NZ Warriors - 20 Newcastle Knights - 12
FULLTIME - The Warriors have ground out a heartening win in ther season-opener in Wellington. Click here for a full wrap and highlights.
79th min - Hetherington spills the ball and that may just about do us here in the capital. NZ scrum at their 30m.
77th min - Small fumble by Ford in the tackle. Perhaps one final chance for the Knights, scrum at their own 30m line.
74th min - TRY WARRIORS - Egan explodes from dummy half and finds a hole in the defence to crash over next to the uprights. Well deserved try for the hooker who has been among the Warriors' best tonight. Johnson makes it an eight-point buffer. (NZ 20-12)
Ponga was forced from the field by the off-field doctor and has yet to return.
73rd min - Knights spill the Johnson bomb and Martin darts through to throw his man into touch and give the Warriors the ball 20m out. Huge play by the new signing.
72nd min - Kosi sprints across to deny Hunt in the corner and forces a knockon. The NZ defence has been stoic.
71st min - Johnson badly shanks his clearing kick and the Warriors will have to defend yet again, Knights 10m out on the second.
69th min - Warriors continue to scramble on defence, pinned on their own line.
That man Nicoll-Klokstado on hand to clean up a grubber and the Warriors survive.
67th min - Ponga gets rid of a couple of defenders. NZ scramble in defence. Hastings goes over the chalk but can't dot down.
Ponga looks to be in for all money but Nicoll-Klokstad is on hand with a miracle tackle to hold him up over the line.
66th min - Hastings forces another Warriors dropout. More pressure on the NZ tryline.
64th min - Knights at the 10m on the last. Miller grubbers and forces Montoya to clean up. A new set coming their way.
60th min - Walker into dummy half for the time being. Disorganised set ends with an aimless kick, and the Knights win a penalty to further help their cause.
58th min - Egan picks out Phoenix Crossland, who wasn't square at marker. Crossland is given his marching orders to the sinbin.
Egan is hit in a hard tackle and the Warriors don't like it one bit, the teams coming to loggerheads. Didn't appear to go beyond the horizontal. NZ will have a fresh set from a penalty. The hooker tries to regather himself.
56th minute - Late shot hands the Warriors another set. Appeared to be a clear shoulder charge by Elliot on Walker. It's on report.
55th minute - Johnson's bomb is spilled by Hunt, Curran regathers and seems to have grazed the tryline with the ball in a burrowing effort. Video referee wants another look, referee on the pitch says double knock-on and his mate upstairs agrees.
Nevertheless, NZ will have a fresh set from 10m out.
52nd minute - TRY WARRIORS - Viliame Vailea breaks through a hole, links with Nicoll-Kloksatd, who steps inside the final defender and dives in to score his try in a Warriors jersey. Johnson misses a straightforward conversion. (NZ 14-12)
50th minute - Penalty puts the Knighst back on attack but Hastings can't hold on to a poor pass and the movement dies early in the count.
46th minute - TRY KNIGHTS - Slick handling from the Knights to take advantage of a blindside overlap and Hymel Hunt does the rest, diving to finish in the corner. Hastings slots the sideline conversion and the Knights regain the lead. (Knights 12-10)
42nd minute - High tackle by Niukore on Ponga. Knights have a fresh set from 20m out.
Another brilliant leaping catch by Kosi on his own line to snuff out the danger.
41st minute - Afoa winds up with a rampaging run to get the second half started. Mistake on the last tackle and the Knights take possession at their 30m.
Second half underway...
HALFTIME - After a slow start, the Warriors have found their feet and have momentum on their side heading into the interval.
40th min - Ford with the big fend and he breaks clear down the left edge. Support is covered. Johnson makes a perfectly weighted kick to give the Warriors one final chance.
Dropout picked up inside the 10m by Kosi, and that will do us for the first 40.
39th min - Kosi leaps and defuses a crossfield kick on the last by Hastings. He's been impressive in his late call-up tonight.
37th min - Martin snipes down the blindside, Warriors playing at a frenetic pace here. Shortball goes to ground. Penalty gives the Knights some time to catch their breath and a chance to strike before halftime.
