2012 New Zealand Warriors season
| 2012 New Zealand Warriors season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NRL Rank | 14th | |||
| 2012 record | Wins: 8; Draws: 0; Losses: 16 | |||
| Points scored | For: 497; Against: 609 | |||
| Team information | ||||
| CEO | Wayne Scurrah | |||
| Coach |
Brian McClennan Tony Iro | |||
| Assistant coach | Tony Iro | |||
| Captains | ||||
| Stadium | Mount Smart Stadium | |||
| Avg. Attend. | 15,257 | |||
| Top scorers | ||||
| Tries |
Manu Vatuvei (12) Shaun Johnson (12) Konrad Hurrell (12) | |||
| Goals | James Maloney (67) | |||
| Points | James Maloney (153) | |||
| ||||
The New Zealand Warriors 2012 season is the New Zealand Warriors 18th first-grade season. The club is competing in Australasia's National Rugby League. The coach of the team was Brian McClennan, until he was sacked on 21 August after Round 22, while Simon Mannering is the club's captain. Assistant Coach Tony Iro was appointed caretaker coach for the final two matches.
Milestones
- 4 February - All Stars Match: Manu Vatuvei represents the NRL All Stars in the pre-season All Stars Match.
- 5 March - Round One: Ben Henry and Konrad Hurrell make their first grade debuts while Nathan Friend plays his first match for the Warriors.
- 24 March - Round Four: Simon Mannering played in his 150th NRL match and his 50th match as captain.[1][2]
- 12 May - Round 10: Ukuma Ta'ai played in his 50th NRL match.
- 16 June - Round 15: Omar Slaimankhel made his first grade debut.
- 16 June - Round 15: Ben Matulino played in his 100th NRL match. He became the first player from the Toyota Cup to play 100 matches in the National Rugby League.[3]
- 11 August - Round 23: Manu Vatuvei becomes the first player to score 100 tries for the club.[4]
- 11 August - Round 23: Bill Tupou played in his 50th NRL match.
- 19 August - Round 24: Manu Vatuvei played in his 150th NRL match.
- 19 August - Round 24: Feleti Mateo played in his 50th match for the club.
- 2 September - Round 26: In Micheal Luck's last NRL match, the Warriors lost their eight straight match, a record for the club.[5] The streak included two back-to-back losses involving comebacks of eighteen points or more, an NRL first.
Jersey and sponsors
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In 2012 the Warriors jerseys is again to be made by Canterbury of New Zealand.[6] They were unveiled on 21 November 2011 at the first day of training. The jerseys feature a traditional rugby league "v" for the first time since 2003.[7] The Junior Warriors play in a red strip with a white away jersey. |
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Change of ownership
On the 2 March owner Eric Watson announced that he had bought out the minority shareholders, including Mark Hotchin, and would form a new 50-50 venture with Owen Glenn to control the club.[8][9]
Fixtures
The Warriors opened the season by hosting a match at Eden Park in Auckland.[6] This was only the second time that the Warriors have played a home match away from Mount Smart Stadium. The remaining 11 home games will be played at Mount Smart Stadium, their only home ground since they entered the competition in 1995.
Pre-season training
The main squad returned to training on 21 November 2011 to start preparing for the 2012 season.[10] Players involved in the 2011 Four Nations and other representative matches returned to training later. Twenty three first graders were present on the first day of training.[11]
Pre-season matches
North Harbour Stadium hosted a Warriors trial match for the tenth time.[12] The Warriors also played a match in Whangarei.[13]
| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Score | Tries | Goals | Attendance | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 February | Trial 1 |  Gold Coast Titans | North Harbour Stadium, Auckland | Win | 26-10 | Hurrell, Brown, Johnson, Fisiiahi, Tupou | Maloney (2) | 10,500 | [14] |
| 11 February | Trial 2 |  South Sydney Rabbitohs | BCU International Stadium, Coffs Harbour | Win | 22-14 | Vatuvei (2), Mannering, Hurrell | Johnson (2), Maloney | 5,376 | [15] |
| 19 February | Trial 3 |  Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles | Toll Stadium, Whangarei | Win | 68 - 10 | Penehe (2), Matulino (2), Mara, Godinet, Ta'ai, Locke, Inu, Brown, Ropati, Fishiiahi, Henry | Inu (4), Locke (3), Henry | 9,000 | [16] |
Regular season
Ladder
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
24 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 568 | 369 | +199 | 40 |
| 2 |  Melbourne Storm (P) |
24 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 579 | 361 | +218 | 38 |
| 3 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 559 | 438 | +121 | 36 |
| 4 |  Manly Warringah Sea Eagles |
24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 497 | 403 | +94 | 36 |
| 5 |  North Queensland Cowboys |
24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 597 | 445 | +152 | 34 |
| 6 |  Canberra Raiders |
24 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 545 | 536 | +9 | 30 |
| 7 |  Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks |
24 | 12 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 445 | 441 | +4 | 29 |
| 8 |  Brisbane Broncos |
24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 481 | 447 | +34 | 28 |
| 9 |  St. George Illawarra Dragons |
24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 405 | 438 | -33 | 26 |
| 10 |  Wests Tigers |
24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 506 | 551 | -45 | 26 |
| 11 | Gold Coast Titans |
24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 449 | 477 | -28 | 24 |
| 12 |  Newcastle Knights |
24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 448 | 488 | -40 | 24 |
| 13 |  Sydney Roosters |
24 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 462 | 626 | -164 | 21 |
| 14 |  New Zealand Warriors |
24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 497 | 609 | -112 | 20 |
| 15 |  Penrith Panthers |
24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 409 | 575 | -166 | 20 |
| 16 |  Parramatta Eels |
24 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 431 | 674 | -243 | 16 |
Squad
The Warriors used twenty nine players during the season. Seven players made their debut for the club, including six who were making their NRL debuts - all of these players were graduates from the Warriors Toyota Cup programme.
