Warriors 25: Celebrating 25 Years of the New Zealand Warriors

Description

In 1995, the Warriors invaded the Australian Rugby League premiership - the first overseas club to be admitted - in a blaze of publicity and hype the likes of which New Zealand sport had never seen. The Warriors have taken their fans on a wild rollercoaster ride ever since, from the brink of collapse to within touching distance of ultimate glory and everywhere in between. They have played to the beat of their own drum for 25 seasons. The NRL trophy has remained agonisingly elusive, but the club has won a minor premiership, reached two grand finals, produced some of the modern era's finest players and countless memories. Few New Zealand teams in any code generate more passion, debate, exasperation and excitement than the Warriors. Warriors 25 covers the triumphs, heartbreaks, controversies and revivals that have kept supporters coming back for more for a quarter of a century. Sportswriter Will Evans tells the story of all 25 seasons - featuring interviews with some of the Warriors' most prominent players, coaches and administrators - in this exhaustively researched and officially club-endorsed book. Through the exhilarating highs and gut-wrenching lows of the past 25 years, this book covers the on- and off-field events of every season, the club's memorable matches and important figures, a wealth of trivia, including comprehensive records and stats for every game and player. Featuring full-colour photography throughout and a Warriors 25-year Team voted on by a panel of experts, this is a must-have tome for every rugby league fan!

WILL EVANS is the author of A Short History of Rugby League in Australia (2012), A History of State of Origin (2013) and The Book of NRL Lists (2014, co-authored with Nick Tedeschi), and Rugby League Rivalries (2015). As a freelance journalist he has contributed to Big League magazine, Rugby League Review magazine and is the founder, editor and writer for This Warriors Life website.