Ticket sales have been open to Warriors members since midday today, with Dolphins members getting access at 6pm. General public ticket sales begin at 12pm on Tuesday, via Ticketmaster. Each customer can purchase up to eight tickets.
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad celebrates his try against the Manly Sea Eagles. Photo / Photosport
There is no time for faffing around. If you are not online, hitting refresh at 12.01pm, forget about it. Go Media Stadium has a capacity of 26,000 and those tickets will be sucked up fast.
If you miss out, refrain from spitting the dummy. If the Warriors lose to the Dolphins, they are guaranteed a home elimination final next weekend. If the Kiwi side are victorious, they will host the preliminary final after a week off.
However, the Warriors won’t be counting on a second life. Losing to the Dolphins makes their run to a potential NRL grand final so much harder. Not only will they have to play an extra sudden-death game, but they will also have to travel to Sydney for the preliminary final. Getting those few days at home, in their routines and around family and friends, can be a huge advantage in preparation. Plus the team will be boosted by a feral crowd who will get stuck into even the most respected NRL characters.
The Warriors’ last home playoff win was against the Newcastle Knights at Go Media Stadium in 2023. Photo / Photosport
The Redcliffe-based Dolphins are making their first playoffs appearance after joining the NRL in 2023. They enter the finals as the competition’s form team. After bizarrely getting smoked 66-0 by the Sharks in July, they have since won seven games in a row. Having said that, the only top-eight sides the Dolphins faced in those seven games were the North Queensland Cowboys and the Roosters.
With the likes of Herbie Farnworth in the centres and Jamayne Isaako on the wing, the Dolphins backline will provide pace and X-factor. The Redcliffe men will look to attack the edges, where the Warriors have been defensively vulnerable over the last few weeks.
Victory for the Warriors will likely hinge on their forward pack. While the Kiwi side are less dangerous out wide, dominating the middle will give halves Te Maire Martin and Chanel Harris-Tavita the platform for a bombing raid in the Dolphins’ 20. If the likes of Leka Halasima, Jacob Laban and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad get opportunities to compete for possession in the air, they have a strong chance of producing magic.
Fans who miss out can roll the dice and attempt to win tickets on ZM, Hauraki, Flava and The Hits. Each station is giving away two passes this week.
Nathan Limm has been a journalist with Newstalk ZB and the NZ Herald since 2020. He covered the Netball World Cup in Cape Town in 2023, hosts The Big League Podcast and commentates rugby and netball for Gold Sport.