2016 New Zealand Warriors season


The 2016 New Zealand Warriors season was the 22nd season in the club's history. Coached by Andrew McFadden and captained by Ryan Hoffman, the Warriors competed in the National Rugby League's 2016 Telstra Premiership and the 2016 NRL Auckland Nines tournament.

Milestones

Fixtures

Pre-season training

Pre-season training began on 2 November 2015, with the exception of players involved in the New Zealand Kiwis tour of Great Britain.

Auckland Nines

The Warriors competed in the 2016 NRL Auckland Nines, losing to the Parramatta Eels 4-22 in the final. The squad for the tournament was Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Ryan Hoffman, Jacob Lillyman, Nathaniel Roache, Solomone Kata, Tuimoala Lolohea, Shaun Johnson, Charlie Gubb, Henare Wells, Konrad Hurrell, Ben Matulino, Ken Maumalo, Jonathan Wright, Jeff Robson, Sam Lisone, Blake Ayshford, Albert Vete and Ata Hingano. David Fusitu'a was originally named but withdrew due to injury and was replaced by Nathaniel Roache.
Shaun Johnson and Tuimoala Lolohea were named in the team of the tournament.

Pre-season matches

Regular season

Home matches were played at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland with the exception of one home game which was played at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth. Two away games were also played in New Zealand.
DateRoundOpponentVenueResultScoreTriesGoalsAttendanceReport
5 MarchRound 1Wests TigersCampbelltown Stadium, SydneyLoss26-34Kata, Mannering, Thompson, JohnsonLolohea 10,917
11 MarchRound 2Brisbane BroncosSuncorp Stadium, BrisbaneLoss10-25LukeJohnson 35,230
20 MarchRound 3Melbourne StormMt Smart Stadium, AucklandLoss14-21Lolohea, Kata, WrightJohnson 16,214
28 MarchRound 4Newcastle KnightsMt Smart Stadium, AucklandWin40-18Kata, Matulino, Ayshford, Lolohea, Vatuvei, Johnson, LukeJohnson 13,895
3 AprilRound 5Sydney RoostersCentral Coast Stadium, GosfordWin32-28 Kata, Johnson, Vatuvei, Tuivasa-SheckJohnson 10,113
9 AprilRound 6Manly Warringah Sea EaglesMt Smart Stadium, AucklandLoss18-34Ayshford, Luke, KataJohnson 16,112
16 AprilRound 7Canterbury Bankstown BulldogsWestpac Stadium, WellingtonWin24-20Ayshford, Fusitu'a, Wright, LoloheaJohnson 18,212
25 AprilRound 8Melbourne StormAAMI Park, MelbourneLoss0-4221,233
1 MayRound 9St George Illawarra DragonsMt Smart Stadium, AucklandWin26-10Johnson, Allwood, Gubb, RobsonJohnson 12,752
14 MayRound 10Penrith PanthersAMI Stadium, ChristchurchLoss18-30Kata, Wright, AyshfordJohnson 18,000
21 MayRound 11Canberra RaidersYarrow Stadium, New PlymouthLoss12-38Johnson, AyshfordJohnson 12,833
Round 12Bye-
4 JuneRound 13Brisbane BroncosMt Smart Stadium, AucklandWin36-18Fusitu’a, Johnson, Thompson, Lillyman, Hoffman, KataJohnson 15,097
11 JuneRound 14Newcastle KnightsHunter Stadium, NewcastleWin50-14Fusitu'a, Vete, Vatuvei, Thompson, KataJohnson,
Luke 		12,222
19 JuneRound 15Sydney RoostersMt Smart Stadium, AucklandWin12-10JohnsonLuke 14,026
25 JuneRound 16Cronulla Sutherland SharksShark Park, SydneyLoss18-19 Ayshford, Wright, LeuluaiLuke 12,074
2 JulyRound 17Gold Coast TitansMt Smart Stadium, AucklandWin27-18Ayshford, Lolohea, Johnson, ThompsonLuke,
Johnson 		15,107
Round 18Bye-
16 JulyRound 19Manly Warringah Sea Eaglesnib Stadium, PerthLoss14-15 Afoa Luke 11,109
23 JulyRound 20Canberra RaidersGIO Stadium, CanberraLoss22-26 Leuluai, Vatuvei, Fusitu'aLuke 9,471
30 JulyRound 21Penrith PanthersMt Smart Stadium, AucklandWin20-16 Fusitu'a, Maumalo, JohnsonLuke 13,026
7 AugustRound 22Gold Coast TitansCbus Super Stadium, Gold CoastWin24-14Kata, Fusitu'a, Thompson, ManneringLolohea 25,109
13 AugustRound 23South Sydney RabbitohsMt Smart Stadium, AucklandLoss22-41Kata, Vatuvei, TevagaJohnson 17,409
20 AugustRound 24North Queensland Cowboys1300SMILES Stadium, TownsvilleLoss6-34HoffmanJohnson 15,676
28 AugustRound 25Wests TigersMt Smart Stadium, AucklandLoss24-36Thompson, Kata, Mannering, LoloheaLuke,
Hingano 		14,020
4 SeptemberRound 26Parramatta EelsMt Smart Stadium, AucklandLoss18-40Mannering, VatuveiLuke 11,129

