2003 New Zealand Warriors season explained

Year:	2003
League:	NRL
League Rank:	6th
Cup:	Challenge Cup
League Wins:	15
League Draws:	0
League Losses:	9
Points For:	545
Points Against:	510
Ceo Title:	CEO
Ceo:	Mick Watson
Coach:	Daniel Anderson
Assistant Coach:	Tony Kemp
Captain:	Monty Betham
Captain2:	Stacey Jones Awen Guttenbeil
Stadium:	Ericsson Stadium
Avg Attendance:	16,842
Top Tries:	Francis Meli (23)
Top Goals:	Stacey Jones (29)
Top Points:	Francis Meli (92)
Prev Season:	2002
Next Season:	2004

The 2003 New Zealand Warriors season was the 9th in the club's history. They competed in the National Rugby League's 2003 Telstra Premiership and finished the regular season in 6th place. The Warriors then came within one game of the grand final, losing to eventual premiers the Penrith Panthers. The coach of the team was Daniel Anderson while Monty Betham was the club captain.

Milestones

• The Warriors had the youngest squad out of all the 15 clubs in the 2003 NRL season.^[1]
• 23 March — Round 2: Monty Betham played in his 50th match for the club.
• 6 April — Round 4: Francis Meli, Wairangi Koopu and Mark Tookey played in their 50th first grade games for the club.^[2]
• 22 June — Round 13: Motu Tony played in his 50th match for the club.
• 12 July — Round 18: Ali Lauitiiti played in his 100th match for the club.
• 10 August — Round 22: Richard Villasanti played in his 50th match for the club.
• 6 September — Round 26: Awen Guttenbiel played in his 100th match for the club.

Fixtures

See also: List of New Zealand Warriors results.

The Warriors used Ericsson Stadium as their home ground in 2003, their only home ground since they entered the competition in 1995.

Pre-season

The Warriors played a pre-season trial match against the Penrith Panthers in Invercargill on 28 February. 15,000 fans attended the match, which was sold out.^[4]

Regular season

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Result	Score	Tries	Goals	Attendance	Report
16 March	Round 1	Newcastle Knights	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Loss	26-36		Jones (3)	16,291	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_1/Warriors-vs-Newcastle/summary.html
23 March	Round 2	Canterbury Bulldogs	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Win	24-20		Marsh (2)	16,229	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_2/Warriors-vs-Bulldogs/summary.html
29 March	Round 3	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	Brookvale Oval, Sydney	Win	20-16		Marsh (2)	14,273	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_3/Manly_Warringah-vs-Warriors/summary.html
6 April	Round 4	South Sydney Rabbitohs	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Win	38-16		Marsh (2), Hohaia (1)	13,614	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_4/Warriors-vs-South_Sydney/summary.html
13 April	Round 5	Brisbane Broncos	ANZ Stadium, Brisbane	Win	32-12		Marsh (3), Tuimavave (1)	18,959	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_5/Brisbane-vs-Warriors/summary.html
21 April	Round 6	North Queensland Cowboys	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Win	30-24		Marshs (3)	19,722	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_6/Warriors-vs-North_Queensland/summary.html
27 April	Round 7	Penrith Panthers	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Loss	14-28		Jones (1)	15,732	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_7/Warriors-vs-Penrith/summary.html
2 May	Round 8	Bulldogs	Westpac Stadium, Wellington	Loss	12-18	Meli, Toopi	Webb (2)	21,989	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_8/Bulldogs-vs-Warriors/summary.html
10 May	Round 9	Parramatta Eels	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Win	18-16		Webb (1)	15,397	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_9/Warriors-vs-Parramatta/summary.html
	Round 10	Bye
23 May	Round 11	Canberra Raiders	Westpac Stadium, Wellington	Loss	10-18	Fa'afili	Webb (1)	13,130	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_11/Canberra-vs-Warriors/summary.html
31 May	Round 12	Penrith Panthers	CUA Stadium, Sydney	Loss	12-34		Jones (2)	20,280	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_12/Penrith-vs-Warriors/summary.html
7 June	Round 13	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Win	23-6	Faumuina, Jones, Meli, Mellars	Jones (3 & FG)	16,172	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_13/Warriors-vs-Cronulla/summary.html
14 June	Round 14	Parramatta Eels	Parramatta Stadium, Sydney	Loss	26-28	V.Anderson, Betham, Faumuina, Meli, Webb	Jones (2), Webb (1)	8,076	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_14/Parramatta-vs-Warriors/summary.html
22 June	Round 15	Canberra Raiders	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Win	26-18	Swann (2), Tony, Toopi, Villasanti	Jones (3)	18,375	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_15/Warriors-vs-Canberra/summary.html
29 June	Round 16	South Sydney Rabbitohs	Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney	Win	31-30 (a.e.t)	Jones, Meli, Tony, Toopi, Webb	Jones (5 & FG)	9,109	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_16/South_Sydney-vs-Warriors/summary.html
5 July	Round 17	North Queensland Cowboys	Dairy Farmers Stadium, Townsville	Loss	10-30	Swann (2)	Jones (1)	16,028	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_17/North_Queensland-vs-Warriors/summary.html
12 July	Round 18	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Win	20-12	V.Anderson, Latu, Webb	Jones (4)	15,528	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_18/Warriors-vs-Manly_Warringah/summary.html
19 July	Round 19	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	Toyota Park, Sydney	Win	31-24	Toopi (2), Murphy, Villasanti, Webb	Jones (5 & FG)	13,565	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_19/Cronulla-vs-Warriors/summary.html
	Round 20	Bye
2 August	Round 21	Melbourne Storm	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Loss	12-14		Hohaia (2)	15,207	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_21/Warriors-vs-Melbourne/summary.html
10 August	Round 22	St. George Illawarra Dragons	Oki Jubilee Stadium, Sydney	Win	30-20		Hohaia (3)	12,595	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_22/St_George_Illawarra-vs-Warriors/summary.html
15 August	Round 23	Newcastle Knights	EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle	Loss	20-36	Toopi (2), Meli, Villasanti	Hohaia (2)	17,198	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_23/Newcastle-vs-Warriors/summary.html
24 August	Round 24	Brisbane Broncos	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Win	22-14		Webb (3)	19,439	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_24/Warriors-vs-Brisbane/summary.html
31 August	Round 25	Sydney Roosters	Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney	Win	26-24		Webb (5)	18,726	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_25/Sydney-vs-Warriors/summary.html
6 September	Round 26	Wests Tigers	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland	Win	32-16		Webb (4)	20,392	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Round_26/Warriors-vs-Wests_Tigers/summary.html