34th min - Easy metres through the middle third for the Warriors. Great kick chase from Martin, pins Young on his tryline.
33rd min - NZ right back on attack after the Knights mistake. Niukore makes a powerful run, crosses the chalk but he looks to be held up.
Johnson grubbers on the last, well cleaned up by Knights fullback Lachlan Miller and the Knights survive.
30th min - TRY WARRIORS - Another set restart for NZ. Egan finds Bunty Afoa running on a dangerous inside angle and he powers his way over underneath the black dot. NZ strike twice in quick succession and have their first lead of the match. (NZ 10-6)
28th min - Knights send their restart out on the full and the Warriors launch from the Knight's 40m. Johnson dummies and breaks clear! Taken 10m short.
26th min - TRY WARRIORS - Edward Kosi leaps to dot down in the corner after Harris' short ball had set Mitchell Barnett free. Composed hands by the Warriors to take advantage of their numbers advantage following Barnett's break and the hosts are on the board for 2023. Johnson misses from out wide. (Knights 6-4)
24th min - Good set ends with confusion on the last tackle for the Warriors. Johnson scrambles a kick away and the Knights retrieve it comfortably.
23rd min - Massive shot by Montoya forces the ball out of Young's hands. NZ ball near halfway.
21st min - Nicoll-Klokstad snuffs out a high ball and returns it with plenty of pace, Warriors to the Knights 30m line.
Johnson's bomb lands just over the tryline, Dominic Young does well to reel it in, then taps from the 20m.
17th min - Jacob Saifiti spills the ball on the second tackle as he attempts to play it quickly. Warriors scrum at their 20m.
Tyson Frizell has failed his HIA and will play no further part tonight. Big blow for the Knights.
15th min - High shot gifts Newcastle a penalty. They tap at halfway.
Perfctly weighted chip kick by Hastings and Kosi has no choice but to play at it. Johnson's line dropout reaches the 40m mark.
14th min - Martin offloads inside to Nicoll-Klokstad and Tyson Frizell takes a direct shot to the head as he attempts to make the tackle. He departs for an HIA.
13th min - Ponga throws a threatening skip pass but Kosi reads it perfectly, huge hit forces a knock-on and the Warriors feed a scrum on their own 10m.
10th min - Warriors look to an inviting shortside but Martin's pass hits the deck and bounces into touch. Another let-off for the Knights. Offside penalty helps their cause, they move to halfway.
9th min - Set restart turns into another penalty for NZ, as the Knights continue to infringe offside. Fonua-Blake carries strongly on the first, 30m out.
8th min - Knights off the line smartly. Johnson inside ball to Niukore who's well wrapped up on the sixth tackle. Disappointing end to that set in great attacking position.
7th min - Another penalty for the Warriors, Egan taps and goes from 10m out.
5th min - Barnett runs hard for the first time as a Warriors. Set restart awarded, as NZ hit the Knights 40m. Ford spills the ball trying to play the ball quickly and wins his side a penalty, somewhat fortuitously. Warriors launch from the 20m.
4th min - Johnson gets us restarted. Warriors yet to see any possession.
3rd min - TRY KNIGHTS - Lachlan Fitzgibbon hits a short ball from Kalyn Ponga and it's all too easy for Newcastle. Great start for the visitors. Hastings converts. (Knights 6-0)
2nd min - Uh oh. Nicoll-Klokstad spills his first high ball as a Warrior and the Knights are hot on attack.
1st min - Shaun Johnson kicks off and Saifiti is met with a jarring tackle to get 2023 underway.
7:58pm - A decent crowd in the building at Sky Stadium - blame Harry Styles that we aren't kicking this one off at the team's spiritual headquarters at Mt Smart Stadium.
Conditions clear in the capital, although that trademark wind is blowing.
7:50pm - Warriors fans - is it or is not 'our year'? We're about to get an early indication, as the team prepares to kick off against the Knights.
Some late team news for you - Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has been scratched with injury, meaning Edward Kosi moves into the starting wing position.
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Kia ora and welcome to Newshub's live updates of the Warriors' NRL season opener against the Knights.
