NRL: Warriors set for Melbourne Anzac Day clash and Taranaki trip

Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson in action against the Storm during their 2013 Anzac Day clash. Photo/Getty.

The Warriors look set to return to Melbourne for their Anzac Day clash against the Storm and will take a regular season home game to Taranaki for the first time in 2016.

This year the Warriors broke from the tradition of playing the Storm at AAMI Park on Anzac Day as the NRL wanted a match in New Zealand to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Anzac landings at Gallipoli.

The Herald Sun reports that the Storm campaigned strongly for the fixture to be reinstated next season and the NRL are set to grant the request, with the 2016 premiership draw to be announced tomorrow.

Storm chief executive Dave Donaghy is hopeful their most popular match of the year will be back next year.

"We've been pushing our case to have the Warriors return for Anzac Day for quite a while now," Donaghy told the Herald Sun.

"We think it is a marquee fixture on our calendar.

"We've spent a lot of time and put a lot of effort into building it up as a major event for our city, and it is certainly something our members want back on our calendar next year.
"We think it works for all parties on what is a special day."

Prior to this year, the Storm hosted the Warriors at AAMI Park on Anzac Day every year since the inaugural match in 2009.

With Melbourne's large population of ex-pat Kiwis, the fixture quickly grew to become the Storm's biggest home game of the season and the match was a sell out in 2014.

This season the Storm hosted Manly on Anzac Day but drew a disappointing crowd of just 13,948, highlighting the Warriors role in drawing a strong crowd.

The Warriors played the Gold Coast Titans at Mt Smart Stadium in their Anzac day clash, but despite the presence of 15,518 fans lost 32-28.

The Warriors yesterday confirmed they will also play a game at New Plymouth's Yarrow Stadium, with the opposition and date of the match to be revealed upon release of the new draw.

The Daily Telegraph report that the NRL plan to bring back Sunday afternoon blockbusters, with Sam Burgess set to play his comeback match for the South Sydney Rabbitohs against traditional rivals the Sydney Roosters on March 6.

That clash, normally played on a Friday night in recent seasons, is tipped to draw a crowd in excess of 35,000 and Sydney fans will be treated to a big Sunday afternoon match every weekend in the first 11 rounds.

The Telegraph report that the season will begin on the Thursday night with a match between the Parramatta Eels and Brisbane Broncos at Pirtek Stadium.