The Broncos will be without their State of Origin stars for this weekend’s clash against the Warriors in Auckland.
Broncos head coach Kevin Walters said they had planned to leave them at home from the start of the season.
“That was the original plan from the start of the year, it’s just too taxing for them,” Walters said.
The Broncos will miss Origin stars such as Reece Walsh, Pat Carrigan, and Payne Haas who all were part of Origin II in Melbourne with the Blues winning 38-18 at the MCG.
In contrast, the Warriors only had two players playing in Origin with both of them featured in this week's squad list.
NSW forward Mitch Barnett is set to start with Queenslander Kurt Capewell named on the interchange for the Warriors.
Walters said he was impressed with what Warriors head coach Andrew Webster had done with the club over the past few seasons.
“The Warriors have got the hearts and minds of New Zealand, we’ve seen that with crowd numbers and the way they play, so we’re expecting a really tough game tomorrow.”
The Warriors are coming into this game off the back of a 66-6 thrashing against the Gold Coast Titans last week with the Broncos losing their last match against the Rabbitohs.
The Broncos jersey this weekend will feature a nod to Matariki, with the official Matariki logo being added to the upper back of their home jersey to recognise the celebration.
This isn’t the first time the Broncos have paid tribute to New Zealand as the words 'Thank You NZ' and the Southern Cross were added to the back their jerseys for last year's clash in Napier in a show of unity with the Warriors for their sacrifices made during the pandemic.
The club has a strong connection to New Zealand with the Broncos squad featuring many Kiwis such as Marty Taupau, Josiah Karapani, and Jordan Riki, as well there being a lot of Broncos supporters living in New Zealand.
Riki is unavailable for tomorrow’s game as he’s serving a two-week suspension but trained with the squad in Auckland today.
The Warriors will feature a special jersey of their own as they are set to run out wearing their 2024 heritage jersey, a replica of the club’s original 1995 away strip.
The Warriors first ever match was against the Broncos in 1995 which the visiting side won 25-22. Walters played in that historic match.
"I played the very first game here in 1995 against the Warriors ... there wasn't much love for us back then, but I'm sure there will be tomorrow."
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