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Coach Stephen Kearney says dealing with the constant pestering from Federal MP Barnaby Joyce is just one of the many enormous challenges facing the Warriors during their “trailblazing” NRL quarantine in Tamworth.
The New Zealand-based players awoke to their first full day of team isolation in Tamworth on Monday, where they will spend two weeks in lockdown after their trans-Tasman flight last night.
It is believed the Warriors players are already growing tired of Barnaby Joyce, who was waiting for them at Tamworth airport with a crate of imported Waikato Draught tallies.
Joyce was heard dropping a few Kia Ora’s to the Warriors players, and commenting on how skux it was to have a few more Kiwi brothers in Tamworth.
Understanding all of their biosecurity protocols was on the agenda for day one followed by a return to the training paddock tomorrow, Kearney believes the biggest security risk to their isolation is the incredibly bored Member For The New England, who won’t seem to fuck off.
Over the weekend, the club had sought assurances from Tamworth local council that Barnaby would not attempt to jump the fence of their training facilities to play a bit of touch footy.
While Tamworth mayor, Councillor Col Murray gave his guarantee that the Kiwi footballers would not have to endure a sweaty game of touch with the local MP – he could not prevent Joyce from hanging around the car park and player accomodation, where he has since been spotted asking for autographs and selfies.
Speaking to The Betoota Advocate today, the Former Deputy PM says having the Warriors in the centre of his electorate feels like a homecoming of sorts, after having to terminate his Kiwi citizenship following the 2017 Parliamentary Eligibility Crisis.
“I’m very excited to have some of my countrymen in town” said Joyce.
“Really gets the mana going”
“Usually I have to sneak into the shearing sheds for a couple dots and some singalongs with the Maori shearers… But to be able to have the Warriors staying in the centre of town is mean as!”
“I was so stoked to hear those boys had found a flash new job in Aussie”
Executives from the Warriors say that if Joyce is not brought into control by Prime Minister Morrison, they will have to make a phone call to ARL commissioner Peter V’Landys. And no one wants that.
“The bloke is becoming a bit of a pest” said one spokesperson for the club.
“Either you the government pulls him into line, or Saint Peter will pull him into line. And no one likes to see Peter when he’s angry”
