Warriors five-eighth Blake Green joins Courtney Tairi, Lewis Brown and Blake Ayshford to talk about his long career up north and down under. Plus who in the Warriors is the worst lockdown buddy and how will they handle the Aussie slang they’ll need to survive across the ditch. Video / Sky Sport
The Warriors are anxiously waiting on a few final details before they fly across the Tasman for the resumption of the NRL season – but they will be safe in the knowledge that, upon arrival, they will have a home to train ahead of the season restart.
Tamworth, a city northeast of New South Wales known as the country music capital of Australia, is touted as the obvious home base for the Warriors should players be permitted to train in isolation for 14 days before the NRL's proposed May 28 start date.
The city's mayor Col Murray has welcomed the Warriors – understood to be a group of 41 players and support staff – with open arms, saying they have the perfect base for the Kiwi side to train at while in isolation.
"Here in Tamworth, we're great friends of the Kiwis. We've got very strong relationships," Murray told NZME.
"I think there's a really strong sentiment, particularly off the back of our recent Anzac commemorations of what the relationship means between Australia and New Zealand.
"The Scully Park grounds with a brand new motel attached could almost have been designed for quarantine. So I don't think you'll find a better place anywhere for management and supporters of the Warriors to know that they're going to be in really good hands if they can come to Tamworth."
Murray says the proposed training grounds – which features all the facilities the Warriors would need from ice baths to medical rooms – is "first class".
"The Scully Park footy ground is really highly regarded and it's been arguably the best footy surface in regional New South Wales and better than most in Sydney," he said. "It's a very high quality ground. The playing surface is absolutely first class and it's about an 80 metre walk from the motel.
"The quarantine situation is as simple as just sliding the gates closed with the entry for the car park and you're isolated from everywhere. You've got the pool, commercial kitchens and everything else associated with the club and the motel.
"It is a really sporty town and prides itself on being that way. There's a lot of Warriors supporters here. I'm an unashamed Manly supporter but it would be great to have the Warriors here. And I think it would be really good for our city."
Scully Park in Tamworth. Photo / Getty
Warriors chief executive Cameron George – who is no stranger to Tamworth having previously played as a halfback for the Wests Lions – said he is thankful to have the city as a potential base.
"Here we were potentially without a location, so in a short time frame to find a new one to cater for high performance training that usually takes 12 months in the space of three hours, we could not be more appreciative," he told the Northern Daily Leader.
"We in no shape or form will be jeopardising any protocols or requirements put upon us to be based in Tamworth, I can assure the local community that all of our players will abide by those rules and not threaten the well-being of the great community of Tamworth.
"By virtue of the fact we are quarantined and can't leave, we have a very strict and measured programme in the next few weeks."
Warriors staff during their match against the Canberra Raiders in March. Photo / Photosport
The Warriors are awaiting state clearance for the club to train together while in isolation. The club's players have also agreed to leave New Zealand even without confirmation that their families will be able to join them during the season, a potentially massive sacrifice with the prospect of not seeing loved ones for up to six months a possibility.
Another hurdle for the Warriors is receiving vital information from the NRL about player remuneration, with players still in the dark over salary levels for the compressed competition.
If the Warriors and the NRL are able to check all the boxes, the Auckland side will get on a charter flight on Sunday and begin training along with the other 15 clubs on Tuesday.
The team will then relocate closer to Sydney after the 14-day isolation period.
