GWM Game Day Guide: Full focus on farewells and thankyous

Farewells and thankyous will be front and centre on the last game day of the season when the One New Zealand Warriors host the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs at the temporarily named Shaun Johnson Stadium on Friday night (match day sponsor: One New Zealand).

The 25th-round NRL encounter is farewell time for Shaun Johnson, Jazz Tevaga and Addin Fonua-Blake.

For club legend Johnson’s it’s his 87th and last NRL appearance for the Warriors at his home ground before he ends his 14-season career.

For Tevaga it’s his final outing at home for the club he has represented across nine NRL seasons before he continues his career elsewhere while Fonua-Blake signs off in front of members and fans for the last time before linking with next week’s 26th-round opponents the Cronulla Sutherland Sharks.

There’ll be an overarching focus on the departing players throughout the evening, especially Johnson who arrived at the club as a teenager before making his NRL debut in 2011 and now appearing in his 223rd game for the club on Friday.

The three players will feature in big screen video tributes as well as being honoured as they make an emotion-charged entrance onto the field just before kick-off in the big game at 8.00pm.

There’ll be post-match acknowledgements for the trio while it’s also a night when the One New Zealand Warriors say thankyou to members and fans for their unprecedented support this season which has seen the club become the first in NRL history to sell out every home game in a season (10 in Auckland as well as one in Christchurch).

“It’s going to be a night big on emotion,” said One New Zealand Warriors CEO Cameron George.

“Members, fans, families, sponsors and everyone connected with the club has so much to thank Shaun for. He’s a true legend of our club and of New Zealand sport across the board. We want to ensure he is given a truly memorable and deserved send-off.

“We’re also so grateful to Jazz and Addin for the contributions they’ve made in their time with the Warriors. They’re just as much a part of it as the three teammates play together at home for the last time.

“And then there’s all the members and fans who’ll be in the stands on Friday night as well as those who have supported the club throughout the season. Selling out every home game has been incredible and on Friday night we say thank you to them as well.”

On the football side there will again be a double header with the fourth-placed One New Zealand Warriors facing the fifth-placed Bulldogs in a crucial New South Wales Cup encounter (5.15pm kick-off).

Gates open at 5.00pm for a night which will be layered with an array of activities and entertainment including a halftime show put on by match day sponsor One New Zealand.