than 21,000 tickets had been sold for the visit of the Sea Eagles on August 26.
He said the club were looking at adding 5000 seats on the grass embankment behind one end of the field to increase the capacity to 27,000.
A figure of that magnitude hasn't been reached at Mt Smart Stadium since 1995, when the ground record of 30,112 was set. Manly were also the visitors that day, winning 26-14.
The present rush for tickets marks a huge turnaround for the Warriors, whose average home gate for 2007 before last weekend was just 11,302 - the second lowest in the league.
The upturn began last Sunday, when 20,609 - the biggest attendance in five years - turned up for the 30-6 win over Gold Coast.
The Warriors will earn themselves one more game at Mt Smart if they finish the regular season in the top four.
The top four qualifiers get home advantage in the first week of the playoffs.
- NZPA
