The Warriors' hastily assembled NRLW squad resembles a "fruit bowl" to captain Georgia Hale but the stewardship of Australia coach Brad Donald has the team optimistic of overcoming the odds in 2020.
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Hale is one of just five players from last year's squad to travel from New Zealand to Australia to take part in the third season of the women's competition.
The remaining 17 spots have been filled with a variety of players including Jillaroos five-eighth Kirra Dibb, Olympic gold-medal winning rugby sevens star Ellia Green and a variety of others from NSW and Queensland.
Having completed their quarantine last week, the Kiwi contingent had their first run out with their new teammates in an opposed session in Sydney just a week ahead of Saturday's season opener against Brisbane in Canberra.
Hale admits it's far from an ideal preparation but credits Donald for his impressive work in pulling together a team at such short notice.
"We definitely have a fruit bowl of players ... obviously all very different cultures, different heritage, different upbringings but I think that's been the one thing that we've really highlighted, and which has helped build our culture over the last week," Hale said.
"He (Donald) is very wise. Great on and off the field.
"His footy knowledge that he's providing us is outstanding but his way to connect a group of girls that have never met before, that have all come from various areas, various cultures, is very impressive."
The only club to have beaten the Broncos in NRLW history, Hale is under no illusions of the task her team faces against the defending premiers.
While their Australian-based opponents have been playing regularly in the build-up to the new season, Hale and her New Zealand-based teammates are coming in on the back of very limited game time.
"We've had a decent runaround back at our grassroots clubs, probably not as much as we would have liked and not as much as a usual season but Brad gave us the opportunity on Saturday just gone to have an opposed session," Hale said.
"That was really good to obviously blow out some cobwebs and get a feel for footy again alongside some new teammates.
"Our preparation's actually been good considering ... not having as much footy as usual just gives us a little bit more extra keenness and eagerness leading into this weekend."
Australian Associated Press
