2018 New Zealand Warriors season

The 2018 New Zealand Warriors season was the 24th season in the club's history. Coached by Stephen Kearney and captained by Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, the Warriors completed the National Rugby League's 2018 Telstra Premiership regular season in the number eight position, qualifying for the finals.^[1] They were defeated in the 1st Elimination Final by Penrith and did not progress further.^[2]

2018 New Zealand Warriors season
NRL Rank	8th
2018 record	Wins: 15; draws: 0; losses: 9
Points scored	For: 472; against: 447
Team information
CEO	Cameron George
Coach	Stephen Kearney
Assistant coach	Andrew McFadden Stacey Jones
Captain	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Stadium	Mount Smart Stadium
Avg. attendance	16,830
High attendance	25,600 (vs. North Queensland Cowboys, round 5)
Top scorers
Tries	David Fusitu'a (22)
Goals	Shaun Johnson (33)
Points	Shaun Johnson (82)
← 2017 2019 →

Milestones

See also: List of New Zealand Warriors representatives

Jersey and sponsors

In 2018 the Warriors jerseys will again be made by Canterbury of New Zealand.

Fixtures

See also: List of New Zealand Warriors results

Pre-season training

Pre-season training began on 1 November, with the exception of 14 players involved in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.^[3]

Pre-season matches

The Warriors and Melbourne will headline a two-day festival in Rotorua that includes a regional nines tournament.^[4]

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Result	Score	Tries	Goals	Attendance	Report
Saturday 17 February	Trial 1	Melbourne Storm	Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua	Win	20-14	Kata, Fusitu’a, Sao, Soosemea	Lino (2)	5,123	[5]

Regular season

Home matches were played at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland,^[6] while one away game was also played in New Zealand, at AMI Stadium in Christchurch.

The Warriors opened their season in Perth against the South Sydney Rabbitohs on 10 March as part of a double header at Perth Stadium. Mount Smart Stadium will hosted a double header on 7 April when the Warriors played the North Queensland Cowboys and the Wests Tigers played the Melbourne Storm.^[7]

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Result	Score	Tries	Goals	Attendance	Report
10 March	Round 1	South Sydney Rabbitohs	Perth Stadium, Perth (doubleheader)	Win	32 – 20	Fusitu'a (2), Papali'i, Lisone, Maumalo, Kata	Johnson (4/7)	38,842 [8]	[9]
17 March	Round 2	Gold Coast Titans	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Win	20 – 8	Fusitu'a (2), Tuivasa-Sheck, Kata	Johnson (2/4)	14,132[10]	[11]
24 March	Round 3	Canberra Raiders	GIO Stadium, Canberra	Win	20 – 19	Hiku, Harris, Luke	Johnson (3/3, 2 FGs)	11,963[12]	[13]
31 March	Round 4	Sydney Roosters	Allianz Stadium, Sydney	Win	30 – 6	Lino, Pulu, Kata, Fusitu'a	Lino (7/7)	14,493[14]	[15]
7 April	Round 5	North Queensland Cowboys	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland (doubleheader)	Win	22 – 12	Fusitu'a (2), Maumalo	Johnson (5/5)	25,600[16]	[17]
14 April	Round 6	Brisbane Broncos	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Loss	18 – 27	Fusitu'a, Green, Johnson	Johnson (3/4)	16,636[18]	[19]
20 April	Round 7	St. George Illawarra Dragons	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Win	20 – 12	Lino, Gelling, Luke, Papali'i	Lino (2/4)	18,295[20]	[21]
25 April	Round 8	Melbourne Storm	AAMI Park, Melbourne	Loss	10 – 50	Fusitu'a (2)	Lino (1/2)	25,731[22]	[23]
5 May	Round 9	Wests Tigers	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Win	26 – 4	Lawton (2), Fusitu'a, Maumalo, Johnson	Johnson (3/6)	16,727[24]	[25]
12 May	Round 10	Sydney Roosters	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Loss	0 – 32			14,095[26]	[27]
18 May	Round 11	Parramatta Eels	ANZ Stadium, Sydney	Win	24 – 14	Fusitu'a, Hiku, Tevaga, Luke	Lino (4/5)	9,467[28]	[27]
26 May	Round 12	South Sydney Rabbitohs	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Loss	10 – 30	Paasi, Kata	Luke (1/2)	15,958[29]	[30]
	Round 13	Bye
9 June	Round 14	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	AMI Stadium, Christchurch	Win	34 – 14	Fusitu'a (3), Papali'i, Harris, Johnson	Johnson (5/6)	17,357	[31]
15 June	Round 15	North Queensland Cowboys	1300SMILES Stadium, Townsville	Win	23 – 16	Maumalo, Tuivasa-Sheck, Kata	Johnson (6/6)	11,062	[32]
29 June	Round 16	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Loss	15 – 18	Kata, Gelling	Johnson (4/4)	14,195	[33]
6 July	Round 17	Penrith Panthers	Panthers Stadium, Penrith	Loss	4 – 34	Maumalo	Johnson (0/1)	10,255	[34]
15 July	Round 18	Brisbane Broncos	Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane	Win	26 – 6	Kata (2), Beale, Luke, Paasi	Johnson (3/5)	37,493	[35]
22 July	Round 19	Melbourne Storm	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Loss	6 – 12	Beale	Johnson (1/1)	17,695	[36]
29 July	Round 20	Gold Coast Titans	Cbus Super Stadium, Robina	Loss	12 – 36	Johnson, Lawnton	Johnson (2/2)	15,159	[37]
4 August	Round 21	St. George Illawarra Dragons	WIN Stadium, Wollongong	Win	18 – 12	Kata (2), Luke	Johnson (3/4)	13,924	[38]
10 August	Round 22	Newcastle Knights	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Win	20 – 4	Blair, Fusitu'a, Green	Johnson (4/4)	14,395	[39]
19 August	Round 23	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	ANZ Stadium, Sydney	Loss	26 – 27	Fusitu'a (2), Beale, Hiku, Tuivasa-Sheck	Johnson (3/5)	9,688	[40]
24 August	Round 24	Penrith Panthers	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Win	36 – 16	Fusitu'a (3), Kata, Lino, Paasi	Johnson (6/8)	17,195	[41]
31 August	Round 25	Canberra Raiders	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Win	20 - 16

