After a four-year hiatus, top-drawer rugby league returns to Rotorua with the NZ Warriors set to take on the Penrith Panthers in an NRL trial match at the International Stadium.

Announced yesterday, the Valentine's Day match will be a 3pm kick-off on February 14, 2015 in what is the Kiwi side's only home trial of the year.

Warriors captain Simon Mannering dives for the corner against the Cronulla Sharks at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium. Photo: Supplied.

They face the Gold Coast Titans in Toowoomba on February 7, which follows the Nines in Auckland on January 31-February 1.

The Warriors last appeared at the venue in 2011, beating Parramatta Eels 24-4 and the Sydney Roosters 26-8 in 2010.

After finishing a disappointing 9th this season, the Warriors head into their 20th season in the NRL with high hopes of pushing for a maiden premiership given the Four Nations success of the national side.

Coached by former Warriors coach and player Ivan Cleary, the Panthers finished the regular season in fourth before being bundled out of the premiership race by the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18-12 in the preliminary final.

In his first full season in charge, Warriors coach Andrew McFadden welcomes the chance to have the team on show in Rotorua.

'It's always good to get around the country and give members and fans the chance to see the Vodafone Warriors up close,” he says.

'It's a while since the team has been to Rotorua and the players are looking forward to it and so am I.

'This trial will be really important for us because it will be our last against an NRL side before the season starts.

'We'll be looking to field the best side available to give us a good look at how we are shaping for the year ahead.”

Between them the two sides have nine Four Nations winners in their 2015 squads including Warriors and Kiwi captain Simon Mannering, Manu Vatuvei and Shaun Johnson plus Penrith's Dean Whare and former Warrior Lewis Brown.

And with the Warriors having their first trial against the Titans on the Gold Coast, the Rotorua trial is set to give fans their first chance to see new signings Ryan Hoffman, Matt Allwood and Thompson.

Hoffman was in Australia's Four Nations squad along with Penrith's Josh Mansour and Matt Moylan.

The season draw is still to be released.