The Warriors' season goes on the line tonight as they face the Newcastle Knights in a sold-out NRL semifinal at Auckland's Eden Park.
About 48,500 fans are expected to descend upon Eden Park for tonight's must-win clash, with the crowd set to be the biggest the Warriors have played in front of on New Zealand soil.
The winner of the match will advance to the preliminary final, while the loser's season will be over.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of kickoff:
Kickoff: Sunday, September 20 at 6.05pm
Where: Eden Park, Auckland
1News.co.nz will have live updates of the game from 5pm.
What's at stake?
The equation is simple for the Warriors: win and their season continues, lose and it's over.
Last weekend's 26-16 loss to the Dolphins denied them a direct path to the preliminary final, but their second-place regular-season finish earned them another shot.
Newcastle, meanwhile, kept their campaign hopes alive with a 20-10 elimination-final victory over the Rabbitohs.
The winner of tonight's clash will travel to Sydney to face the Penrith Panthers in next week's preliminary final, with a place in the NRL Grand Final up for grabs.
Down to 11 men at one stage and hit by injuries to Leka Halasima and Jackson Ford, the Warriors now face a must-win elimination final against the Knights at Eden Park. (Source: 1News)
What can we expect?
The Warriors will be looking to bounce back after letting a 16-8 lead slip to the Dolphins, who scored 18 unanswered points in the final 20 minutes in last week's clash.
The shock defeat broke the Warriors' six-game winning streak and marked the first time this season they had lost, after leading at halftime.
Recent history is on their side against Newcastle. The Warriors beat the Knights 46-32 in Auckland in round 25 and have won six of their past seven meetings. Newcastle have not won in New Zealand since 2019.
Unpacking Warriors' chances at NRL glory ahead of NZ side's must-win final- Watch on TVNZ+
However, Warriors coach Andrew Webster warned Newcastle's versatile attack posed a threat on the field.
"They have got a threat and speed everywhere,” Webster said.
“Watching their finals game last week, I thought they were dominant.”
Who's playing?
The Warriors have received a boost with centre Leka Halasima added to the interchange bench after missing last week’s loss with a hamstring issue.
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak also remains in the extended squad as he pushes for an early return from the broken collarbone he suffered earlier in the season.
Jackson Ford is out after injuring his ankle last weekend, while Morgan Gannon has been brought onto the bench.
Full team lists
Warriors: Taine Tuaupiki, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Ali Leiataua, Adam Pompey, Alofiana Khan-Pereira, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Te Maire Martin, James Fisher-Harris, Wayde Egan, Mitchell Barnett, Kurt Capewell, Jacob Laban, Erin Clark.
Interchange: Sam Healey, Tanner Stowers-Smith, Demitric Vaimauga, Leka Halasima, Morgan Gannon.
Reserves: Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
Knights: Kalyn Ponga, Dominic Young, Dane Gagai, Bradman Best, Greg Marzhew, Fletcher Sharpe, Sandon Smith, Tyson Frizell, Phoenix Crossland, Cody Hopwood, Jermaine McEwen, Francis Manuleleua, Mat Croker.
Interchange: Harrison Graham, Lachlan Crouch, Pasami Saulo, Thomas Cant, Fletcher Hunt, Toby Winter, Dylan Lucas.
Reserve: Kyle McCarthy
How can I get to Eden Park?
Fans with a match-day ticket will be able to travel free on Auckland Transport trains and buses from 1pm until the end of services tonight.
The new City Rail Link means fans travelling from East Auckland and Onehunga can travel directly to Kingsland Station, across the road from Eden Park, without changing trains.
Special event buses will also run from the North Shore, Auckland Transport said.
After the match, passengers travelling west towards Swanson will need to leave through Morningside Station. Kingsland Station will be used for passengers travelling east and south.
The Outer Oval fan zone was open from 1pm and stadium gates would open at 4.15pm.
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