LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
The New Zealand Warriors have been handed a tough draw for their eagerly awaited return to the NRLW next year, facing off against the reigning premiers, the Sydney Roosters, in the first round.
The schedule will run for 14 weeks, with 11 regular season rounds followed by a three-week finals series.
This new format is a far cry from the competition the Warriors originally competed in as a foundation club back in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
In the early days, only four teams participated in a short and sweet premiership that lasted just four weeks, consisting of three round-robin games and a grand final showdown between the top two teams.
After a four-season hiatus due to the challenges of the Covid era, the Warriors are making their long-awaited comeback as one of two additional sides, alongside Canterbury-Bankstown, in an expanded 12-team competition.
Over 11 grueling weeks, the squad, under the guidance of coach Ron Griffiths, will go head-to-head with each of the other clubs.
They will play five home games at Go Media Stadium and six matches in Australia, including the inaugural NRLW Magic Round in Newcastle, where all 12 teams will come together for a thrilling two-day women's rugby league extravaganza.
The Warriors will kick off their campaign against the Roosters at Allianz Stadium on Sunday, July 6.
It will have been four years, eight months, and 19 days since their last NRLW match, a victorious clash against St.
George Illawarra back on October 17, 2020.
The team is gearing up to make a triumphant return to the competition and make their mark on the field once again.