For Barnett, now in his fourth and final season at the Warriors after joining from the Newcastle Knights, being part of the club’s haka was a reflection of the club’s all-in approach to culture.
James Fisher-Harris and Mitchell Barnett celebrate after the Warriors’ win over the Panthers. Photo / Photosport
“It was a great spectacle tonight,” he said. “I just want to touch on [being] the first team to perform a haka in front of an NRL game.
“I just thought it was a really cool moment for the club. Bringing [Fisher-Harris] in has brought a lot of the culture stuff. We’ve got one of the most diverse cultures; we’ve got people from here, there and everywhere.
“For them to include us in that tonight, where we got to stand behind them and they put a guard around us, just showed the connection between squad member one to the end.
“It was a great night for the club all round.”
To make the occasion all the better, the Warriors’ on-field display was just as powerful, holding off a late Panthers’ comeback to claim a 28-12 victory over the NRL table-toppers.
Fisher-Harris was key in on and off-field displays. Since returning to Aotearoa at the start of 2025 after more than a decade in Australia, the 30-year-old has been open about the want to reconnect with his culture.
And as a club co-captain, as well as being the skipper of the Kiwis at test level, it was Fisher-Harris who was instrumental in making sure every member of the club was involved, regardless of where they were born.
“That’s one thing I love about Fish and even the New Zealand culture, they embrace everyone,” Barnett said.
“It wasn’t a conversation we’ve had to have – there was no choice, which was cool.
“We’re brothers at the end of the day. Being Australian and coming over here, it’s nice to have that inclusion.
“It was a special moment.”
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.