An old boys’ parade and a double header featuring the One New Zealand Warriors’ top four-placed NRL and New South Wales Cup sides highlight the club’s emotional Daniel Anderson Round clash against Manly Warringah at home on Friday night.
To honour the club’s former coach, the One New Zealand Warriors and naming rights sponsor Go Media have renamed the venue Daniel Anderson Stadium.
The entire NRL rugby league community is coming together to raise critical funds for Anderson who also coached Parramatta, St Helens and the Kiwis.
The 56-year-old suffered a catastrophic spinal cord injury late last year following a body surfing accident on the New South Wales Central Coast and is in rehabilitation at the Royal Rehabilitation Centre in Ryde.
Friday night’s match against the Sea Eagles doubles as the club’s annual old boys’ day with former One Zealand Warriors players, particularly those who played in the Anderson era from 2001-2004, gathering in big numbers to support the cause.
The players are scheduled to do a parade of honour at 7.10pm on what will be a highly-charged night as the One New Zealand Warriors strive to protect their third spot on the ladder with their 15th win of what has been a momentous season. They sit alone on 34 points, four behind Penrith and Brisbane and two ahead of the Melbourne Storm, who are clear in fourth place.
Ahead of the NRL feature, the club’s New South Wales Cup side, running second the competition, will take on the seventh-placed Sea Eagles (5.30pm kick-off).
Gates open at 5.15pm for the One New Zealand Warriors’ second to last home game of the regular season.
The night will also feature a spectacular light and laser show at halftime in the NRL match.
Tickets are selling fast so fans should be in now to secure seats for another blockbuster. Buy tickets now at Ticketmaster.
In their seven home games in Auckland so far, the One New Zealand Warriors have attracted a total attendance of 152,107 (an average crowd of 21,729 a game) with the best 24,012 for the match against the Sharks.
The One New Zealand Warriors will be eyeing a sixth straight win following victories over Parramatta (46-10), Cronulla Sutherland (44-12), Canberra (21-20), Gold Coast (28-18) and the Wests Tigers (30-22). They have won nine of their last 11 matches since their Magic Round loss to Penrith in early May.