Optimism surrounding the Warriors is typically at its peak around this time of the year. But under new coach Andrew Webster and after some savvy recruitment, there's a sense that this season may see a resurgence for the embattled club.
They'll have their first chance to prove themselves against the Knights, who will have a decent sized chip on their shoulders after finishing 14th last season - with a two-point margin in points differential separating them from the 15th-placed Warriors.
We'll have all the action for you at 8pm, or you can tune in to Three to catch the game live and free-to-air.
TAB betting odds:
NZ Warriors - $1.56 Newcastle Knights - $2.35
Team line-ups:
Warriors: 1-Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 23-Edward Kosi, 3-Brayden Willame, 4-Adam Pompey, 5-Marcelo Montoya, 6-Te Maire Martin, 7-Shaun Johnson, 8- Addin Fonua-Blake, 9-Wayde Egan, 10-Mitchell Barnett, 11-Jackson Ford, 12-Marata Niukore, 13-Tohu Harris
Interchange: 14-Dylan Walker, 15-Bunty Afoa, 16-Josh Curran, 17-Tom Ale
Knights: 1-Lachlan Miller, 2-Hymel Hunt, 3-Enari Tuala, 4-Bradman Best, 5-Dominic Young, 6-Kalyn Ponga, 7-Jackson Hastings, 8-Daiel Saifiti, 9-Jayden Brailey, 10-Jacob Saifiti, 11-Tyson Frizell, 12-Lachlan Fitzgibbon, 13-Kurt Mann
Interchange: 14-Phoenix Crossland, 15-Adam Elliott, 16-Jack Hetherington, 17-Leo Thompson
'Win at all costs': Warriors out to make statement in season-opener against Knights
By James Regan
It may only be round one, but NZ Warriors are taking a "win at all costs" mentality into their season opener against Newcastle in Wellington on Friday, as they seek to usher in a new era.
The club is desperate to reconnect with their fans throughout the country following their COVID-19-enforced exodus, and admit victory to kickstart the season is the only option.
Fans at Thursday's open training session at Sky Stadium were simply happy to have their team home.
"It's exciting for everyone and the club to be back in New Zealand, and get to play a home game down here, but to see the turnout today it's unbelievable," winger Marcelo Montoya told Newshub.
"It's crazy getting to see all the support here, especially the kids, great to see them out and about," newcomer and former Newcastle Knights Mitch Barnett added.
This year marks the permanent return of the club, and even though they won't return to their spiritual home of Mt Smart Stadium until the Bulldogs visit in round four, there's a good feeling around the club regardless.
"To be back home in our four walls and with staff and players that want to be here, it really instills a sense of belief and confidence in the playing group," chief executive Cameron George said.
"We never got any of this in Australia. We were just the team that had to move there, there, there, there just to keep the competition going.
"We're really appreciating this and the players are getting something out of it, which is really good."
Although it was all sunshine and smiles in the capital, the team realise only victories will prevent this new era becoming yet another false dawn for the club.
"Start well, win. It's our only option," George said bluntly.
"That's our message and our expectation. We have to win tomorrow because we want to put our foot down and say we own NZ soil.
"They're coming into our territory and we've got to own it. It is a win at all costs tomorrow for our fans."
New assistant coach Richard Agar is relishing the chance to be a part of the club's homecoming campaign.
"It was one of the really appealing factors of coming to New Zealand was being part of this reset and journey forward," Agar said.
"So far we've had games in Auckland, Christchurch and now Wellington. We've been received sensationally by the local people and we're hoping for another crowd tomorrow night.
"It's a really exciting period for us."
The Englishman admits they'll be channeling that desire to make a statement on Friday.
"As you saw last year when the team arrived back home, the difference that that home crowd makes.
"But also being around the guys and listening to some of their personal stories, (now) being back with their families and being back with the comforts of Auckland and in particular New Zealand, I think it's a real positive for us."
With six new signings set to debut on Friday, the excitement of returning home also comes with the need for some patience, adds Agar.
"Looking at our trial form (against Melbourne Storm) we thought it was really noticeable that we were a new team playing against a team that had had stability in the ranks for a long time.
"We understand that we're going to need to get those combinations going quickly. We're confident we've got the quality of player but also some depth in there."
