Mount Smart Stadium will provide thousands of examples on Sunday of exactly what the #PlayNRL Round stands for.
Across the NRL, NYC and Intrust Super Premiership games plus the mini mods there’ll be about 200 players, coaches and support staff involved.
Add to that an overall team of about 200 dedicated to a vast range of roles running the game day operations at the stadium and then several thousand Vodafone Warriors members plus fans who come along, many of them directly affiliated to rugby league clubs or involved in the game in some shape.
It makes for the ultimate illustration of what the #PlayNRL Round encapsulates for this is a week when rugby league is focused on celebrating everyone involved in the game while also encouraging new people of all ages – from six to 60 and beyond – to sign up to enjoy their local footy, whether it be playing, coaching, volunteering or refereeing.
It’s also a round when the players’ origins are recognised through their junior clubs (see the club associations for the Vodafone Warriors’ NRL, NYC and ISP teams below).
Every home game the Vodafone Warriors support grass roots rugby league with mini mod games. The clubs involved on Sunday were all junior clubs for players named for the Vodafone Warriors in the NRL match – the Hibiscus Coast Raiders (Shaun Johnson), Otara Scorpions (Manu Vatuvei), Otahuhu Leopards (Roger Tuivasa-Sheck) and Richmond Rovers (James Gavet and John Palavi).
Vodafone Warriors captain Ryan Hoffman has vivid memories of his early involvement in the game.
“My club was the Campbelltown Collegians back there in the good old C Town (in west Sydney),” he said.
“My early memories were sleeping in my kit, playing with me friends and getting a pack of footy cards, a meat pie and a Coke after the game.”
It’s memories like Hoffman’s which will resonate for everyone as the Vodafone Warriors gear up to celebrate #PlayNRL Round on Sunday.
VODAFONE WARRIORS | JUNIOR CLUBS
NRL | VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK (Otahuhu Leopards)
2 TUIMOALA LOLOHEA (Marist Saints)
3 BLAKE AYSHFORD (Paddington Tigers)
4 SOLOMONE KATA (Howick Hornets)
5 MANU VATUVEI (Otara Scorpions)
6 SHAUN JOHNSON (Hibiscus Coast Raiders)
7 JEFF ROBSON (Leeton Greenies)
8 JACOB LILLYMAN (Richmond Tigers)
9 ISSAC LUKE (Hawera Hawks)
10 BEN MATULINO (Te Aroha Eels)
11 BODENE THOMPSON (Tauranga City Sharks)
12 RYAN HOFFMAN (Campbelltown Collegians) (c)
13 SIMON MANNERING (Te Aroha Eels)
Interchange:
14 NATHANIEL ROACHE (Mount Albert Lions)
15 CHARLIE GUBB (University Hunters)
16 JAMES GAVET (Richmond Rovers)
17 ALBERT VETE (Mangere East Hawks)
18 JOHN PALAVI (Richmond Rovers)
21 JONATHAN WRIGHT (Northern Lake Warriors)
23 KONRAD HURRELL (Mount Albert Lions)
HEAD COACH | ANDREW McFADDEN (West Belconnen Warriors)
ISP | VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 TOMAS AOAKE (Mangere East Hawks)
2 KEN MAUMALO (Papatoetoe Panthers)
3 DAVID FUSITU’A (Marist Saints)
4 MATT ALLWOOD (Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School)
5 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD (City Newton Dragons)
6 ERIN CLARK (Manurewa Marlins)
7 ATA HINGANO (Pakuranga Jaguars)
8 PAUL TULI (Mangere East Hawks)
9 JAZZ TEVAGA (Papakura Sea Eagles)
10 UPU POCHING (Mangere East Hawks)
11 MARATA NIUKORE (Howick Hornets)
12 RAYMOND FAITALA-MARINER (Otahuhu Leopards)
13 ALI LAUITIITI (Mangere East Hawks) (c)
Interchange:
14 VILIAMI KAVEINGA (Mangere East Hawks)
15 DANIEL PALAVI (Richmond Rovers)
16 PAT SIPLEY (Richmond Rovers)
17 JAMES BELL (Papakura Sea Eagles)
COACH | STACEY JONES (Point Chevalier Pirates)
NYC | VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1 KANE TELEA (Mount Wellington Warriors)
2 LEWIS SOOSEMEA (Mangere East Hawks)
3 JUNIOR PAUGA (Glenora Bears)
4 MELINO FINEANGANOFO (Mount Albert Lions)
5 LEVI McBIRNEY (Northcote Tigers)
6 EIDEN ACKLAND (Mount Albert Lions)
7 ZION IOKA (Glenora Bears)
8 ISAIAH PAPALII (Te Atatu Roosters)
9 SHELDON PITAMA (Northern Bulldogs) (c)
10 KENESE KENESE (Manurewa Marlins)
11 OFAHIKI OGDEN (Mangere East)
12 JOSEPH VUNA (Otahuhu Leopards)
13 CHRIS SIO (Marist Saints)
Interchange:
14 JEROME MAMEA (Point Chevalier Pirates)
15 JOSEPH PRICE (Mangere East)
16 KEANU DAWSON (Forestland Falcons)
17 TUALIMA TUALIMA (Point Chevalier Pirates)
COACH | KELVIN WRIGHT (Howick Hornets)
VODAFONE WARRIORS v MELBOURNE STORM
Sunday, March 20
Mount Smart Stadium
11.30am | Gates open
11.45am | Intrust Super Premiership NSW | Vodafone Warriors v Newtown Jets
1.45pm | NYC | Vodafone Junior Warriors v Melbourne Storm
4.05pm | NRL | Vodafone Warriors v Melbourne Storm
7.00pm-8.00pm | Meet the Team, Andy’s Burger Bar, Level 2, SKYCITY (all ages welcome)
BUY TICKETS NOW | VODAFONE WARRIORS v MELBOURNE
