Warriors CEO Cameron George has penned a passionate letter to the team's supporters ahead of their impending arrival in Tamworth as they ramp up their preparations for the 2021 season.
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The New Zealand-based NRL outfit are due to arrive in their 'home away from home' on Sunday afternoon and will spend a month in the city, using Scully Park as a pre-season training base.
It will be the first time the full squad has been together since they began pre-season training in mid-November with a contingent training in Kiama and the New Zealand-based players back in Auckland, and comes after the club quarantined in Tamworth to enable the NRL season to restart after COVID forced the 2020 competition to be suspended.
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Following their month-long stay in Tamworth, the Warriors will relocate to Terrigal - where they were based last year after leaving Tamworth - and remain in Australia for at least the first four rounds of the 2021 season.
They had been hoping to return home for Round 5 but the recent spike in cases in NSW and Victoria is putting some uncertainty over that.
In his letter, George, who has a strong affiliation with Tamworth, wrote:
To our great fans
Tomorrow we embark on yet another journey for our club when we leave for Australia to prepare for season 2021.
While emotions and excitement are high at this time, we are committed to a successful campaign while we reside off shore and the club remaining a strong force in the NRL. Plus, given the ongoing border restrictions, half of the squad haven't yet met each other so it will be great to put faces to names when we arrive in Tamworth tomorrow and form one complete group.
It goes without saying that we wish we could be preparing Mount Smart Stadium for our first game but at this stage it's not to be. Starting the 2021 season in Australia isn't what we wanted to do but it's what we have to do. This time around, however, we're prepared for what lies ahead and accept that the future still remains very uncertain.
We want all our fans to know that despite the adversity we are again dealing with, we're committed to fronting up and having a crack. We do so willingly, ready to overcome anything that may be thrown our way. We do not want anyone feeling sorry for us and, while it's not a perfect situation, it's what we've been tasked to do in 2021 on behalf of you our fans, our partners and our families.
So while we're away, please wear your club's colours loud and proud! Show the world how much support our club has and I promise while we're in Australia we will work hard, we will be resilient and, foremost, we will play with pride every time we take the field. In our absence, stay strong and stand together. But be ready to rumble with us at Mount Smart when we're able to return home.
To our fans in Australia, we need your support now more than ever, and we look forward to seeing you in the crowd from round one.
Enjoy season 2021 and thank you again for your support. See you all back in New Zealand soon!
