Wellington and Napier will host two NZ Warriors home games next year as the club bids to take the game around the country, but players are still furious at the NRL's lack of interest in hosting more games in New Zealand.
The club conceded they're disappointed only 11 games, plus the NRL All-Stars clash, will be hosted in Aotearoa, after fans have been starved of top-level rugby league in the past three years.
Senior players Shaun Johnson and Tohu Harris doubled down, calling out the empty words purported by the game honouring the club's sacrifice, which have turned out to be nothing but that. Just words.
"Off it, it's dumb as I don't get it," Johnson responded when asked how he felt about the situation.
"How can everyone come out, say they want to repay the Warriors, then they give us nine home games.
"Just don't say anything. Just sit there and don't put the social media videos up thanking the club for everything they've done but when push comes to shove you don't put your hand up to offer anything."
Their sacrifice, it seems, has been quickly forgotten, or at least not repaid fully, given players', staff and families' lives have been turned upside down over the past three seasons.
Chief executive Cameron George called out the NRL for not giving clubs enough incentive to bring games to New Zealand, seemingly putting the task in the too hard basket.
Johnson admited he and other players are in disbelief at the lack of action from the governing body, after all the words that have been spouted from across the game.
"I can't believe it. It's out of our control but don't speak up and say how grateful you are and thank the Warriors for everything they've done," continued Johnson. "Just stay quiet.
"Offer something. We'll still pay you, you'll still get the clip on the ticket and people through the gate. It baffles me.
"It's most sad for rugby league in New Zealand. They've starved this country of league for the past three years, it's not about us playing on this turf [Mt Smart] it's about talking rugby league around the country again.
"They say how much they need us and they know the fanbase we bring in but that seems to be where it stops."
Captain Harris echoed Johnson's sentiments, and anger.
"To see how many games are in New Zealand as opposed to being away, it is really disappointing," he said.
"We had a number of clubs and different people come to us and ask us if there's anything they can do to help support or repay us. You get excited at the possibility that they could do something, but at the moment those are just words."
Harris' excitement has been extinguished with the recent announcement, and he's not the only one whose hope of something more has turned to anger at the result
"You get a bit angry about the different words that were spoken and people coming into our changing room and saying things, I don't know what else to say."
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