In the nine weeks since the NRL went on hiatus the Warriors have won support - and sympathy - for their unique situation.
Warriors captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck Photo: Photosport
Based away from home for at least four months and with a rising injury toll, retired superstars and opposition players and coaches publicly got behind the New Zealand side.
The Warriors first game back, in round three of the now revised competition, is against St George Illawarra on Saturday and the Dragons second rower Tariq Sims said the hardship that the visitors are going through would gain them a lot of support.
"Because they've sacrificed so much, everyone's got a soft spot for the Warriors, because without them the competition might not have gone ahead," he said.
"I think whoever the Warriors do put in their jersey will represent them with absolute pride and passion and that is a dangerous combination too, a desperate and passionate side is very dangerous."
Dragons halfback Ben Hunt also said he had some mixed emotions about matching up against the Warriors.
Both sides lost their opening two games in March, before the competition was suspended because of Covid-19, and Hunt is wary.
"I don't think they are going to come out and roll over for anyone, they are going to be very hungry to win and show that they are here to prove a point," he said.
"They've been away from their families for a long time, and I am very grateful that they have done that and they're allowing the competition to keep going, but at the same time I don't want to feel for them too much because I've got to go out and try beat them."
Without crowds, with new rules and with only one referee, the NRL will look different for the remainder of the season, and forward Jazz Tevaga said the Warriors will too.
Jazz Tevaga. Photo: © Copyright Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz Photosport Ltd 2019
"We had a review of the first two games and we've changed a few things about our game model and to be fair the boys are looking pretty good with the changes we have made," Tevaga said.
"What we'd been practicing over pre-season it just wasn't working for us and the coaches realised that and have made some good subtle changes."
A not so subtle change has been the NRL's rewriting of the rulebook to allow loan players between clubs to help the Warriors deal with their injury-crisis.
Short on middle forwards and reluctant to throw their development players into the big time, the Warriors management pushed the NRL to make the change that was supported by coaches from around the league.
The NRL's head of football competitions Graham Annesley told 2GB radio there was a desire to help the Warriors despite a delay in getting rules changed.
"Everyone appreciates the extreme lengths that Warriors have gone to to try and bring this competition back to life and they have been rewarded for that," Annesley said.
Stephen Kearney Photo: Photosport
Warriors coach Stephen Kearney knows for everything that has happened off the field, it will be results on it that will be be how the season is measured.
"This competition is about performance and we need to make sure that we get on the winners sheet," Kearney said
"The preparation, aside from the injuries, the boys have been really really good. We know the challenges ahead of us but we're certainly looking forward to them."
The Warriors now have 20 rounds of rugby league to prove every sacrifice has been worth it.