Warriors fans robbed in free-to-air vs pay TV NRL battle
Many NRL fans are left disappointed year after year with no cheap options to follow their team. Who's hurting the worst in 2022?
On the most expensive NRL team to follow in 2022, the answer is pretty simple. With a measly 2 games on free-to-air television, Australia-based fans of the New Zealand Warriors are going to be seriously out-of-pocket when following their team. The Canterbury Bulldogs follow with only 5 free-to-air games.
Your best options for streaming the New Zealand Warriors 2022 season in Australia are Kayo Sports or Foxtel. They'll be showing every New Zealand Warriors game live this year unless they manage to make the grand final, which is exclusively live on Channel 9.
Live stream every NRL home-and-away season game on Kayo: 14-day free trial
How to watch the New Zealand Warriors on Kayo
If you're looking for a sports streaming option with the sole intent of following the Warriors through the 2022 season, Kayo is your best bet. Setting up a Kayo account to catch the New Zealand Warriors is easy. Simply start your 14-day free trial ahead of their first fixture against the Dragons on 12 March, which is exclusive to Kayo and Foxtel in Australia.
The Warriors final home-and-away game is against the Titans on 3 September and will be exclusive to Kayo and Foxtel in Australia. If you start your free trial today, your first billing date will be 28 March, so you'll need to keep your subscription active until 28 September to catch that final game.
That's 7 months of paid Kayo, adding up to $175. If you can bear to miss the last game of the season, you can save yourself a full month's subscription by cancelling before 28 August.
If the Warriors advance to the final 8 – which is, let's face it, pretty unlikely – you can enjoy every finals game on Channel 9. Alternatively, if you keep your Kayo going through September, you can enjoy every finals game up to the grand final on October 2, which is exclusive to Channel 9 and would require another month of Kayo anyway.
Stream Kayo Sports for 14 days FREE and no lock-in contract
Take Kayo Sports' Basic or Premium plan for a spin and stream over 50 sports live completely free for 14 days.
How to watch the New Zealand Warriors on Foxtel
Following the New Zealand Warriors NRL team on Foxtel is a pricier affair, and should only be considered if you have use for the mandatory Sports pack accompaniment, the Foxtel Plus pack.
Together, they add up to $74 a month. Check out our complete guide to streaming the 2022 NRL season and our guide to Foxtel vs Kayo for more information.
10-day free trial of Foxtel Now
No installation and no lock-in contract. New customers only. Sign up now.
Kayo Sports guide
If you plan to follow other NRL teams this season, or have an interest in any other sports, Kayo is an extremely tempting proposition. Not only will it broadcast every NRL game this season live (excluding the grand final, which will be available on demand), it broadcasts over 50 other sports, including every AFL game, also excluding the grand final. You can check out a complete list of which sports Kayo broadcasts here.
Kayo also has a bevy of features to keep you coming back. These include HD streaming quality, Interactive Stats, No Spoilers, Key Moments and SplitView, which allows you to watch up to 4 sports at once.
Kayo works with Macs and PCs as well as iOS and Android smartphones and laptops. You can also watch it on a TV via Chromecast, Apple TV, PS4, PS5, Android TV, Telstra TV, Sony Bravia TV and Samsung TV (2017 or later).
Stream New Zealand Warriors from overseas
If you're based in New Zealand or find yourself there in 2022, NRL games are broadcast on Sky Sport. If you're travelling outside Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, Watch NRL is available for $20 a week, $39 a month or $199 a year. During the finals, the weekly pass rises to $25, or you can get the entire finals series for $85. For the grand final, the weekly pass is abolished altogether and the $33 monthly pass is the best you can get.
New Zealand Warriors season preview
Another season away from home will likely have similar effects on the Warriors' morale as the previous 2 years. Young talent such as Reece Walsh, Chanel Harris-Tavita and the incoming Kepu twins will welcome the return of veteran playmaker Shaun Johnson.
Coach Nathan Brown has his work cut out for him in getting this squad to the finals, but the makings of a quality team are in place. Check out our full New Zealand Warriors season preview here.
Image source: Sportingnews.com website