Ladder

2018 NRL season v t e
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	B	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Sydney Roosters	24	16	0	8	1	542	361	+181	34
2	Melbourne Storm	24	16	0	8	1	536	363	+173	34
3	South Sydney Rabbitohs	24	16	0	8	1	582	437	+145	34
4	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	24	16	0	8	1	519	423	+96	34
5	Penrith Panthers	24	15	0	9	1	517	461	+56	32
6	Brisbane Broncos	24	15	0	9	1	556	500	+56	32
7	St. George Illawarra Dragons	24	15	0	9	1	519	472	+47	32
8	New Zealand Warriors	24	15	0	9	1	472	447	+25	32
9	Wests Tigers	24	12	0	12	1	377	460	−83	26
10	Canberra Raiders	24	10	0	14	1	563	540	+23	22
11	Newcastle Knights	24	9	0	15	1	414	607	−193	20
12	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	24	8	0	16	1	428	474	−46	18
13	North Queensland Cowboys	24	8	0	16	1	449	521	−72	18
14	Gold Coast Titans	24	8	0	16	1	472	582	−110	18
15	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	24	7	0	17	1	500	622	−122	16
16	Parramatta Eels	24	6	0	18	1	374	550	−176	14

Squad

See also: List of New Zealand Warriors players

No.	Name	Position	Warriors Debut	App	T	G	FG	Pts
125	Simon Mannering	SR	26 June 2005	8	0	0	0	0
168	Shaun Johnson	HB	4 June 2011	6	2	20	2	50
189	David Fusitua	WG	15 March 2014	12	12	0	0	48
191	Agnatius Paasi	PR	19 July 2014	10	1	0	0	4
193	Solomone Kata	CE	7 March 2015	10	4	0	0	16
196	Sam Lisone	PR	7 March 2015	9	1	0	0	4
197	Albert Vete	PR	7 March 2015	2	0	0	0	0
201	Ken Maumalo	WG	16 May 2015	12	3	0	0	12
202	Mason Lino	HB	24 August 2015	5	2	14	0	36
203	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	FB	5 March 2016	11	1	0	0	4
204	Blake Ayshford	CE	5 March 2016	0	0	0	0	0
206	Issac Luke	HK	5 March 2016	11	3	1	0	14
207	Nathaniel Roache	HK	5 March 2016	0	0	0	0	0
208	James Gavet	PR	5 March 2016	7	0	0	0	0
209	Jazz Tevaga	HK	20 March 2016	9	1	0	0	4
210	Ligi Sao	LK	16 April 2016	4	0	0	0	0
213	Bunty Afoa	PR	2 July 2016	12	0	0	0	0
215	Isaiah Papalii	PR	5 March 2017	8	2	0	0	8
218	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	WG	30 April 2017	0	0	0	0	0
219	Chris Satae	PR	22 July 2017	3	0	0	0	0
220	James Bell	SR	28 July 2017	0	0	0	0	0
221	Peta Hiku	UB	10 March 2018	12	2	0	0	8
222	Blake Green	FE	10 March 2018	12	1	0	0	4
223	Adam Blair	PR	10 March 2018	12	0	0	0	0
224	Tohu Harris	SR	10 March 2018	11	1	0	0	4
225	Sam Cook	HK	10 March 2018	2	0	0	0	0
226	Leivaha Pulu	SR	10 March 2018	6	1	0	0	4