| No. | Name | Position | Warriors Debut | App | T | G | FG | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 108 | Ropati, JeromeJerome Ropati | CE | 31 August 2003 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 115 | Vatuvei, ManuManu Vatuvei | WG | 23 May 2004 | 20 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 48 |
| 125 | Mannering, SimonSimon Mannering | SR | 26 June 2005 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 126 | Luck, MichealMicheal Luck | LK | 12 March 2006 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 131 | Rapira, SamSam Rapira | PR | 20 May 2006 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 141 | Packer, RussellRussell Packer | PR | 4 May 2008 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 142 | Matulino, BenBen Matulino | PR | 14 June 2008 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 146 | Lillyman, JacobJacob Lillyman | PR | 14 March 2009 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 149 | Ta'ai, UkumaUkuma Ta'ai | SR | 22 March 2009 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 151 | Brown, LewisLewis Brown | SR | 3 May 2009 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 152 | Locke, KevinKevin Locke | FB/WG | 31 May 2009 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| 156 | Maloney, JamesJames Maloney | FE | 14 March 2010 | 24 | 4 | 67 | 3 | 153 |
| 159 | Lousi, SioneSione Lousi | SR | 14 March 2010 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 160 | Tupou, BillBill Tupou | WG | 4 April 2010 | 23 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| 162 | Mara, AlehanaAlehana Mara | HK | 21 August 2010 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 163 | Fisiiahi, GlenGlen Fisiiahi | FB | 12 March 2011 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 164 | Mateo, FeletiFeleti Mateo | SR | 12 March 2011 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 166 | Inu, KrisnanKrisnan Inu | WG/CE | 19 March 2011 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 167 | Taylor, ElijahElijah Taylor | SR | 3 April 2011 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 168 | Johnson, ShaunShaun Johnson | HB | 4 June 2011 | 22 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 48 |
| 169 | Rapira, SteveSteve Rapira | SR | 4 June 2011 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 170 | Godinet, PitaPita Godinet | HB/HK | 24 July 2011 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 171 | Henry, BenBen Henry | CE/SR | 4 March 2012 | 24 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 36 |
| 172 | Friend, NathanNathan Friend | HK | 4 March 2012 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 173 | Hurrell, KonradKonrad Hurrell | CE | 4 March 2012 | 17 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 48 |
| 174 | Slaimankhel, OmarOmar Slaimankhel | FB | 16 June 2012 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 175 | Lousi, SamSam Lousi | SR | 21 July 2012 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 176 | Ikahihifo, SebastineSebastine Ikahihifo | LK | 28 July 2012 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 177 | Tuimavave, CarlosCarlos Tuimavave | FE | 5 August 2012 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Staff
- Chief Executive Officer: Wayne Scurrah
- General Manager: Don Mann Jr
- Recruitment and Development Manager: Dean Bell
- High Performance Manager: Craig Walker[17]
- High Performance Assistant: Ruben Wiki
- Medical Services Manager: John Mayhew
- Welfare and Education Manager: Jerry Seuseu
- Media and Communications Manager: Richard Becht
NRL staff
- NRL Head Coach: Brian McClennan, until 21 August 2012, replaced by Tony Iro.[18]
- NRL Assistant Coach: Tony Iro[19]
- Defence coach: Ruben Wiki[20]
- Halves Coach: Andrew Johns[21]
NYC staff
- NYC Head Coach & Assistant NRL Coach: John Ackland[22]
- Development Coach: Willie Swann[23]
Transfers
Gains
| Player | Previous Club | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan Friend | Gold Coast Titans | 2013 with option | [24] |
| Brian McClennan | Leeds Rhinos | 2012-2013 with option | Coach[25] |
Losses
Mid-season Losses
| Player | Club | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Krisnan Inu | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 24 May[35] |
Other teams
In 2012 the Junior Warriors are again competing in the Toyota Cup while senior players who are not required for the first team play with the Auckland Vulcans in the NSW Cup. The Vulcans are coached by former Warriors development coach Ricky Henry.[36]