Ladder

Squad

No.NamePositionWarriors DebutAppTGFGPts
55SR19 April 199800000
105HB2 May 20031830012
115WG23 May 20041560024
125SR26 June 20052250020
142PR14 June 2008231004
146PR14 March 2009221004
159SR14 March 201010000
168HB4 June 20112410421125
171SR4 March 201210000
173CE4 March 201230000
183PR7 July 2013141004
188PR9 March 201430000
189WG15 March 201418110044
192HB27 July 20142255030
193CE7 March 201521150060
194SR7 March 20151860024
195SR7 March 2015232008
196PR7 March 2015210000
197PR7 March 2015152008
198WG15 March 2015940016
199CE29 March 201541004
200SR25 April 201510000
201WG16 May 2015101004
202HB24 August 201500000
203FB5 March 201671004
204CE5 March 20162380032
205HB5 March 201671004
206HK5 March 201620328068
207HK5 March 2016110000
208PR5 March 2016100000
209HK20 March 2016111004
210LK16 April 201620000
211SR1 May 201610000
212PR1 May 201620000
213PR2 July 201642008
214FE20 August 201620102
FB00000-
UB00000-

Staff

Gains

Losses

Other teams

As in 2015, the Warriors entered a team into the Intrust Super Premiership NSW and the Junior Warriors competed in the Holden Cup.

Intrust Super Premiership NSW squad

The Warriors finished 5th in the regular season, before defeating the Penrith Panthers 21-14 in an elimination final. They then lost 18-22 to the Newtown Jets in a semi-final.
John Palavi and Upu Poching played in their 50th NSW Cup matches for the Warriors, becoming the first players to reach this milestone for the club.

Holden Cup squad

The Junior Warriors finished the season in 14th position, with 8 wins, a draw, and 15 losses.

Club awards

was named the club's player of the year for a record fifth time. He was also named the clubman of the year. Shaun Johnson won the people's choice award while Nathaniel Roache was the NRL rookie of the year.
Ryan Hoffman was named in the NRL-RLPA academic team of the year, as he was completing a Bachelor of Business. Ben Henry also won a Pasifika leadership and excellence award, which included travel to the University of California, Los Angeles to attend lectures.
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad was the Intrust Super Premiership NSW player of the year, while James Bell was the teams man of the year.
Chris Sio was the Junior Warriors player of the year and Chanel Harris-Tavita was the Junior Warriors rookie of the year.
Journalist Allen McLaughlin was also awarded a legacy award, after covering all but one of the club's 254 games at the venue since 1995.