Warriors captain Mitch Barnett and Raiders counterpart Joseph Tapine square off in Vegas. Photo: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
Warriors v Raiders (NRL)
Kick-off: 1pm, Sunday 2 March
Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
Live blog updates on RNZ Sport
After what seems like a never-ending off-season, the 2025 NRL will kick off with a doubleheader of games in Las Vegas, showcasing the competition to perhaps the most influential sporting market in the world.
Warriors v Raiders will get the ball rolling, while Penrith Panthers will begin their quest for a fifth straight premiership against Cronulla Sharks.
The schedule will also include an international women's contest between Australia and England, while the Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves will meet in an English Super League clash.
Warriors-Raiders fixtures always seem contentious affairs. Last time they met, Canberra prevailed by two points, but only after letting a 14-point first-half lead slip away. The Warriors drew level midway through the second half, but a horror goal-kicking day cost them badly, when first-choice kicker Adam Pompey went off injured and Chanel Harris-Tavita missed a conversion in the final moments that might have forced Golden Point.
Xavier Savage celebrates his try for the Raiders against the Warriors. Photo: NRL Photos
Earlier in the season, the Warriors fell behind 10-6 midway through the first half in Christchurch, but tries in quick succession to Luke Metcalf and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, both converted by Metcalf, saw them home 18-10.
Head to head: Played 52, Raiders 27, Warriors 25
2024 NRL records: Raiders - ninth (12-12), Warriors - 13th (9-1-14)
Pre-season: Raiders 22 Panthers 16, Warriors 12 Sharks 12, Sharks 40 Raiders 10, Warriors 36 Storm 10
Vegas, baby, Vegas!
The teams arrived in 'Sin City' a week ago, which has given them plenty of time to explore their surroundings and acclimatise to a torrent of sights and sounds unlike anything they will have experienced previously.
Vegas was founded in 1905 and incorporated as a city six years later, but really took off in 1931, when the state of Nevada legalised casino gambling and reduced residency requirements for divorce to six weeks. It really picked up momentum through the 1940s, when organised crime bosses established the Flamingo hotel there.
The city avoided the affects of the Great Depression through construction of the nearby Hoover Dam, which also began in 1931 and was completed in 1935.
During the 1950s, the nearby desert was the testing site for nuclear weapons and visitors could witness the mushroom clouds - while also being exposed to the radiation fallout - until 1963, when testing was moved underground.
March probably marks the beginning of spring, with a record high temperature of 33C and a record low of -7C. The highest temperature ever record in Vegas was 49C on 7 July last year.
Strangely, the famed Las Vegas strip, which houses most of the area's casinos, is not actually part of the city, but is actually part of the towns of Paradise and Winchester.
Allegiant Stadium before the 2024 Super Bowl between Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. Photo: Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire
Taking its name from a low-cost airline, Allegiant Stadium is the home of the Las Vegas Raiders, since they moved from Oakland in 2020, and also hosted the 2024 Super Bowl, won by Kansas City Chiefs.
Vegas also hosts the Vegas Golden Knights ice hockey team, owned by Auckland FC backer Bill Foley and the Las Vegas Aces women's basketball team, with the Oakland Athletics baseball team due to move there in 2028.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is also based there.
Teams
Warriors: 1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2 Taine Tuaupiki, 3 Ali Leaiataua, 4 Adam Pompey, 5 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6 Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7 Luke Metcalf, 8 James Fisher-Harris (cc), 9 Wayde Egan, 10 Mitch Barnett, 11 Kurt Capewell, 12 Marata Niukore, 13 Erin Clark
Interchange: 14 Dylan Walker, 15 Jackson Ford, 16 Demitric Vaimauga, 17 Leka Halasima
Raiders: 1 Kaeo Weekes, 2 Savelio Tamale, 3 Matt Timoko, 4 Sebastian Kris, 5 Xavier Savage, 6 Ethan Savage, 7 Jamal Fogarty, 8 Corey Horsburgh, 9 Tom Starling, 10 Joseph Tapine, 11 Hudson Young, 12 Zac Hosking, 13 Morgan Smithies
Interchange: 14 Owen Pattie, 15 Simi Sasagi, 16 Josh Papalii, 17 Ata Mariota
Coach Andrew Webster has had to cover the retirements of captain Tohu Harris and club scoring recordholder Shaun Johnson during the off-season, and also lost the services of winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak to a broken wrist in the pre-season.
Taine Tuaupiki scores a pre-season try for the Warriors. Photo: Jeremy Ward/Photosport
He's plugged new arrival Erin Clark straight into Harris' locking position and handed Johnson's No.6 jersey to Luke Metcalf, with Chanel Harris-Tavita outside him in the halves.
Understudy fullback Taine Tuaupiki will switch to the vacant wing position, with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck also switching to the outside, after spending most of last season in the centres.
Front-rowers Mitch Barnett and James Fisher-Harris have been named co-captains.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart lost skipper Elliott Whitehead and Kiwi veteran Jordan Rapana to the Super League in the off-season, and hasn't really recruited anyone of note to replace them. He will depend on the talent he already has to continue their development at this level.
TAB Odds: Warriors $1.65, Raiders $2.25
Where to watch: Sky Sport 1 from noon
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