NZ Warriors' long-awaited homecoming to Mt Smart Stadium has been delayed again by ongoing uncertainty over COVID-19 border restrictions.
The Auckland-based franchise last hosted an NRL fixture in August 2019 and has spent the past two seasons marooned across the Tasman by the pandemic.
Now, tentative plans to host champions Penrith Panthers in June have been abandoned, with chief executive Cameron George unwilling to commit to Government plans to reopen the country.
"We remain desperate to bring the team home to play at Mt Smart, but it’s not possible to do so in June, with the obstacles this Government has put in place," George says. "Hopeful is all we can be.
"July is meant to be the next step towards reconnecting the world to New Zealand, but no-one can be certain that will work out.
"Throughout this pandemic, we have consistently made decisions based on facts. While we've wanted to come home, our priority has been to ensure we have stability for our players and families, while also doing what's best for the competition."
The Warriors have teased fans with home games over the past two years, even locking in an August 15 fixture against Canterbury Bulldogs last year, when a COVID outbreak in Sydney forced several clubs to flee to Queensland.
The match would have provided a fitting farewell to captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, before his return to rugby union, but as another wave of the pandemic struck Australian and New Zealand, he left the team early to return home.
The Warriors have not confirmed a venue for the Penrith match, although Moreton Daily Stadium - home of the Redcliffe Dolphins and Warriors' surrogate home this year - looms as the most likely. George still hopes to bring his team home when the borders reopen in July.
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