Vodafone Warriors 1994-2006
1994
•Club assembles squad including Australian professionals Greg Alexander and Phil Blake, English players Denis Betts and Andy Platt plus numerous Kiwis such as captain Dean Bell, Gavin Hill (the club’s first signing), Duane Mann, Stephen Kearney, Sean Hoppe, Richard Blackmore and Frano Botica.
1995
•March – Retired All Black rugby union winger John Kirwan signed to play for Warriors.
•March 10 – Debut in Winfield Cup, playing first match against Brisbane. Phil Blake is club’s first try-scorer.
•March 26 – First win in competition beating Western Suburbs 46-12 only to lose competition points for using too many replacements.
•April 23 – Stacey Jones makes first-grade debut, coming off bench to score a try in 40-4 win over Parramatta in Sydney.
•August – Finish first season in Winfield Cup with a 13 wins-9 losses record, just missing out on top eight play-offs.
•Dean Bell finishes one-year contract after leading club in debut season.
1996
•Two more rugby union players signed – All Blacks Marc Ellis and Mark Carter.
•August – Warriors finish second season in competition just missing out on play-offs again with a 10 wins-1 draw-11 losses record.
1997
•March – CEO Ian Robson sacked, replaced by Bill MacGowan.
•March – Warriors meet Brisbane in first round of Super League, Matthew Ridge making his debut for club after being signed from Manly.
•April 28 – Coach John Monie sacked after 30-22 loss to North Queensland. He was in charge for 52 matches (26 wins, 26 losses).
•Kiwi coach Frank Endacott takes over, losing first match against Brisbane 34-18.
•August – Warriors fail to make Super League play-offs.
•October – Warriors reach semi-finals of Super League’s World Club Challenge but lose to Brisbane.
1998
•August – Major disappointments on and off the field.
•Once again the Warriors fail to emerge as contenders while the club also stumbles financially.
•Original owner the Auckland Rugby League walks away from the club as Graham Lowe and Malcolm Boyle combine with Tainui to buy the Warriors.
•Foundation Warrior Stephen Keaney is among those to finish with the club as he signs with Melbourne.
•Frank Endacott is sacked as coach and Bill MacGowan as CEO. Mark Graham is signed as new coach and Trevor McKewen is appointed new CEO.
1999
•March 8 – Warriors beat Roosters in Graham’s first game as coach.
•August 21 – Warriors beat Newcastle 42-0 as Stacey Jones becomes the club’s first player to appear in 100 first-grade games. A week later Jones scores a club record-equalling four tries in a 60-16 win over Wests.
2000
•A year of major upheaval.
•Tainui takes over running the club, forcing Lowe and Boyle out.
•Warriors slump to huge defeat against Canberra (56-12), a club record loss against St George Illawarra (54-0) and Melbourne (56-10).
•The club crumbles financially, players left with unpaid wages. Mark Graham quits as coach.
•From the rubble, New Zealand millionaire businessman Eric Watson takes over and rebuilds the club.
•Unknown Daniel Anderson is signed as new coach, Mick Watson arrives as new CEO and former Brisbane loose forward Kevin Campion is the major player signing.
•Former CEO Trevor McKewen is sacked.
2001
•A year of rebuilding turns into a year of achievement and firsts.
•March 24 – Stacey Jones kicks a field goal to give the Warriors their first-ever victory over Brisbane(13-12).
•A rollercoaster year features a 52-8 win over Penrith, a 30-0 shut-out of Cronulla and several other spectacular results.
•August 27 – The club reaches the play-offs for the first time when a 24-24 draw with Melbourne secures a finals berth.
•Warriors, depleted through injury, lose their first finals match 56-12 to Parramatta.
•A club in ruins is turned into a competitive and financially sound organisation.
•P J Marsh is signed from Parramatta.
2002
•The club’s most successful season in history unfolds.
•April 14 – Warriors have record win (68-10) over Northern Eagles.
