Expansion was all the rage as the 1995 season kicked off with the Auckland Warriors, North Queensland Cowboys, South Queensland Crushers and Western Reds joining to create a 20-team competition.
The Warriors announcement was massive news for league fans across the ditch and was teased in 1992 before being officially confirmed in 1993 to start two years later.
Auckland’s marquee signing for the club’s debut season, was Greg Alexander, who made the move after 11 seasons at Penrith.
“I was looking for a change but it had nothing to do with Penrith, we parted on great terms, I was just after something new,” Alexander told Big League.
“I’d toured New Zealand a number of times as a schoolboy and with the Australian team and I’d always really enjoyed my time over there. I like the people, I like the country so it was an exciting opportunity.”
Alexander arrived in New Zealand in September 1994 and said the energy around the Warriors debut season was electric and reminiscent of the ‘Up the Wahs’ movement of recent years.
“We did a lot of travelling in those first few months. Our major sponsor was DB Bitter and they had us travelling to pubs right around the country to grow the Warriors brand and win over the locals and that was a lot of fun,” Alexander recalled.
“The whole country was just buzzing. There were already plenty of rugby league fans over there who had followed the competition closely, but now they had a team to call their own.
“They had been surviving on VHS tapes of games before that, that’s how they used to watch their rugby league.
“It was quite special to be in New Zealand at that time.”
Alexander said excitement built throughout his first summer living in Auckland and went into overdrive into the lead up to the Warriors first competition game in Auckland against the Broncos.
“We had a scattering of players that had played in the ARL beforehand like Phil Blake, Manoa Thompson, Stephen Kearney and Gavin Hill.
“There were a few guys from the English Super League like Dennis Betts and Andy Platt and some Kiwis who had been playing in England.
“But there were also a host of players who had just been playing in the local New Zealand league. It was a massive jump for those guys but gee they had some talent.
The Warriors ran out to a sold out stadium against the Broncos but had their hearts broken by Alfie Langer in a 25-22 loss.
Despite that, Alexander said he still looks back on that match as one of the best club games he was involved in.
The Warriors went on to win 13 of 22 matches in ‘95 and finished 10th in the club’s inaugural season.
Alexander played two seasons in Auckland before returning to finish his career in Penrith.
He says he still has a soft spot for the ‘Wahs’ and said he’d like to see a second New Zealand team in the NRL at some point in years ahead.
“There is so much talent over there playing both league and rugby union and considering the support and the crowds that the Warriors are attracting, it’s a big opportunity,” he said.
“If you’re looking to break into a market where the talent is already established, then I think New Zealand is a no-brainer and hopefully we see that in a few years time.
“It would be fantastic for the NRL if there was another Kiwi side in the competition.”
