GWM Game Day Guide: Indigenous Round at home
Resplendent in their Te Arahi jersey, the One New Zealand Warriors are back at Go Media Stadium for their biggest home game of the season when they face premiership favourite Penrith in Friday night’s NRL Indigenous Round clash (8.00pm kick-off; match day sponsor: Steven Adams Pathways Trust)).
It’s literally a huge Friday night lights occasion off the field as well in the shape of Kiwi NBA giant superstar Steven Adams as the special guest for the launch of the collaboration recently announced between his pathways trust and the One New Zealand Warriors.
With the biggest home crowd of the year in attendance, fans are encouraged to show their support for a fund-raising drive for the Steven Adams Pathways Trust by texting ‘Steven’ or ‘Up the Wahs’ to 933 as many times as they like (each text raises $3.00 for the trust).
The 2.11m Adams will make an appearance in the centre of the field at 7.00pm when he does the NRL coin toss.
GWM Game Day Guide | Round 23
Match day partner: Steven Adams Pathways Trust
5.00pm | Gates open
5.15pm | New South Wales Cup: One New Zealand Warriors v Penrith Panthers
6.50pm | Persil Junior Footy
7.00pm | NRLW coin toss with Steven Adams
7.25pm | NRL warm-ups
8.00pm | NRL: One New Zealand Warriors v Penrith Panthers
8.40pm | Halftime live show: Te Wehi and Hori Shaw
9.45pm | Fulltime
With gates opening at 5.00pm, the football focus is on a double header with the sixth-placed One New Zealand Warriors facing top of the table Penrith in their round 23 New South Wales Cup clash (5.15pm kick-off) followed by the main event pitting the NRL’s third-placed Warriors against the competition-leading Panthers.
Match: Warriors v Panthers
Round 23 -
home Team
Warriors
3rd Position
away Team
Panthers
1st Position
Venue: Go Media Stadium, Auckland
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
In recognition of this being the NRL’s annual Indigenous round, the whole evening will showcase Māori culture:
- The NRL team wearing Te Arahi, the club’s 2026 Indigenous Round jersey.
- A special welcome to the field for both NRL teams from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.
- Halftime entertainment from Māori and Indigenous artists.
- Cultural gift exchange between NRL captains James Fisher-Harris and Isaah Yeo at the coin toss.
In other game day features, the popular Persil Junior Footy games will start at 6.50pm and Sky Sport will have its Raptor Cam in operation for both matches which gives fans a special aerial perspective of the games.
For One NZ Warriors Members, renewals for the 2027 NRL season go on sale from 10am on game day. On the back of another sold out season and record crowds, Members can now go online to complete their renewal or visit the box office at Gate B for assistance.
Match: Warriors v Panthers
Round 23 -
home Team
Warriors
6th Position
away Team
Panthers
1st Position
Venue: Go Media Stadium, Auckland