•Record run of eight successive wins is put together including first win over Wests Tigers and the first-ever win in Newcastle.
•Bulldogs and Brisbane are beaten on successive weekends as Warriors go on to claim NRL minor premiership for the first time.
•Daniel Anderson is named Dally M Coach of the Year and Ali Lauitiiti Dally M Second Rower of the Year.
•September 15 – More history is created as the Warriors host their first finals match, beating Canberra 36-20 at a sold-out Ericsson Stadium.
•Club owner Eric Watson gives away 10,000 tickets to New Zealand passport holders to attend the Warriors-Cronulla play-off at Telstra Stadium.
•September 29 – Warriors beat Cronulla 16-10 to reach grand final for the first time.
•October 6 – Warriors play in grand final for the first time, Stacey Jones scoring spectacular solo try but the Roosters win 30-8.
•Popular veterans Kevin Campion and Ivan Cleary leave club.
•Club posts substantial profit after finishing the season with 19 wins and 8 losses.
2003
•Another outstanding year evolves on and off the field, an outstanding run of results late in the season – including wins over St George Illawarra, Brisbane and the Roosters – pushing the Warriors into the play-offs again.
•September 13 – Warriors begin bid for a second successive grand final appearance with a stunning 48-22 destruction of the heavily-favoured Bulldogs. Winger Francis Meli breaks various records in scoring five tries.
•September 15 – Warriors announce club owner Eric Watson will again give away 10,000 tickets to New Zealand passport holders for play-off against Canberra at Aussie Stadium.
•September 20 – A late Stacey Jones field goal gives Warriors a 17-16 win over Canberrato earn major semi-final clash against Penrith.
•September 28 – Warriors fall one game short of repeat grand final appearance, beaten 28-20 by Penrith.
•Another profitable year for club after a season producing 17 wins and 10 losses.
•Logan Swann, John Carlaw and Motu Tony leave club.
2004
•Warriors begin season with successive losses to Brisbane, St George Illawarra and Newcastle, never recover and go on to record worst result in club’s history.
•April 16 – Ali Lauitiiti plays what turns out to be his last match for Warriors, announcing he is leaving a week later.
•May 8 – Stacey Jones makes his 200th first-grade appearance for Warriors in match against North Queenslandin Townsville.
•May 30 – Warriors crash to near record defeat against Roosters losing 58-6 at Aussie Stadium. Days later Daniel Anderson quits as coach after a 3 wins-8 losses record in the first 11 matches of the season.
•Assistant Tony Kemp takes over as coach.
•June 6 – In Kemp’s first match in charge, Warriors beat Canberra 20-14 at Ericsson Stadium.
•Club enters major rebuilding programme with its biggest moves yet on the player market.
•June 8 – Warriors announce North Queensland halfback Nathan Fien has signed.
•July 9 – Club makes its biggest signing in several years by securing Kiwi captain Ruben Wiki (Canberra) for three years.
•July 12 – Warriors follow up Wiki’s signing by announcing they have signed Bulldogs captain Steve Price (Bulldogs) for 2005 and beyond.
•August 26 – After Kemp is confirmed as long-term head coach, former Warriors players Ivan Clearyand Kevin Campion are signed as assistant coaches, joined by Tony Iro.
•September – Season finishes with 56-10 loss to Bulldogs, the sixth successive defeat as Warriors finish with a 6 wins-18 losses record, the worst in the club’s history.
•Lauitiiti’s early-season departure was followed by other seasoned players Jerry Seuseu, Mark Tookey and Henry Fa’afili.
•October 6 – Roosters winger Todd Byrne becomes the fourth major signing for 2005.
2005
•January 21 – Cullen Sports announces John Hart’s appointment as a director.
•March 19 – In second game of new season, Warriors upset Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium, winning 24-12.
•April 21 – Warriors announce Stacey Jones will leave club at end of 2005 season after signing for new English Super League club UTC.
