Warriors draw changed for 2005

Changes to the 2005 NRL draw have given the Vodafone Warriors the closest away game in their 10-year history ? and reacquainted them with the longest trip in the competition.

Waikato Stadium today announced it has reached agreement to stage an NRL match for the first time, securing the Parramatta Eels? scheduled home match against the Vodafone Warriors in round 15 on the weekend of June 17-19.

This follows the decision by the Cronulla Sharks to relocate their round nine home game against the Vodafone Warriors to Perth on the weekend of May 7-8.

Head coach Tony Kemp welcomed the moves.

?We played a pre-season trial against St George Illawarra in Hamilton last year and the place went off. There was a huge crowd in for what was just a trial,? he said.

?This time it?s a competition game only an hour?s drive from Auckland so we?d hope there would be plenty of support for us.

?The trip to Perth is a long one but with so many New Zealanders living there, it?s likely there will again be a lot of backing for us.?

A crowd of more than 21,000 packed Waikato Stadium for the Vodafone Warriors? trial against the Dragons last year. Hamilton City Council?s event facilities manager Mark Christie said the success of that match encouraged Waikato Stadium to push for a full-scale competitive match. The upshot is a commitment by the Eels to play in Hamilton ? only 120km south of Auckland ? for at least the next three seasons.

The Sharks? decision to play in Perth is part of a bid to give rugby league renewed exposure in Western Australia. The Vodafone Warriors haven?t played there since losing 12-24 to the Perth Reds during the 1997 Super League competition (the club folded after that year).

That match was played at the WACA. This year?s encounter is scheduled for what used to be known as the Perth Oval but now answers to the name of Members Equity Stadium, the home of national soccer league club Perth Glory. It has a capacity of almost 19,000 and was chosen ahead of the much bigger Subiaco Oval.

The changes in the draw means only nine of the Vodafone Warriors? 12 scheduled away games will be played at dedicated home venues. Apart from the Sharks and the Eels, Wests Tigers are playing their ?home? game against the Vodafone Warriors at Christchurch?s Jade Stadium on April 9.

It also means the club will make trans-Tasman trips just 10 times instead of 12 during the regular season; put another way, 14 of the club?s 24 matches will be played in New Zealand.