1995 Auckland Warriors season
1995 Auckland Warriors season
The Warriors’ first season in the Australian Rugby League (ARL) was coached by John Monie and captained by Dean Bell, with Stephen Kearney and Duane Mann also in leadership roles. Home games were played at Ericsson Stadium, drawing an average crowd of about 26,450. They finished 10th out of 20 teams, with 13 wins and 9 losses, scoring 538 points and conceding 501. Sean Hoppe was the top try-scorer with 19, while Gene Ngamu led in points with 84 (36 goals).
The team’s inaugural jersey was blue with a green, red and white “V,” made by Canterbury of New Zealand. Main sponsor was DB Bitter, with Ansett Australia as sleeve sponsor; Asics, Coca-Cola and Mitsubishi were among other sponsors. Ericsson Stadium remained the Warriors’ home ground throughout the 1995 season, and the club did not reach the finals.
In the 1995 World Sevens, the Warriors reached the Trophy Quarterfinals. A game penalty saw them stripped of 2 competition points for exceeding the replacement limit. The club used 28 players during the season.
The Reserve Grade side finished 8th in their competition. Warriors Colts reached the Lion Red Cup final but lost 28–21 to North Harbour, with Paki Tuimavave scoring an eight-point try in the final.
Tea Ropati won the club’s Player of the Year award.
Off the field, the Warriors were among eight clubs to sign with News Limited to form the Super League for 1996. Thirteen players signed with the new competition on 2 April 1995 after a Round 4 loss to North Sydney, and coach John Monie signed in late March. The club formally joined News Limited on 20 April, a move that affected eligibility rules for some representative games, though most Warriors players remained eligible for the 1995 Rugby League World Cup.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 03:17 (CET).