•June 26 – Warriors go back in time to mark club’s 10th anniversary in home clash against original opponents Brisbane in 1995. Replica strip and other trimmings used as Warriors end Brisbane’s 10-match winning streak with a 30-18 win in front of biggest home crowd of the season.
•August 20 – Stacey Jones’ farewell appearance to Vodafone Warriors fans, playing his 237th NRL match. A week later he scores a match-winning late try in his last game for the club at Manly.
•Warriors finish season just outside top eight play-offs after 10 wins and 14 losses.
•Apart from Stacey Jones, Monty Betham, Francis Meli, Iafeta Paleaaesina, Karl Temata and Tevita Latu finish up with Vodafone Warriors.
•August 24 – Cullen Sports chairman Maurice Kidd announces CEO Mick Watson is leaving the club after five years in the position.
•September 6 – Wayne Scurrah is named as the Vodafone Warriors’ new CEO.
•September 9 – Announcement made that Ivan Cleary will replace Tony Kemp as the club’s new head coach with John Ackland appointed as assistant coach.
•October 25 – Skills coach Kevin Campion announces he will leave club at the end of the year to return to Australia with his family.
2006
•February – NRL announces Vodafone Warriors have been found guilty of serious salary cap breaches, resulting in a fine and the deduction of four competition points for the 2006 season. The club appeals the severity of the penalty, seeking redress on the decision to dock competition points but the NRL board rules the penalties must stand.
•March 12 – Vodafone Warriors open season on -4 on the points table. They lose first match 16-22 to Melbourne at Mount Smart Stadium.
•March 25 – Vodafone Warriors beat Wests Tigers 26-10 in Christchurch for first competition points of the season to move to -2. The following week they beat Newcastle 26-22 away to move to 0.
•May 3 – Richard Villasanti granted early release to sign with Cronulla after 96 appearances for Vodafone Warriors since arriving in 2001.
•May 17 – Grant Rovelli’s contract extended until end of 2010 season.
•June 17 – Evarn Tuimavave extends contract until end of 2009 season.
•June 24 – Vodafone Warriors confirm fullback Brent Webb will leave club at end of 2006 season to join English Super League club Leeds.
•July 4 – Vodafone Warriors announce Parramatta fullback Wade McKinnon’s signing on a three-year contract to the end of the 2009 season.
•July 18 – Veteran forward Awen Guttenbeil confirms he will leave the Vodafone Warriors at the end of the season to play out his career on a two-year deal with Castleford in England.
•July 18 – Manly utility Michael Witt’s signing on a one-year contract for the 2007 season is announced. First-year NRL players Patrick Ah Van and Sam Rapira sign new upgraded three-year contracts.
•July 30 – First-year hooker George Gatis is re-signed on a new one-year contract.
•August 19 – Vodafone Warriors announce Wests Tigers winger Michael Crockett’s signing on a two-year contract for 2007 and 2008.
•August 30 – Coach Ivan Cleary extends contract with Vodafone Warriors until the end of 2008 with an option to continue in 2009.
•August 30 – Utility Sione Faumuina has his contract terminated by the Vodafone Warriors after another case of serious misconduct.
• September 3 – Vodafone Warriors lose 12-36 to Brisbane in final regular season match, finishing with 12 wins and 12 losses. If they hadn’t been deducted four points for salary cap breaches they would have finished on 28 points and made the top eight play-offs ahead of Parramatta on points for and against.
•September 14 – Steve Price wins the club’s premier accolade as the Lion Red Player of the Year. Grant Rovelli wins the Vodafone Young Player of the Year, Micheal Luck the Puma Clubman of the Year and Brent Webb the Vodafone One Tribe Supporters’ Player of the Year. Players farewelled include Awen Guttenbeil (170 games) and Brent Webb (103 games).
•October 8 – Logan Swann signed on a two-year contract to return home after leaving the Vodafone Warriors for the English Super League at the end of the 2003 season.
