Former Kiwi International and one-time Warriors coach Tony Kemp is relishing the Auckland-based side being a single win away from the NRL grand final.

The Warriors have come a long way since the days of lockdown and many months away from friends and family.

“I remember as a 12-year-old, I stayed on Maunga Taranaki,” Kemp wrote for the SENZ website.

“We were on an intermediate school camp and I still can see the view when I woke in the early morning of the mist that had settled on the Whenua. All you could see were the tops of the trees in the distance and not much else!

“In somewhat similar circumstances, after nearly three years in Covid isolation in Australia, the Warriors also must have felt stuck in the mist, emerging into the dawning of a new 2023 season.

“27 weeks later, through blood and sweat, many highs and lows, our team the mighty Warriors have climbed their biggest mountain to reach a major preliminary final and are just one step away from the big dance, the NRL Grand Final.”

Kemp’s SENZ call team will cover the game live from Suncorp Stadium for listeners back in New Zealand.