“Tonight they hand this haka over to the club.”
The Panthers were the first team out on the field, led by their coach Ivan Cleary, a former player and coach at the Warriors.
The Warriors followed shortly afterwards, led by descendants of local iwi Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and wearing their Te Ārahi jersey designed specially for this weekend.
The Warriors proceeded to the middle of the field in an arrow formation led by Erin Clark.
The Panthers advanced before the Warriors’ Māori and Pacific contingent performed Ngā Tamatoa, with the rest of the team standing behind.
The match is a vital one for the Warriors as they look to keep within touching distance of the league-leading Panthers as the NRL season approaches the finals.
As of half-time, the Warriors were 18-0 ahead.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.