Handshakes and hugs began outside the doors of Mount Smart Stadium long before the official welcoming ceremony began Tuesday morning, when Warriors staff reconnected with their teammates for the first time since the team returned from Australia.
Later that morning, the full player team was greeted by a powerful pōwhiri (Maori welcome ceremony) from the local iwi (tribe) Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, who marked his return home after two and a half years through of Tasmania.
The long-awaited return home has been a particularly emotional experience for New Zealand-based club players, including game creator Shaun Johnson, who this year had spent less than a week in total with his wife Kayla and the his young daughter Millah, who remained in Auckland.
“Watching my little one grow through FaceTime wasn’t ideal. We’ve all had our different challenges,” Johnson said.
“Not having them in my corner during the year has been a challenge at times.
“I am so grateful to be in this position right now and to be able to be a father and share this week with my family.
I can swing at Mount Smart Stadium with a smile on my face knowing I’ll go home and see my little one later.
Shaun Johnson
“Every kind of hard day you’ve had (in Australia) takes you back to that time when we’re home, with my family and I feel embraced by the people I play for.”
After spending three seasons at Cronulla (2019-21) and then getting stuck in Australia during the first half of his return season with the Warriors this year, Johnson also thought his days of welcoming Mount Smart Stadium was over.
“I never thought I would be able to walk back up Mount Smart and see the faces I bounced back from seeing during the eight years I was here,” Johnson said.
Shaun Johnson hugs Mark Dekker, a Warriors fan. © Photosport
“Even driving my way from my house to the stadium, I called my dad saying‘ Dad, I’m doing it again ’.
“I’m exactly where I need to be and I know it.”
Jazz Tevaga, Adam Pompey and Chanel Harris-Tavita are the only players still in the Warriors ’books who came out on the pitch the last time the club played Auckland in round 24 of 2019, while the support Bunty Afoa is still there but lost the match. .
For veteran winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, this is the first time he has seen the club headquarters as a Warrior, after years of experiencing it as a member of the visiting team.
“It was really good to come in here and look at my closet, see the place and feel that you belong to something and you belong somewhere,” Watene-Zelezniak said.
“A big part of the reason I signed up here was to go back where I came from and let my wife and kids experience it too.
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Stacey Jones excited about coming home
“We had only heard stories from the boys about what it’s like to have a full crowd at Mount Smart behind you, so coming back here and playing our first game with the colors in our house will be fantastic.”
Meanwhile, club captain Tohu Harris spoke of the honor of leading the club again in front of his dedicated fans.
“It’s a privilege to be honest, to be in that position to be able to take the boys to the field,” Harris said.
“I don’t think anyone would have imagined it would last that long … I certainly wouldn’t have chosen two and a half years to be the time before playing Mount Smart again.”
Tickets for the return match have already been sold out, with an influx of more than 26,500 spectators on Sunday afternoon.