227	Anthony Gelling	CE	30 March 2018	5	1	0	0	4
228	Joseph Vuna	SR	25 April 2018	1	0	0	0	0
229	Karl Lawton	UB	5 May 2018	3	2	0	0	8
230	Gerard Beale	UB	18 May 2018	2	0	0	0	0
	Matiu Love-Henry	SR		0	0	0	0	0
	Zac Santo	UB		0	0	0	0	0
	Manaia Cherrington	HK		0	0	0	0	0
	Hayze Perham	FB		0	0	0	0	0
	King Vuniyawa	SR		0	0	0	0	0
	Patrick Sipley	PR		0	0	0	0	0
	Chanel Harris-Tavita	HB		0	0	0	0	0
	Junior Pauga	CE		0	0	0	0	0
	Lewis Soosemea	WG		0	0	0	0	0

Staff

Head office staff Managing director: Cameron George[42] General manager – football: Brian Smith Media and communications manager: Richard Becht Football operations manager: Dan Floyd Team manager: Laurie Hale[43] Head of medical services: John Mayhew Head of recruitment: Brian Smith Welfare and education manager: Jerry Seuseu

Coaching staff NRL head coach: Stephen Kearney[44][45] NRL assistant coach: Andrew McFadden[44] NRL assistant coach: Stacey Jones[44] Strength and conditioning coach: Alex Corvo[46][47] NSW Cup head coach: Tony Iro[48] Under-20s head coach: Ricky Henry[48] Under-20s assistant coach: Jerome Ropati[48]

Transfers

Gains Player Previous Club Length Notes Zac Santo Canberra Raiders 1 1/2 years 2017 mid-season[49] Manaia Cherrington Cronulla Sharks 1 1/2 years 2017 mid-season[50] Adam Blair Brisbane Broncos 3 years [51] Peta Hiku Warrington Wolves 3 years [52] Tohu Harris Melbourne Storm 4 years [53] Leivaha Pulu Gold Coast Titans 3 years [54] Gerard Beale Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 3 years [55] Matiu Love-Henry Brisbane Broncos 1 year [56] Agnatius Paasi Gold Coast Titans 2 years [57][58] Blake Green Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 3 years [59][60] Anthony Gelling Wigan Warriors 1 year [61][62] Karl Lawton Gold Coast Titans 2 years [63]

Losses Player Club Notes Tuimoala Lolohea Wests Tigers 2017 mid-season[64][65] Erin Clark Canberra Raiders 2017 mid-season[50] Manu Vatuvei Salford Red Devils 2017 mid-season[66] Kieran Foran Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs [67] Bureta Faraimo Hull [68] Ben Matulino Wests Tigers [69] Charlie Gubb Canberra Raiders [70] Ryan Hoffman Melbourne Storm [71][72] Toafofoa Sipley Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles [73] Matt Allwood Released [74] Jacob Lillyman Newcastle Knights [75] Bodene Thompson Leigh Centurions [76][77] Ata Hingano Canberra Raiders [78]