NRL Rank 14th CEO Wayne Scurrah | Points scored For: 497; Against: 609 | |
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2012 record Wins: 8; Draws: 0; Losses: 16 Coach Brian McClennanTony Iro |
The New Zealand Warriors 2012 season is the New Zealand Warriors 18th first-grade season. The club is competing in Australasia's National Rugby League. The coach of the team was Brian McClennan, until he was sacked on 21 August after Round 22, while Simon Mannering is the club's captain. Assistant Coach Tony Iro was appointed caretaker coach for the final two matches.
Contents
Milestones
Change of ownership
On the 2 March owner Eric Watson announced that he had bought out the minority shareholders, including Mark Hotchin, and would form a new 50-50 venture with Owen Glenn to control the club.
Fixtures
The Warriors opened the season by hosting a match at Eden Park in Auckland. This was only the second time that the Warriors have played a home match away from Mount Smart Stadium. The remaining 11 home games will be played at Mount Smart Stadium, their only home ground since they entered the competition in 1995.
Pre-season training
The main squad returned to training on 21 November 2011 to start preparing for the 2012 season. Players involved in the 2011 Four Nations and other representative matches returned to training later. Twenty three first graders were present on the first day of training.
Pre-season matches
North Harbour Stadium hosted a Warriors trial match for the tenth time. The Warriors also played a match in Whangarei.
Squad
The Warriors used twenty nine players during the season. Seven players made their debut for the club, including six who were making their NRL debuts - all of these players were graduates from the Warriors Toyota Cup programme.
Staff
NRL staff
NYC staff
Other teams
In 2012 the Junior Warriors are again competing in the Toyota Cup while senior players who are not required for the first team play with the Auckland Vulcans in the NSW Cup. The Vulcans are coached by former Warriors development coach Ricky Henry.
Vulcans squad
The Auckland Vulcans contracted ten players. The team was strengthened with Warriors players not picked for each round and local club players. The ten contracted players were: DJ Collier, Agnatius Paasi, Daniel Palavi, Tulson Caird, Willie Peace, James Blackwell, Ruben Williams, Steve Waetford, Darin Kingi and Murray Iti.
Sam Lousi was named the Auckland Vulcans’ Player of the Year.
Awards
Ben Matulino won the club's Player of the Year award. Ben Henry was named Young Player of the Year and Elijah Taylor was the clubman of the year. Konrad Hurrell was the Vodafone People's choice award winner.