Warriors

After being based in Australia for the past two years, the game against the Penrith Panthers on Saturday 18 June was meant to be the Warriors' first game at home in 1023 days.

However, chief executive Cameron George says the government's border restrictions make it too hard to play.

George says it is "impossible" for NRL teams to isolate for seven days after arriving in New Zealand.

"Penrith, for example, plays the previous Sunday so it can't even do the seven days before our game."

The 26-year-old Queenslander was initially signed on a train and trial deal in October with a club top 30 option for 2022.

"We're excited to confirm Ash is staying with us. He has been a great addition since joining the club and has more than met our expectations," said Warriors general manager football Craig Hodges.

"He has added so much with his training ethic, enthusiasm and his all-round contribution."

Taylor makes the Warriors his third NRL club after one appearance for Brisbane in 2015 and 114 for Gold Coast from 2016-2021.

The Warriors who spent part of 2020 and all of 2021 across the Tasman, will be based in Redcliffe north of Brisbane next seaon.

Warriors CEO Cameron George said returning to Mount Stadium for 2022 was the preference but that option had become unrealistic due to the ongoing border volatility created by the Covid-19 pandemic.

After spending most of the last two years in Terrigal on the New South Wales Central Coast, George said the Australian Rugby League Commission and the NRL had approved the Warriors' second-choice option to move their operation to Queensland.

The Warriors entered the contest needing a win to keep their finals ambitions on life support, only for the ruthless Rabbitohs to pull the plug with an 11-try rout of the injury-decimated Kiwi side.

Now placed 14th on the ladder and three wins outside the top eight with six games left, Brown admits a finals berth is now out of their reach.

"I think that [the finals] is starting to look beyond us now, if we are being truthful," Brown says.

Gould, a two-time NRL premiership-winning coach and leading commentator, only joined the Warriors last August as a club consultant with a focus on developing their junior pathway system.

But with Covid-19 restrictions limiting his ability to set up structures in New Zealand, the Warriors agreed to release Gould from his contract to become the general manager of football at the Bulldogs.

The announcement comes after Gould rejected an approach from the Sydney club in May. But they eventually got their man, with the deal finalised over the last two days.

Johnson, 30, moved to the Cronulla Sharks but they won't be retaining him beyond this year.

Johnson who has played 162 games for the Warriors between 2011-2018 has signed a two-year deal.

He has played 40 games for the Sharks taking his NRL tally to 202.

"While he left to join the Sharks, Shaun's heart has always been with the Vodafone Warriors after starting his career here," said club CEO Cameron George.

"Shaun stands among the top playmakers in the competition and he'll give us a significant boost from next season."

The club will play their round 22 NRL game against the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs on Sunday 15 August in Auckland.

The match will also double as a farewell for captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck who will be eyeing his last home game before he finishes up with the Warriors and switches to play rugby with Auckland and the Blues.

Warriors ceo Cameron George said the homecoming game would reward not only the club's players, staff and sponsors but especially the legion of long-suffering families, members and fans.

The Warriors looked set to overcome a 22-6 half-time deficit when they struck the lead with 15 minutes to go, but a late try to Cowboys flyer Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and a late Valentine Holmes field goal gave the hosts a 29-28 victory.

While Chanel Harris-Tavita skewed what would have been a match-clinching one-pointer for the New Zealand club, Brown traced their downfall back to the period in which Tevaga was off the park.

The Warriors have now gone down by a field goal twice this season having also lost 13-12 to the Sea Eagles in round five.

The Warriors have been based in Australia since January and the club has had to decide whether to return to New Zealand now that the trans-Tasman travel bubble is open or fly in and fly out of Auckland for home games.

There are five Warriors home games on the NRL schedule starting with a 2 July clash against the St George Illawarra Dragons.

Captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was liaising between his teammates and team management to assess the options in front of them and he said they needed to take into account that some new players have never lived in Auckland before.

Son of former All Black Marty Berry, Rocco made the surprise move to the Warriors after starring in First XV rugby for St. Patrick's Silverstream College in 2019.

Having made his NRL debut this season, the 19-year-old has already impressed the Warriors management enough to earn a contract extension through to 2024.

"I've grown up being a Warriors fan and to have my future here sorted it's something I can't wait for," Berry said.