The Warriors have declared they "want to be the best team in Queensland", as the club embarks on another NRL season, but this time based out of their temporary home in Redcliffe.
Before the Dolphins join the NRL in 2023, Moreton Bay will be home to the New Zealand side this year, with the Warriors wanting stability after spending the last two years on the road.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic restricted travel between New Zealand and Australia from March 2020, the club is now literally considered as Road Warriors.
An entourage of more than 100 players, staff and families have lived in Kingscliff, Tamworth, Terrigal, Robina and Surfers Paradise but are hoping their latest move to Redcliffe, at the start of the off-season, will be their last before they finally venture home to Auckland.
Warriors coach Nathan Brown said the decision to be in Redcliffe for the entire 2023 season was about stability, with border rules continuing to change.
"For us, it was obviously very important," Brown said.
"To move here [to Redcliffe] was the fifth move for a lot of people in the club you know players, players partners, kids going to their fifth school in 12 months that's not good for anyone," Brown said.
"It's all a part of life's journey but the key is being in one spot and all the players would much rather be here for 12 months, rather than being in New Zealand for three, then Tamworth for two, Terrigal for four and keep moving about.
"Redcliffe's got a terrific set-up ... I've been in the game a long time and I've trained professionally and coached professionally at places that don't have set-up's as good as this."
Logistical Mission
Warriors chief executive Cameron George told ABC Sport it's been important to ensure the families are just as comfortable as the players.
"So we've got kids at school, we've got partners and wives seeking work and doing work in the local community," George said.
"Logistically, it's quite a huge shift.
George said unlike the other locations they've been based at, this time players were able to pick their own places to live.
"We've allowed the staff and players to go and source their own accommodation, we've lived in the same facility as a group for the last two years, so this time round everyone's gone out and looked for an area that they'd like to live in.
"There's a lot of people here in the region, which is great and beneficial to the local community, which is really important for our relationship with the community."
Loving their home away from home
The Sunshine State's known for its trademark loyalty when it comes to barracking for Rugby League sides, but the Warriors are hoping Queenslanders can also support them.
"We want to be the best team in Queensland," forward, Eliesa Katoa said.
"We've got love from people in Redcliffe and we just want to compete with the other teams in Queensland.
"At the same time we've still got heaps of fans back home, that's what we're playing for our fans back home."
Shaun Johnson only just re-joined the Warriors after spending three years across the ditch, playing for the Sharks.
His decision to return to New Zealand was so wife and Silver Fern, Kayla, could reignite her professional netball career after having their daughter Millah (18 months).
"Kayla had signed with the Stars back in New Zealand to pick netball back up," Johnson said.
"And that was the plan, you know get her back into her career, get us around family and friends and a support network that we hadn't had the last few years being in Sydney.
"It's not an ideal situation I won't you know, try and sugar-coat it or pretend that it's been okay, like, it's been really hard.
"But in saying that, you know, to me it's all going to be worth it."
Johnson said having the support of teammates, staff and the community has been a huge help.
"I've really just enjoyed my moments over here, you know, thanks to my teammates, and the coaching staff and the whole club and their environment, the culture, the feel of even though we're out here, it does feel right and it does feel like I am home."
"I do hope that [the Moreton Bay region] can get behind us this season. Because, you know, to us, we are representing this region, although we're representing New Zealand, they're housing us for the year, and this is the region we are representing."
"So you know we want to do our family and friends proud, but we also want to do Redcliffe proud, they have been terrific to us since we've been here."
A homecoming match at Mt Smart Stadium is planned for the July 3, when the Warriors host the West Tigers in Round 16 of the NRL season.
