Warriors-Dolphins NRL Qualifying Final Tickets Gone Within Minutes, Eden Park Decision Looms

Tickets for Saturday's NRL qualifying final between the New Zealand Warriors and the Dolphins at Go Media Mount Smart Stadium sold out in a matter of minutes on Tuesday, according to RNZ Sport, with around 25,000 seats now taken across all sale windows.

Warriors members had first access on Monday, followed by Dolphins members from 6pm that evening. When remaining tickets opened to the general public at midday on Tuesday, they were gone almost immediately. Fans were left empty-handed and frustrated on social media.

Fans Voice Anger After Missing Out

Upset supporters took to the Up the WAHS Facebook group within minutes of sales opening. Gone in seconds. One member said they missed out across all three sale periods despite holding a Warriors membership. Another wrote that they had been trying since the previous day.

RNZ Sport reported it remains unclear whether the Warriors will release any additional seating.

What This Final Means for the Warriors

The Warriors finished the regular season in second place, behind the Penrith Panthers, who claimed the minor premiership with a 36-10 win over the Wests Tigers on the final weekend, as the NZ Herald reported.

That result confirmed the Warriors would host the third-placed Dolphins, who are playing their first-ever finals match.

Under the NRL finals format, the winner of Saturday's qualifying final advances directly to a preliminary final and hosts a preliminary final. The loser drops into the semi-finals the following week, where they would host either South Sydney or Newcastle.

The Warriors recorded 18 wins this regular season, their most successful regular season in club history, per the NZ Herald.

Eden Park a Real Possibility for Second Home Game

The sell-out at Mount Smart sharpens the question of whether the Warriors' potential second home final should shift to Eden Park, which holds roughly double the crowd at around 50,000.

Warriors chief executive Cameron George told RNZ Sport he was pleased the NRL agreed to keep the opening final at Mount Smart, which he described as the club's true home ground.

A venue decision for a second game, George said, would not be made until after Saturday's result.

NRL chief executive Peter V'landys told the Sydney Morning Herald he rated the chance of moving to Eden Park at around 90 per cent, noting the Warriors' support base would likely require the larger venue if they advance.

The NRL controls the finals series and holds the right to determine venues at its sole discretion. A confirmation is expected shortly after Saturday's game.

The venue question is not unique to the Warriors. Cronulla have already been shifted from their home ground at Shark Park, capacity 14,000, to the Sydney Football Stadium for their clash against North Queensland this weekend.

Saturday's qualifying final is the third finals appearance in four years under Warriors coach Andrew Webster. It is also the first time the club has played back-to-back NRL finals seasons since 2010-2011, according to the NZ Herald.