ARL Rank 10th CEO Ian Robson | Points scored For: 538; Against: 501 Coach John Monie | |
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1995 record Wins: 13; Draws: 0; Losses: 9 Captains Dean Bell
Stephen Kearney
Duane Mann | ||
The Auckland Warriors 1995 season was the Auckland Warriors inaugural first-grade season. The club competed in Australasia's Australian Rugby League competition. The coach of the team was John Monie while Dean Bell was the club's captain.
Contents
Milestones
Fixtures
The Warriors used Ericsson Stadium as their home ground in 1995, and it remained the only Home Ground the club used in the competition until they played a match at Eden Park in 2011.
Pre-Season
Three pre-season matches were played before the World Sevens and another three were played after the World Sevens.
World Sevens
The Warriors participated in the 1995 Rugby League World Sevens, losing in the Trophy Quarterfinals.
Squad: Phil Blake (c), Sean Hoppe, Manoa Thompson, Tea Ropati, Whetu Taewa, Gene Ngamu, Syd Eru, Stephen Kearney, Tony Tatupu, Des Maea.
Tooheys Challenge Cup
Team: Phil Blake (c), Sean Hoppe, Dean Bell, Manoa Thompson, Whetu Taewa, Martin Moana, Gene Ngamu, Gavin Hill, Duane Mann, Hitro Okesene, Stephen Kearney, Tony Tatupu, Tony Tuimavave. Bench: Tea Ropati, Se'e Solomona, Mike Dorreen, Jason Mackie.
Regular Season
*The Warriors were stripped the 2 competition points from winning this game due to exceeding the replacement limit.
Ladder
*Auckland Warriors were stripped of 2 competition points due to exceeding the replacement limit in one game.
Squad
Twenty Eight players were used by the club in 1995.
Staff
Coaching Staff
Other Teams
The Warriors participated in the ARL's Reserve grade competition that mirrored the senior draw. The Reserve grade side made the top eight, finishing eighth, but lost to Penrith 8-14 in the Quarterfinals.
In the Club Championship the Warriors finished seventh overall.
Warriors Colts
In addition a Warriors Colts side was fielded in NZRL's Lion Red Cup. The Warrior Colts made the grand final but lost to the North Harbour Sea Eagles.
After trailing 15-2 at halftime the North Harbour Sea Eagles came from behind to defeat the Warrior Colts 28-21 in the second Lion Red Cup Grand Final. The match included an eight-point try scored by Paki Tuimavave in the 48th minute. Tuimavave was tackled high by Aaron Lester while he was grounding the ball. Lester was then sin-binned for back chatting the referee after the incident.
Awards
Tea Ropati won the clubs Player of the Year award.
Super League
The Auckland Warriors, along with seven other clubs, signed with News Limited to form a new competition in 1996, the Super League. Thirteen players signed with the new competition on 2 April 1995, after the Warriors' Round 4 loss to the North Sydney Bears, with coach John Monie having signed in late March. The club as a whole signed with News Limited on 20 April. This decision meant that Auckland Warriors players became ineligible for the New South Wales and Queensland State of Origin sides and the Australian Kangaroos. The New Zealand Rugby League and English Rugby Football League organisations had also signed with News Limited and so the majority of Warriors players were still eligible to represent their countries at the 1995 Rugby League World Cup.