Warriors boss Cameron George has claimed his team can create the greatest story in rugby league, warning Peter V’landys they’ll come to Australia to “kick your ass” in the NRL.
A bullish George believes the unique trials and tribulations experienced by the Auckland-based club this season can inject them with a resilience they’ve long been accused of lacking.
He confirmed on Thursday they remain committed to playing in the NRL competition scheduled to start on May 28, if they are granted Australian government clearance to enter and if clarity is provided on all of their currently-unanswered questions.
Uncertainty has dogged the Warriors for weeks, something George said had been difficult for everybody to cope with.
But he said the stressful wait, followed by a marathon offshore stint together, could provide a turning point for a club that has yet to win a premiership.
“I feel like this has galvanised the mindset of a lot of people in our club. It’s different and maybe that’s what we need,” George told Auckland’s NewsTalk ZB radio station.
“For 25 years the normal approach hasn’t been a great success for us.
“I signed off on an email to (ARL Commission chairman) Peter V’landys the other day that said this will be the greatest story in rugby league when we come to Australia and kick your ass.”
A charter flight is booked to carry 48 players and staff from Auckland to Sydney on Sunday, where they will be joined by Sydney-based pair Wayde Egan and Lachlan Burr.
They plan to quarantine and train in isolation in Tamworth for two weeks before relocating to Sydney.
However, before travelling, George wants certainty on a host of “non-negotiable” issues, namely detail around the eventual accommodating of families and the level of player remuneration – something which must reflect the sacrifice of being based in Australia for up to six months.
Answers to those queries and others are expected to be available following Friday’s national cabinet meeting in Canberra, from which it could yet emerge that the Warriors are shut out of the competition.
George maintained every player is committed to seeing out the 20-round competition and their attitude should be lauded.
“There’s no CEO in the world right now running any organisation asking 50 of his employees to relocate to another country without knowing what they will be paid or without family support or when they are coming back,” George said.
“I feel like our club is being asked to do something no one in the world is doing anywhere. It is a massive sacrifice and we are a family orientated club.”