Five New Zealand-based players are now in quarantine in Australia preparing for the Warriors’ campaign in the Covid-19 affected 2020 NRLW premiership.
After being located in Sydney for three nights, the players have gone into isolation at a remote facility in New South Wales where they're able to train for the next two weeks before the full squad is assembled for the third NRLW season.
Making the trip to Australia are last year’s Warriors captain Georgia Hale, wingers Madison Bartlett and Hilda Peters, hooker Kanyon Paul and back rower Crystal Tamarua. They’re joined by two staff, Vodafone Warriors community relations manager Petrece Kesha, the team’s manager, and New Zealand Rugby League wellbeing manager Carmen Taplin.
World Cup-winning Australian Jillaroos boss Brad Donald, appointed recently as the new Warriors coach, says the players from New Zealand will provide the team’s leading edge.
“I can’t say enough about what Georgia, Madison, Hilda, Kanyon and Crystal are doing,” he said.
“They have made tremendous sacrifices to be involved and, for us, they represent the core, the heart and soul, of what this team is all about. They all played for the club in the NRLW last year and Georgia, Hilda and Crystal were also involved in the first year in 2018 so they have a deep understanding of what the club stands for.
“There’s going to be a lot of activity in the coming days assembling a squad but we’re all in this together to carry on the amazing job the NRL players and staff have been doing. We will be striving to make the club, our families, our fans and New Zealanders proud.
“This is terrific opportunity provided for all of us by the Warriors, the NZRL and the NRL. It’s very much about sacrifice and selflessness to keep the NRLW competition going and that effort won’t go unappreciated or unrecognised.”
Across the NRLW’s first two seasons the Warriors have achieved a 3-3 win-loss record in the six games they’re played, both times denied the chance to play in the grand final through points for and against.
In their last game last season the Warriors stunned Brisbane 10-8 to be one of three teams finishing on four points but they narrowly missed out on playing the Broncos in the grand final on points differential.
Hale and Peters are the most experienced of the five players in the travelling group having appeared in all six of the club’s games in 2018 and 2019 while Tamarua has played four games and Bartlett and Paul two each.
2020 WARRIORS | NRLW PREMIERSHIP
MADISON BARTLETT
Born: December 5, 1994
Birthplace: Wairoa, NZ
Club: Richmond Roses (Auckland)
Zone: Akarana Falcons
Position: Wing
Height: 167cm
Weight: 69kg
NRLW debut: v Sydney Roosters, AAMI Park, Melbourne, September 14, 2019
Warriors number: 25
NRLW appearances: 2
Rep honours: Kiwi Ferns (2019)
Years playing rugby league: 5
What got you into the game? Friends and the challenge of contact
Occupation: Student liaison officer, Massey University
GEORGIA HALE
Born: August 9, 1995
Birthplace: Auckland, NZ
Club: Richmond Roses (Auckland)
Zone: Akarana Falcons
Position: Loose forward
Height: 160cm
Weight: 73kg
NRLW debut: v Sydney Roosters, ANZ Stadium, Sydney, September 8, 2018
Warriors number: 7
NRLW appearances: 6
Rep honours: Kiwi Ferns (2015-2019), World Cup (2017), Auckland NRL Nines (2014-2017), New Zealand touch, New Zealand tag
Years playing rugby league: 6 years
What got you into the game? My friends
Occupation: Community coordinator, Vodafone Warriors
HILDA PETERS
Pronunciation: Mar-ree-oo
Born: August 9, 1983
Birthplace: Auckland, NZ
Club: Papakura Sisters (Auckland)
Zone: Counties Manukau Stingrays
Position: Wing
Height: 165cm
Weight: 66kg
NRLW debut: v Sydney Roosters, ANZ Stadium, Sydney, September 8, 2018
Warriors number: 6
NRLW appearances: 6
Rep honours: Kiwi Ferns (2014-2019), World Cup (2017), Maori Ferns (2019), Auckland NRL Nines (2015)
Years playing rugby league: 13
What got you into the game? All my siblings played except me
Occupation: Teacher aide
KANYON PAUL
Born: October 5, 1997
Birthplace: Hamilton, NZ
Club: Hamilton City Tigers (Waikato)
Zone: Wai-Coa-Bay Stallions
Position: Hooker/halfback
Height: 156cm
Weight: 64kg
NRLW debut: v Sydney Roosters, AAMI Park, Melbourne, September 14, 2019
Warriors number: 29
NRLW appearances: 2
Rep honours: Kiwi Ferns (2019)
Years playing rugby league: 4
What got you into the game? It has been a family sport
Occupation: Studying Bachelor of Health, Sport and Human Performance, University of Waikato
CRYSTAL TAMARUA
Pronunciation: Tar-ma-roo-ah
Born: July 30, 1995
Birthplace: Auckland, NZ
Club: Richmond Roses (Auckland)
Zone: Akarana Falcons
Position: Second row
Height: 174cm
Weight: 85kg
NRLW debut: v St George Illawarra, ANZ Stadium, Sydney, September 15, 2018
Warriors number: 19
NRLW appearances: 4
Rep honours: Kiwi Ferns (2017-2019), Cook Islands (2017), World Cup (2017)
Years playing rugby league: 5
What got you into the game? My friends
Occupation: Assembler, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare
