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Pompey exit confirmed as Warriors boss blasts projectile-throwing fans
Sport Nation • September 23rd, 2026 9:29 am
Adam Pompey | Photo: Photosport
The Warriors are already turning their attention to next season despite the pain of their NRL finals exit, with CEO Cameron George promising the club will emerge “bigger and better” in 2027.
George admitted the disappointment of losing to Newcastle remains raw, particularly after the Warriors had their biggest home crowd in New Zealand history at Eden Park.
“It hurts,” George told Sport Nation's Scotty & Izzy. “These things hurt and it should hurt because we care.”
While the Warriors fell short on the field, George pointed to the club’s broader growth, noting they have now finished in the top four twice and top six once since 2023.
“From a footy sense, we're a semi-final club. We're a finals club now,” he said.
"That's a big shift away from where we were, and we're getting used to that expectation and that level of intensity week in, week out, and we're preparing well to match it with all the clubs around the competition.
What went wrong for the Warriors? | Scotty & Izzy
"That's a really good position we've found ourselves in now. And we are dedicated to improving that, absolutely."
“That experience on Sunday, I would never have dreamt that this club could have had that,” George said.
However, the scenes at Eden Park following the defeat left George deeply disappointed, with some supporters throwing projectiles towards referee Ashley Klein and match officials to add insult to injury.
While acknowledging the frustration felt by fans after the heartbreaking defeat, George described the behaviour as completely unacceptable.
“It gives you the shits, doesn't it?" George said.
"I know the frustration was there and I know that disappointment and we're all seeing it and feeling it, but that's the worst thing we could have done.
“It let us down a lot, so we're really disappointed with those individuals.”
The NRL and stadium authorities are working to identify those involved, with George expecting "significant penalties" to follow.
Sumo on the ugly post-match scenes at Eden Park | Scotty & Izzy
As a club, the Warriors have apologised and made it clear they do not want to see a repeat.
“I completely get the emotion, the frustration, but that's not the way to handle it,” George said.
“You know, just leave it to me to go to the NRL the next morning and do it that way.”
Attention now turns to reshaping the squad, with November 1 a key date for player negotiations. George said the Warriors have “pretty well got everyone locked down”, with just two roster spots remaining.
George confirmed speculation centre Adam Pompey will be joining the group of departures, with an announcement due imminently regarding his move to the Melbourne Storm.
"We're just finalising it all and the club will make a formal announcement about that today or tomorrow. But yes, that looks to be the case."
Despite the likes of Luke Metcalf and Mitch Barnett moving on, George said the club's development pathways are full of players ready to take the next step.
“We've got a hell of a bunch of kids coming through that are just so, so proud and excited about wearing the jumper,” he said.
“We can assure you the club will be bigger and better next year.”
Listen to the full interview below:
