New Zealand Warriors stretched as quartet to head home

The Warriors’ depth is being tested but they remain as committed as ever to playing in the NRL competition

Warriors winger Ken Maumalo celebrates after scoring a try against and Broncos earlier this month. Maumalo is one of four Warriors players who will head back to New Zealand in a fortnight Picture: Getty Images

ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys has backed the decision by four Warriors players to return home and revealed the governing body has identified about 20 players who are domiciled in COVID hot spots in western Sydney.

V’landys, having worked like a trojan to get the game back on the field, has been confronted by further issues in recent days after the Warriors revealed four players would head back to Auckland on July 27 and the Queensland government declared Liverpool and Campbelltown as virus hotspots.

The NRL has spent the past 24 hours cross-referencing their records and found nearly 20 players in the affected areas. V’landys is optimistic they won’t be forced to relocate, although nothing is off the table.

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“We’re analysing everything on a day-to-day basis because it changes daily,” V’landys said.

“We will know in the next two days what we have to do – whether we need to take them out of that area.

“If the government has a handle on it, we may not need to. We are looking at taking them out but we may not need to.

“Everything is on the table at all times. We said that right at the beginning when we started. It is nothing new.

“We have said that right from the start – if there is a hot spot we will take the players out. We will see what the government investigations show tomorrow because if they have contained it and they know where all the people are, it minimises the risk.”

As the drama unfolds in western Sydney, the NRL has also been confronted by the imminent departure of Warriors players David Fusitu’a, Ken Maumalo, Agnatius Paasi and King Vuniyayawa.

All four have booked on flights after the NRL tried and failed to get exemptions for their families to join them in Australia.

The players had committed to staying until Sunday’s match against Cronulla but due to unavailability of flights, they will also play against the Sydney Roosters on July 25 before heading home.

“We will do everything we can to assist them,” V’landys said.

“I totally understand their predicament and sympathise with them. I don’t have a problem with it and I don’t think it is going to affect the Warriors.

“The Warriors team know how important it is for them to be here. I totally understand the actions of these players. Nothing has changed. The infection rate now is actually lower than it has ever been in NSW. There is a cluster going on that has been brought in from Victoria.

“I think the government has done a very good job in tracing it and within days hopefully it will be near enough extinguished. I am not worried.”

Another Warriors player – Leivaha Pulu – went home two weeks ago. The club has been given special dispensation to loan players from their rivals and it is understood they have already begun scouring the NRL for options.

“The reality of the five players is that three of them are in the 17 this week and they‘re big contributors to our performance,” said Warriors CEO Cameron George.

“It‘s getting tougher and tougher as the year goes on, as other clubs get injuries, to try to find those loan players.

“We‘re certainly very skinny in a lot of areas in our roster.’’