Vote on Game Day Saturday
Calling on all fans to choose which one of three classic Vodafone Warriors matches you want to feature on Game Day Saturday on Sky Sport’s home of rugby league at 3.00pm on Saturday (May 2).
This week it’s all about games against the Parramatta Eels, our scheduled opponents this Sunday during the NRL’s Magic Round at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane before the season was suspended.
We’ve joined forces with Sky Sport to bring supporters a taste of the best from the past by making Game Day Saturday appointment viewing.
Aired so far have been wins over the Wests Tigers (28-26 at Leichhardt Oval in 2008), St George Illawarra (44-16 at Mount Smart Stadium 2007) and the Sydney Roosters (17-16 at Mount Smart Stadium in 2009) and, on Anzac Day, the Vodafone Warriors' 28-14 win over Melbourne at Mount Smart Stadium in 2015.
Now it’s over to you, the fans, to vote for the match against the Eels that you’d like to see from the three options below.
Vote for your Game Day Saturday classic match.
March 17, 2007
Mount Smart Stadium, 2007
No one was in focus more in this match than new Vodafone Warriors fullback Wade McKinnon, whose debut for his new club just happened to be against the team he’d played for in the previous three seasons.
McKinnon, who had arrived in Auckland replacing fan favourite Brent Webb, took no time to win over the Mount Smart Stadium as he spearheaded a convincing season-opening 34-18 win by the Vodafone Warriors.
He scored one of the club’s six tries, impressing with his kick returns and support play as the Vodafone Warriors raced to a 24-0 halftime lead against a strong Parramatta side and held on to win comfortably.
Vodafone Warriors 34 (Michael Crockett 2, Lance Hohaia, Simon Mannering, Wade McKinnon, Steve Price tries; Tony Martin 4 conversions, penalty).
Parramatta Eels 18 (Nathan Cayless, Jarryd Hayne, Daniel Wagon tries; Luke Burt 3 conversions).
Vodafone Warriors | Wade McKinnon; Michael Crockett, Tony Martin, Lance Hohaia, Manu Vatuvei; Michael Witt, Grant Rovelli; Ruben Wiki, George Gatis, Steve Price (c); Simon Mannering, Logan Swann; Louis Anderson. Interchange: Micheal Luck, Nathan Fien, Epalahame Lauaki, Sam Rapira.
September 6, 2008
Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta
Everything hung on this match for the Vodafone Warriors, needing a win to confirm a spot in the finals.
They went into final round of the regular season sitting ninth on the ladder on 28 points with the Eels on 26 out of the reckoning but that counted for nothing.
It was a grind in the first spell as the Vodafone Warriors were to the break 14-6 ahead but they doubled their total in the second half and held the home team scoreless to complete a convincing win.
Winger Manu Vatuvei and centre Brent Tate scored all five tries between them, Vatuvei snaring his first career hat-trick in a display which gained him redemption after having a nightmare night at the same venue the last time he played there in 2007.
Parramatta Eels 6 (Kris Keating try; Luke Burt conversion).
Vodafone Warriors 28 (Manu Vatuvei 3, Brent Tate 2 tries; Michael Witt 3 conversions, penalty).
Vodafone Warriors | Lance Hohaia; Aidan Kirk, Brent Tate, Jerome Ropati, Manu Vatuvei; Michael Witt, Nathan Fien; Ruben Wiki, Ian Henderson, Steve Price (c); Simon Mannering, Ben Matulino; Micheal Luck. Interchange: Evarn Tuimavave, Sam Rapira, Logan Swann, Grant Rovelli.
July 12, 2014
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
The Vodafone Warriors have delivered so much brilliant football throughout their history but they hit utterly sublime levels in crushing Parramatta 48-0 in this 18th-round 'Back In Black' NRL clash at Mount Smart Stadium.
The pieces all fell into place from the opening moments. After kicking off the Vodafone Warriors applied the blowtorch immediately, coming at the Eels with offensive defence and then ripping back at them with their first set in possession.
Such was their mood the Vodafone Warriors led 36-0 at halftime including an extraordinary try for fullback Sam Tomkins from a pushover scurm. The scoring pace slowed in the second half but the fine scoreline was still extraordinary.
Vodafone Warriors 48 (Sam Tomkins 2, David Fusitu'a, Shaun Johnson, Konrad Hurrell, Simon Mannering, Ben Henry, Chad Townsend tries; Shaun Johnson 8 conversions).
Parramatta 0.
Vodafone Warriors | Sam Tomkins; David Fusitu’a, Konrad Hurrell, Danie Nielsen, Manu Vatuvei; Chad Townsend, Shaun Johnson; Jacob Lillyman, Nathan Friend, Suaia Matagi; Ben Henry, Simon Mannering (c); Sebastine Ikahihifo. Interchange: Feleti Mateo, Ben Matulino, Charlie Gubb, Sam Lousi.
