The New Zealand Warriors will bring the NRL finals party across the Tasman in Week 2, hosting the Newcastle Knights Canberra Raiders in Auckland, with kick-off being brought forward.
The game promises to be one of the biggest days in New Zealand rugby league for many years, with the red-hot Warriors falling short against the buzzsaw that is the Penrith Panthers on Saturday afternoon, but still keeping their season alive by virtue of the double chance they earned by finishing in the top four.
Attention will now turn to the kick-off time and venue for the clash next weekend, with the Knights and Raiders to fighting out a golden point thriller to confirm it would be Newcastle jumping on the plane.
Typically, all finals in Week 2 and 3 kick-off at 7:50pm Australian time. That simply won't work for the Warriors though, with the time difference meaning that would be a 9:50pm local time kick-off in Auckland.
The Warriors spoke out during the final week of the NRL season through CEO Cameron George saying that simply wouldn't be good enough, but every indication at the present time is that they may have to deal with it.
Both the Channel 9 and Fox Sports TV guides indicated earlier in the day that their coverage would lead into a 7:50pm (AEST) kick-off as planned and typically used each season.
However, the request from across the ditch for a 6:05pm local time kick-off (4:05pm AEST) has been listened to, with the NRL confirming that's exactly when the game will be played.
What happens to the NRLW game currently scheduled for 3:15pm (AEST) at Kogarah on the same day remains to be seen.
The Warriors have previously hosted finals in 2002 (Week 1, Sunday 4pm local), 2007 (Week 1, Friday 8:30pm local) and 2008 (Week 2, Friday 8:30pm local), so there is precedent for a late kick-off time across the Tasman.
They also 'hosted' finals in 2002 (Week 3), 2003 (Week 2), but were forced to play those games in Australia.
The venue has now also been confirmed as Mt Smart Stadium.
It was believed at one point that the NRL wanted to use Eden Park, even though the Warriors wanted Mt Smart Stadium.
The Eden Park idea - which has double the capacity - ran into its own roadblock though, with the venue already booked in to host a hole in one challenge through Qatar Airways with golfers able to tee off from the grandstand and attempt to hit a hole in one to the ground.
