The National Rugby League Women's champions and the competition underdogs clash on Saturday in a match that the Warriors captain says will "set the tone" for the remainder of the season.
Warriors captain Georgia Hale. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Warriors captain Georgia Hale did not know most of her teammates or really her coach until a week ago.
The back-rower is one of five New Zealand-based players who have temporarily moved to Sydney to see out the NRLW season.
The rest of the Warriors team is made up of Australian representatives in league and rugby sevens as well as some newcomers to elite sport.
Hale said the players' differences were what helped to bring together the diverse squad in a short space of time ahead of the season opener.
"We definitely have a fruit bowl of players, obviously the five that have come over from New Zealand, the inclusion of our two sevens girls and then both Queensland and New South Wales players, obviously all very different cultures, different heritage, different upbringings but I think that's been the one thing we've really highlighted and which has helped us build our culture over the last week."
New coach Brad Donald has a few hurdles to overcome in his first NRLW appointment, including getting his game plan across to some young players and league converts who would not have had an opportunity to play this season had Covid-19 not changed the game.
Jillaroos and new Warriors coach Brad Donald. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Donald's first team for Saturday afternoon's game against the defending champion Brisbane Broncos will have six players on NRLW debut and 12 players playing for the Warriors for the first time.
Donald's experience coaching the Australian national side, the Jillaroos, means he has inside knowledge of some of the opposition players which could prove valuable in the four-team competition, especially when he has a goal of getting the Warriors to the grand final for the first time.
"We're not here to make up the numbers, we've said that right from the beginning," Donald said.
"Over the last two years this team has won enough games to make a great final. In the first year the Roosters made it on one win and last year the Dragons made it on two wins and the Warriors did exactly same but it's been for and against so we've spoken a lot about making sure that our defence is really tight, every point counts in such a short competition."
For the past two seasons the Warriors have kicked off their campaign against the Sydney Roosters, so a match-up against the Broncos on Saturday in Canberra is a welcome change Hale said.
"I think it's really exciting that they've changed the draw for us finally, obviously with the year that's been of the unknown I think it's really nice going up against the favourites," Hale said.
"The Broncos play a very similar game to us, they're very physical, they love the contact, so I think it's going to be a great contest and a good match-up and I think it's really going to set the tone for the rest of the competition."
