Warriors 'can't sook' over lack of extra NZ matches – Webster

The Wests Tigers are the only team to return the favour to the Warriors who've spent the past three seasons based in Australia.

By Zion Dayal

Tim Sheens' side will play their Round 24 home game against the Warriors in Hamilton. While players called for all of the 2023 fixtures to be played in New Zealand, they'll get 12 home matches across Auckland, Wellington and Napier.

"Whatever the draw is you can't whinge or sook about it. We know we have to travel at some stage. It's going to be a lot better than being away, having every weekend on the road, which we've done for the last three years," new Warriors head coach Andrew Webster told 1News.

The Warriors will start their season in Wellington against the Newcastle Knights, a first taste of the New Zealand club lead by Webster.

Webster is no stranger to Penrose, working as an assistant in 2015 and 2016 before a stint at the Tigers and most recently helping Penrith win back-to-back titles.

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He faces the ultimate test in the NRL and perhaps New Zealand Rugby League, guiding the Warriors to a premiership.

"Everyone isn't happy with the results. They want more, that's obvious, everyone understands that. We have to work out what's good with the place, which is lots, and what we need as a coaching staff. We've done that. We had a meeting with the players and let them know some things we want to work on as a group," Webster said.

"He's (Andrew Webster) already brought a lot. A big thing is that he wants to make sure there is a clarity of how we're going to improve the things we need to do as a team and as a club, and put the actions in place to do that. He's given us a picture of where we need to be and he's shown us the plan of how we are going to achieve that," captain Tohu Harris said.

The Warriors started their first day of pre-season at Mt Smart this morning, a ground where they'll play nine games.

But looking over field three today where they trained, many tired bodies were sprawled across the grass as the coaches put them through their paces. Among them, fresh faces Luke Metcalf and Mitchell Barnett.

"It doesn't get any easier. Probably gets harder the more pre-seasons you do but really good to get back on home soil again and all the boys look really happy," hooker Wayde Egan said.