Toyota Cup Squad
| New Zealand Warriors Under 20's | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Cup squad | Coaching staff | ||||||||
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Head coach
Updated: 24/11/2011 | ||||||||
Vulcans squad
The Auckland Vulcans contracted ten players. The team was strengthened with Warriors players not picked for each round and local club players. The ten contracted players were: DJ Collier, Agnatius Paasi, Daniel Palavi, Tulson Caird, Willie Peace, James Blackwell, Ruben Williams, Steve Waetford, Darin Kingi and Murray Iti.[37]
Sam Lousi was named the Auckland Vulcans’ Player of the Year.[38]
Awards
Ben Matulino won the club's Player of the Year award. Ben Henry was named Young Player of the Year and Elijah Taylor was the clubman of the year.[39] Konrad Hurrell was the Vodafone People's choice award winner.[40]
References
- ↑ Mannering joining Warrior greats New Zealand Herald, 24 March 2012
- ↑ Mannering brings up double milestone New Zealand Herald, 22 March 2012
- ↑ Matulino first NYC graduate to 100 NRL games rleague.com, 19 June 2012
- ↑ Warriors humiliated by Cowboys in Townsville stuff.co.nz, 11 August 2012
- ↑ Warriors exposed in record losing streak The Press, 3 September 2012
- 1 2 Stanley, Ben (19 August 2011). "Eden Park to welcome the Warriors in 2012". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
- ↑ Warriors suit up for 2012 NRL season The Press, 21 November 2011
- ↑ Billionaire Owen Glenn takes Warriors stake stuff.co.nz, 2 March 2012
- ↑ Glenn buys share of the Warriors New Zealand Herald, 2 March 2012
- ↑ Preseason just days away warriors.co.nz, 16 November 2011
- ↑ Easy does it for new Warriors coach New Zealand Herald, 21 November 2011
- ↑ Warriors to trial on the North Shore New Zealand Herald, 11 November 2011
- ↑ Warriors confirm return to Whangarei New Zealand Herald, 14 November 2011
- ↑ Life under Brian starts well New Zealand Herald, 5 February 2012
- ↑ Vatuavei double powers Warriors to another trial win rleague.com, 11 February 2012
- ↑ Warriors unscathed after latest trial victory New Zealand Herald, 19 February 2012
- ↑ Iro, Ackland and Walker to remain with Warriors under McClennan rleague.com, 27 August 2011
- ↑ McClennan dismayed at Warriors axing stuff.co.nz, 21 August 2012
- ↑ Alderson, Andrew (21 August 2011). "NRL: Warriors to have a familiar feel in 2012". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
- ↑ McClennan left singing the blues New Zealand Herald, 26 August 2012
- ↑ Warriors boss denies rift with Ivan Cleary stuff.co.nz, 9 October 2011
- ↑ Deane, Steve (27 August 2011). "NRL: 'Bluey' keeps the faith with his staff". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
- ↑ Warriors add teen Palavi on three-year deal stuff.co.nz, 16 February 2012
- ↑ Friend says first priority is Titans goldcoast.com.au, 12 April 2011
- ↑ Lawton, Aaron (31 July 2011). "Warriors set to sign 'Bluey' this week". The Sunday Star-Times. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
- ↑ Hohaia confirms four year contract with St Helens rleague.com, 12 April 2011
- ↑ "NRL: Heremaia signs with Hull". The New Zealand Herald. 3 June 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
- ↑ "Seymour to leave Warriors". Television New Zealand. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
- ↑ Dragons sign Matthews, Latimore nrl.com, 5 July 2011
- ↑ Salford sign Joel Moon and Jordan James rleague.com, 10 September 2011
- ↑ Brown, Michael (1 September 2011). "NRL: Cleary calm as farewell game approaches". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
- ↑ Raiders sign Shaun Berrigan rleague.com, 19 October 2011
- ↑ Wakefield sign Isaac John code13rugbyleague.com, 29 October 2011
- 1 2 3 4 NRL 2012: Team roster analysis – who’s in and who’s out theroar.com.au
- ↑ Inu leaves the Warriors to join Bulldogs New Zealand Herald, 24 May 2012
- ↑ Vodafone Warriors coach to guide Vulcans in 2012 warriors.co.nz, 2 February 2012
- ↑ New era as Vulcans kick off 2012 season warriors.co.nz, 3 March 2012
- ↑ Major Vulcans accolade for Lousi warriors.co.nz, 16 August 2012
- ↑ Matulino wins Player of the Year New Zealand Herald, 4 October 2012
- ↑ Matulino's Night NZ League, Issue 4 Sept/October
External links
- Warriors official site
- Warriors 2012 season rugby league project