Final Series

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Result	Score	Tries	Goals	Attendance	Report
13 September	Qualifying Final	Bulldogs		Win	48 - 22		Webb (5), Faumuina (1)	18,312	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Qualifying_Final/Bulldogs-vs-Warriors/summary.html
20 September	Preliminary Final	Canberra Raiders		Win	17 - 16	Fa'afili, Swann, Toopi	Webb (2), Jones (FG)	31,616	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Semi_Final/Warriors-vs-Canberra/summary.html
28 September	Preliminary Final	Penrith Panthers		Loss	20 - 28	Swann, Toopi, Villasanti, Webb	Webb (2)	43,174	http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2003/Prelim_Final/Penrith-vs-Warriors/summary.html

Squad

See also: List of New Zealand Warriors players.

Twenty eight players were used by the Warriors in 2003, including five players who made their first grade debuts.

No.	Name	Nationality	Position	Warriors Debut	App	T	G	FG	Pts
24			HB	23 April 1995	22	3	29	4	74
33		/	SR	14 April 1996	20	1	0	0	4
42			SR	1 March 1997	23	9	0	0	36
50		/	PR	16 August 1997	24	1	0	0	4
55		/	SR	19 April 1998	12	1	0	0	4
61		/	HK / LK	8 March 1999	24	2	0	0	8
64			CE / SR	9 April 1999	25	1	0	0	4
65		/	WG	2 May 1999	27	23	0	0	92
66			CE	2 May 1999	22	17	0	0	68
76			PR	6 February 2000	17	0	0	0	0
81		/	WG	26 March 2000	24	10	0	0	40
87		/	PR	18 February 2001	16	6	0	0	24
90		/	UH	9 March 2001	18	7	0	0	28
92			WG	7 April 2001	8	1	0	0	4
93		/	PR	1 June 2001	24	0	0	0	0
95			CE	24 March 2002	10	2	0	0	8
96			HB / HK	24 March 2002	11	3	12	0	36
97			FB	1 April 2002	21	8	26	0	84
98			CE / LK	1 April 2002	24	5	1	0	22
99			UB	6 April 2002	16	7	8	0	44
100		/	CE	7 July 2002	27	6	0	0	24
102			PR	1 September 2002	9	1	1	0	6
103			PR / SR	6 September 2002	10	0	0	0	0
104			HK	2 May 2003	1	0	0	0	0
105			HB	2 May 2003	12	1	0	0	4
106			CE	7 June 2003	4	1	0	0	4
107		/	HK	7 June 2003	7	2	0	0	8
108			CE / FE	31 August 2003	1	0	0	0	0

Staff

• Chief Executive Officer: Mick Watson

Coaching Staff

• Head coach: Daniel Anderson
• Assistant coach: Tony Kemp
• Assistant coach: Rohan Smith

Transfers

Losses

Player	Club	Notes
	Wests Tigers
	Toulouse Olympique
	North Queensland Cowboys
	Bradford Bulls
	North Queensland Cowboys
	Retired

Other Teams

Players not required by the Warriors were released to play in the 2003 Bartercard Cup. This included Motu Tony and Jerome Ropati at the Marist Richmond Brothers, Mark Robinson at the North Harbour Tigers and Richard Villasanti at the Canterbury Bulls.

Awards

Francis Meli won the Player of the Year award.^[5]

External links

• Warriors official site
• 2003 Warriors Season at rugbyleagueproject.org

Notes and References

1. John Coffey Warriors youngest in NRL The Press, 30 November 2002
2. http://localhistoryonline.shorelibraries.govt.nz/cgi-bin/PUI?e=-----------1-0-0---------1-0-0-&a=d&c=supercol&cl=CL4.M.Meli,%20Francis&d=wanw-WNI-AAA-2750 Francis Meli will play his 50th NRL match for the Warriors
3. John Coffey Warriors' new strip The Press, 29 November 2002
4. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/02/27/1046064166415.html We're first - angry Roosters call for ad to be dropped
5. http://www.warriors.co.nz/news/2014/09/16/vodafone_warriors_red_ball_awards.html Vodafone Warriors RED BALL Awards