Bigger venue, same scramble: Tickets for Warriors' must-win semifinal at Eden Park snapped up

The Warriors' shift to Eden Park has done little to ease the scramble for tickets, with Sunday's must-win semifinal against the Newcastle Knights appearing to sell out soon after going on sale to the general public.The move to Eden Park was intended to accommodate the huge demand after last weekend's NRL qualifying final against the Dolphins at Mount Smart Stadium sold out within minutes.With a capacity of 50,000, Eden Park holds roughly twice as many spectators as the Warriors' spiritual home in Penrose, but the extra capacity has been quickly swallowed up.Tickets for the match went on sale to the general public at midday on Tuesday. By 1pm punters were flocking to Warriors fan pages on social media to express their disappointment at missing out.Officials are yet to confirm the sell-out. The NRL has been contacted for comment, while Ticketmaster referred enquiries to the event organisers.Warriors centre Ali Leiataua said given the huge demand he was relieved his friends and family were able to get in early to secure tickets for the do-or-die clash."My family managed to get some luckily, got maybe 15 tickets, that's on the smaller side compared to some of the others, Dallin [Watene-Zalezniak] requested like 60 tickets, like holy hecka! They are running out fast so good the boys were able to get in for their families," he said.Second-rower Jacob Laban also managed to help his family out in landing tickets - although he joked his assistance had its limits."The total was like two grand in tickets, I'm happy they're paying, I'm not paying for that!"The rush for tickets has also raised concerns that some will try to cash in by buying them up and reselling them at inflated prices.By Tuesday afternoon there were already eight listings on online marketplace Trade Me for tickets for this weekend's semifinal.It comes after Warriors boss Cameron George urged ticket scalpers to stay away and let genuine fans enjoy what will be the club's final home game of the season.Tickets for last week's NRL qualifying clash against the Dolphins at Mount Smart Stadium sold out within minutes of going on sale to the general public, leaving many die-hard fans out in the cold.Not long afterwards, listings began appearing on Trade Me and other online marketplaces for up to five times the original purchase price.One listing offered four tickets in the Eastern Stand for a buy-now price of $1200, while another listing for two tickets in the uncovered South Stand had a buy-now price of $500.Warriors chief executive Cameron George has warned ticket scalpers to "get out of our road".Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz / Photosport Ltd 2025In an interview with Morning Report on Monday, George said he was "disappointed" to see genuine fans miss out because of people seeking to cash in."They've just got to pull their heads in, those people, let the genuine people buy the tickets and come to the game and enjoy it with their family," George said."I was really disappointed to see it last week and I just hope they pull their heads in this week and get out of our road and let the families and the genuine people pay for the tickets at the right price."If I was to ever catch anyone doing it, I'd be barring them from every Warriors game for the rest of their life."Ahead of last weekend's game, Ticketmaster, the official ticketing agent for the NRL finals, warned fans that tickets purchased through unofficial resale sites could be cancelled.In a statement to RNZ, a spokesperson for the organisation recommended fans only purchase tickets through authorised ticket sellers."Ticketmaster does not guarantee the authenticity of tickets purchased from unauthorised third-party resellers or resale sites."While only a relatively small number of tickets appear to have been listed for resale, the NRL's ticket terms restrict unauthorised resale for the Warriors game."Tickets identified as sold or transferred in breach of those terms may be cancelled."The Warriors kick off against the Newcastle Knights at 6.05pm Sunday at Eden Park.