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Story: Amateurism and professionalism

Professional Australasian championships: National Rugby League

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Professional Australasian championships: National Rugby League

A soaring Josh Hoffman of the Brisbane Broncos lands on Warriors hooker Nathan Friend during a National Rugby League (NRL) match in Auckland in May 2012.  Friend, an Australian, moved to the Warriors after playing for the Broncos and other Australian teams. The only non-Australian team in the NRL, the Auckland-based Warriors reached the grand final in 2002 and 2011.

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New Zealand Herald

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by Dean Purcell

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How to cite this page

Geoff Watson, Amateurism and professionalism – Rise of professionalism, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/38010/professional-australasian-championships-national-rugby-league (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Geoff Watson, published 22 November 2012.