Who’s Who in 22, Sport: Cameron George
New Zealand Warriors’ CEO Cameron George sought to give his players and staff stability, basing the club in the Moreton Bay Region for the 2022 season.
An extended group of more than 100 people made the move including family members, with spouses and partners working in the region and children attending school.
While the club was here, they built strong community connections and won a few games at Moreton Daily Stadium
They played six games at their ‘home away from home’ notching up three wins and three losses before returning to Mount Smart Stadium for an emotional homecoming in round 16 on July 3, beating Wests Tigers 22-2.
During the 2022 season, the Warriors scored 408 points, but conceded 700. They finished 15th on the ladder, four points ahead of wooden spooners Wests Tigers.
Throughout 2022, George not only managed the relocation but also the departure of Head Coach Nathan Brown, his replacement in Warriors’ legend Stacey Jones, the departure of Matt Lodge and the side’s struggling form.
Most of the club’s players lived in their own accommodation in the Moreton Bay Region during the 2022 season, George at Margate, after living together for two years as borders closed and the NRL battled to keep the competition running during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was a welcome change and a chance to live a more normal life, with many embracing the lifestyle the region had to offer.
The club received support from Moreton Bay Regional Council, the Dolphins and local businesses during their stay.
During 2022, the club connected with the Moreton Bay Region community with school visits, a tourism campaign and community initiatives including supporting Chameleon Housing’s fundraising efforts to build a second facility for homeless youth.
It was the club’s way of giving back to the community which had welcomed its players and staff with open arms.
The club returned to its spiritual home in Auckland at the end of the 2022 season and is working hard to turn fortunes around in 2023.
About Cameron George
Cameron George became the Warriors’ CEO in 2017.
He had been CEO of Auckland Racing Club for five years and had served on the Warriors’ board before taking on the high-pressure gig.
George played and coached rugby league at a local level in Australia, before spending a decade in horseracing in New Zealand.
In July 2017, he quit his job as Auckland Racing Club CEO to become then Chief Executive Jim Doyle’s deputy at the Warriors and on September 1 George replaced him as chief executive in a restructure of the club’s management.