General Warriors Game Day Drummers

BangBro's (still banging)

BangBro's (still banging)

Don't know where to go for this one mods, sorry.

But I'm filthy about the drummers being scrapped from the GameDay experience at mount smart!

These guys are one of the first things I think of when thinking about homes games! They are part of the furniture and are iconic! Not good whoever decided that.

My niece flew here for the Tigers game when the Warriors had the homecoming, she still talks about the buzz at the ground when the drums were going!
 
BangBro's (still banging) said:
Don't know where to go for this one mods, sorry.

But I'm filthy about the drummers being scrapped from the GameDay experience at mount smart!

These guys are one of the first things I think of when thinking about homes games! They are part of the furniture and are iconic! Not good whoever decided that.

My niece flew here for the Tigers game when the Warriors had the homecoming, she still talks about the buzz at the ground when the drums were going!
Click to expand...
There were drummers in Chch last weekend. I've seen the club say something about a dance troupe but are they doing away with the drums altogether or is there potentially a new crew?
 
BangBro's (still banging) said:
Don't know where to go for this one mods, sorry.

But I'm filthy about the drummers being scrapped from the GameDay experience at mount smart!

These guys are one of the first things I think of when thinking about homes games! They are part of the furniture and are iconic! Not good whoever decided that.

My niece flew here for the Tigers game when the Warriors had the homecoming, she still talks about the buzz at the ground when the drums were going!
Click to expand...
We always seemed to produce a coach killer when the drums started up. The club must of felt it was hoodoo from the lean years. Great for Game Day experience, but an adrenaline trigger for the players.
 
Completion Rate said:
We always seemed to produce a coach killer when the drums started up. The club must of felt it was hoodoo from the lean years. Great for Game Day experience, but an adrenaline trigger for the players.
Click to expand...
In the bin with the curved tongue!
 
The drummers are such an iconic part of the clubs history they deserve their own thread.



Now the drummers arent gone. Just the old ones are. Speaking with a couple Cookies that are very well placed in the Cook Island community the rumour is that the former drummers were unprofessional showing up to games late, drunk, short on numbers and being very poor communicators with the club. They were also said to offer people tickets as prizes at their shows then when they didnt produce the tickets people would contact the club looking for their prizes. Those drummers are called Drums of the Pacific.

The club have replaced them with another crew which is held in high esteem in the Cook Island community who have won several competitions and are said to be light years ahead in terms of their performance and professionalism. That was immediately evident to me when I saw them at the trial game just gone.

The ones I spoke to are happy with the changes are feel the club are completely justified in their actions. They know it far better than I do so thats enough for me...
 
Screenshot 2024-02-26 12.13.40 AM.png
 

Warriors to part ways with original Drums of the Pacific weeks before 2024 season​

By Jaxin Daniels, Te Rito Journalism cadet
23 Feb, 2024 03:27 PM
Screenshot 2024-02-26 12.16.52 AM.png

Newstalk ZB's D'Arcy Waldegrave and the NZ Herald's Bonnie Jansen get together to preview the weekend's sport. Video / NZ Herald / Photosport / Getty ...

Warriors fans will be marching to a different beat at Mount Smart stadium this season as the club has decided to move on from the drummers that have been around since 1996.

For 28 years, the Drums of the Pacific have been contracted to the Warriors as their official drummers, even having their Australian branch take over during the NRL’s Covid-19 seasons.

In a Facebook post by the group, they pointed to always being present no matter what the situation was for the Warriors.

“Every loss. Every win. Every storm. Every rainbow. All the criticism. And even in the most challenging time for the entire world, a pandemic.

“Whether there were thousands in the stands or five people, whether we had shelter to drum under or not, whether the boys were at the top or very bottom of the table we were there 1000 per cent.”

Although a sad time for the group, they are also very grateful for the opportunity over the years.

“As we see out this chapter with big and grateful hearts to the NZ Warriors staff, we know that God will be presenting more opportunities for us.

“Many relationships have been created with our past and present NZ Warriors players and that is what we will miss the most.”

One of the drummers, Jay Samson, shared his sadness after 28 years drumming for the team.

“This hit me real hard,” he posted.

‘No one was a more hearty Warriors fan than my old man’​


“I spent my whole life drumming at the Wahs games, through the rain and sunshine, through all the years of them losing, we were there.

“Now that they are popping, everything has changed.”

Warriors fans will have a new game day experience in 2024. Photo / Photosport

Samson went on to express how upset he was for his father and leader of the group, Jacob Samson, who had been looking at old photos of the performers drumming for the Warriors.

“No one, I mean no one, was a more hearty Warriors fan than my old man.

“My dad was the type to defend the Wahs name anywhere and everywhere.”

Warriors marketing and business development general manager Glenn Harris said they were looking toward the future of game day entertainment and were appreciative of the long service provided by Drums of the Pacific.

“We sat back at the end of last season and looked at every part of our game day experience, and one of those was the opportunity to have a look at our drummers.

“The drummers are an important part of our game day and it’s sort of become a bit of a signature.”


Harris said the Warriors were transitioning into a new model around game day entertainment and were transparent with the drummers about what they were looking for.

“I told him [Jacob Samson] that our intention was to take on a new dance troupe and appreciated all their long service.

“It was really important for us that he blessed this new group, which was a young group of people coming through and at that stage he was happy with that, but obviously disappointed.”

“He understood what we were doing and understood that, much like a football team, we need to give the new players a chance now and then.”

Harris has seen some comments on social media and understands the group and community is disappointed but doesn’t feel like the comments reflect what has happened behind the scenes.

“We gave more than three months’ notice of the change.

“We’ve consulted with Jacob Samson along the way so I think we’ve done everything fair and reasonable.”

The Herald has reached out to Jacob Samson and Drums of the Pacific for comment.

www.nzherald.co.nz

‘Hit me real hard’: Warriors ditch original drummers weeks before season

After 28 years, Mt Smart will have new 'game day entertainment'.
www.nzherald.co.nz www.nzherald.co.nz
 
Back in ‘95, I went to a hockey test over at Lloyd Elsmore Park against India. The Mad Butcher, even though he admitted he knew nothing about hockey, had arranged for the drummers to be there.
 
So the club, for certain reasons, has stopped using one lot of drummers and are now using another group of drummers.

Glad that's sorted, and effectively no change to game day experience, maybe even slightly improved.

Can we move on to this dance troupe now please. What's that going to be about? Cheerleaders? Pacific dancing?
 
That quote in the NZ herald article from the marketing manager on the drumming being a "signature" of the Warriors gameday experience is making sense now that I understand that's what's happening. I wish it was made clearer in that article.
 
Inruin said:
Can we move on to this dance troupe now please. What's that going to be about? Cheerleaders? Pacific dancing?
Click to expand...
Weird how the cheerleading never really caught on here like it does in the states..
 
miket12 said:
Back in ‘95, I went to a hockey test over at Lloyd Elsmore Park against India. The Mad Butcher, even though he admitted he knew nothing about hockey, had arranged for the drummers to be there.
Click to expand...
That might've been the match my brother got hit in the head with a hockey puck 😂. I'm not even joking but I know my brother went along with my old man to a game at Lloyd elsemore around that time. I was too young to remember the details clearly. But I do remember a massive lump on his head.
 
I've got a real gripe!

Why we let our drummers go for a PA announcer is mind boggling. And what's worse was there were pre recorded drummers on TV but nothing at the game!

Why are we selling out and believing our own hype like we are better than our own culture and history?

Those drummers are what made the game day experience and that was somthing nobody in the NRL could bring!

I'm just so disappointed 😞
 
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