Draw revealed for club's return to NRLW in 2025

A demanding schedule including a first-round clash with the premiership-winning Sydney Roosters has been confirmed for the One New Zealand Warriors’ return to the NRLW next year.

Running 14 weeks in all with 11 regular season rounds and a three-week finals series, the NRLW is a world removed from the competition the original Warriors played in as a foundation club in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Then there were only four teams in a premiership which spanned just four weeks (three round-robin games and a grand final between the top two sides).

After missing the last four seasons following their Covid era-enforced withdrawal, the Warriors now return as one of two additional sides (along with Canterbury-Bankstown) in an expanded 12-team competition.

Across 11 consecutive weeks the Ron Griffiths-coached squad will face each of the other clubs with five home games at Go Media Stadium and six in Australia including the first NRLW Magic Round in Newcastle when all 12 teams will gather for a two-day women’s rugby league extravaganza.

The Warriors kick off against the Roosters at Allianz Stadium on Sunday, July 6, four years, eight months and 19 days since beating St George Illawarra 22-10 the last time they played in the competition on October 17, 2020.

It’s a huge challenge against a Roosters side which held out the Sharks 32-28 to clinch their second NRLW premiership in October. Their 2024 squad included a number of the best players in the game including Isabelle Kelly, Jessica Sergis, Tarryn Aiken and Millie Elliott – all current Jillaroos – as well as Corban Baxter, Dally M Medal winner Olivia Kernick, Keeley Davis and Kiwi Ferns Amber Hall, Mya Hill-Moana and Otesa Pule.

The following week the Warriors take on the Parramatta Eels in the first of their home games at Go Media Stadium, just the second time they’ve played on home soil (the first was against St George Illawarra in 2019).

Across the campaign the Warriors will be involved in six NRL-NRLW doubleheaders with four standalone games.

Draw features

• NRL-NRLW doubleheaders:
  July 6 (away) | v Roosters (12.00pm local time) followed by Roosters-Tigers NRL match (2.00pm local time).
  July 13 (home) | v Eels (2.00pm local time) followed by Warriors-Tigers          NRL match (4.00pm local time).
  July 20 (away) | v Knights (6.15pm local time) preceded by Knights-Warriors  NRL match (4.00pm local time).
  July 26 (home) | v Titans (2.45pm local time) followed by Warriors-Titans NRL match (5.00pm local time).
  August 9 (away) | v Bulldogs (5.15pm local time) followed by Bulldogs-Warriors NRL match (7.35pm local time).
  August 30 (away) | v Dragons (3.15pm local time) followed by Dragons-Sea  Eagles NRL match (5.30pm local time).
• NRLW standalone matches:
   August 16 (home) | v Raiders (5.15pm local time).
   August 24 (home) | v Sharks (3.45pm local time).
   September 7 (home) | v Broncos (2.00pm local time).
   September 14 (away) | v Tigers (12.00pm local time).
• Away games against 2024 top four sides the Roosters (Rd 1, July 6) and the Knights (Rd 3, July 20) in the first three rounds of the season.
• Home games at Go Media Stadium against 2024 top four teams the Sharks (Rd 8, August 24) and the Broncos (Rd 10, September 7).
• Start season away against the Roosters and finish away against Wests Tigers (Rd 11, September 14).
• Back-to-back away games against the Cowboys (Magic Round) and the Bulldogs followed by consecutive home games against the Raiders and the Sharks.
• No away trips to Townsville, Canberra, Gold Coast or Brisbane.
• Two trips to Newcastle in two weeks to play the Knights on July 20 and the Cowboys on August 3 in Magic Round.

One New Zealand Warriors | 2025 NRLW draw

Regular season

1 Sun July 6 (12.00pm) v Roosters, Allianz Stadium, Sydney
2 Sun July 13 (2.00pm) v Eels, Go Media Stadium, Auckland
3 Sun July 20 (6.15pm) v Knights, McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
4 Sat July 26 (2.45pm) v Titans, Go Media Stadium, Auckland
5 Sun August 3 (11.50am) v Cowboys, McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle (Magic Round)
6 Sat August 9 (5.15pm) v Bulldogs, Accor Stadium, Sydney
7 Sat August 16 (7.15pm) v Raiders, Go Media Stadium, Auckland
8 Sun August 24 (3.45pm) v Sharks, Go Media Stadium, Auckland
9 Sat August 30 (3.15pm) v Dragons, Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney
10 Sun Sept 7 (2.00pm) v Broncos, Go Media Stadium, Auckland
11 Sun Sept 14 (12.00pm) v Wests Tigers, Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Sydney

Finals series

1 September 19-21, week one finals
2 September 26-28, week two finals
3 October 5, grand final