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Elliott arrives at the club under immediate pressure to overturn a disappointing 2012 campaign, in which they went from grand finalists the year prior to missing the top eight entirely.
Elliott, who becomes the eighth head coach at the New Zealand club, brings an experienced head having coached for 14 seasons in the NRL and English Super League.
"We're thrilled to secure a coach of Matthew's calibre,'' Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah said in a statement.
"He's had wide experience and success with a number of clubs, initially making his mark winning titles with Bradford in the English Super League and also taking Canberra and Penrith to the NRL finals a total of five times.''
Elliott takes the job from interim coach Tony Iro, who replaced sacked coach Brian McClennan late into the season.
But Warriors players and former New Zealand champions were united in slamming the club's decision to appoint Elliott over Iro, a local favourite.
"The players all want Tony to be the coach," Warriors forward Elijah Taylor said.
New Zealand's legendary halfback, Gary Freeman, said: "It will be a tough place to walk into when the players want someone else."
Iro has incredible support after being named interim coach in August when Brian McClennan was sacked.
"It's taken far too long," said Taylor, who plays for New Zealand in the Test against Australia in Townsville. "I feel sorry for Tony Iro. He is in limbo, just like the players, and he has family.
"The players all want Tony to be the coach. He has been there for seven years. The majority of our team are Toyota Cup players and Tony has brought us all through.
"I don't understand why he doesn't get a shot. He has been assistant coach of the Kiwis, assistant coach of the NRL side now for the last four years.
"They were saying (they wanted) a supercoach, a Bennett or Bellamy. I'm a player and whatever coach comes I've got to do my job."
At NRL level, Elliott has coached in 236 games for 108 wins and a success rate of 45.8 per cent. Elliott, 47, is a survivor, having coached at Canberra, Penrith and Bradford.
The Warriors struggled to name a coach after a number of candidates - Craig Bellamy, Tim Sheens, Shane Flanagan, Justin Morgan, David Kidwell and Steve Kearney - dropped out.
"While we have spoken to a number of contenders, Matthew consistently impressed us every time we met him with his total vision of how our football program should be structured and run,'' Scurrah said.
"Through his long association with the game as a player and especially as a coach, he appreciates as much as anyone just what's required to achieve the standards we are striving for.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for Matthew as head coach to shape our football department to enable us to become a consistent threat in the NRL.
"Our ultimate goal will always be to win premierships and, in Matthew, we have secured a coach not only capable of achieving this but also with the skills and vision to build a stronger total football club.''
Taylor said the Warriors may have cost Iro the job by performing poorly in their final two games this year.
"He was chucked in the deep end, two games to go to make something out of it," Taylor said.
"That was his job interview I suppose and it's not very fair.
"He needs a decent shot."
Freeman, who played 45 Tests for the Kiwis, was just as shocked.
"I am surprised," Freeman said. "I thought they would have given Tony Iro an opportunity.
"He took over toward the end of the year in tough circumstances and I think the club needed a fresh start.
"New coaches need to come in at some stage. Tony would have given the Warriors a fresh and vibrant style.
"I spoke to Tony and he wanted to get his hands on the team and make his own mark."
"It will be a tough place to walk into when the players want someone else."
Read more: http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/...rs/story-fn2mcuj6-1226494112614#ixzz294xdxxrF
Elliott, who becomes the eighth head coach at the New Zealand club, brings an experienced head having coached for 14 seasons in the NRL and English Super League.
"We're thrilled to secure a coach of Matthew's calibre,'' Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah said in a statement.
"He's had wide experience and success with a number of clubs, initially making his mark winning titles with Bradford in the English Super League and also taking Canberra and Penrith to the NRL finals a total of five times.''
Elliott takes the job from interim coach Tony Iro, who replaced sacked coach Brian McClennan late into the season.
But Warriors players and former New Zealand champions were united in slamming the club's decision to appoint Elliott over Iro, a local favourite.
"The players all want Tony to be the coach," Warriors forward Elijah Taylor said.
New Zealand's legendary halfback, Gary Freeman, said: "It will be a tough place to walk into when the players want someone else."
Iro has incredible support after being named interim coach in August when Brian McClennan was sacked.
"It's taken far too long," said Taylor, who plays for New Zealand in the Test against Australia in Townsville. "I feel sorry for Tony Iro. He is in limbo, just like the players, and he has family.
"The players all want Tony to be the coach. He has been there for seven years. The majority of our team are Toyota Cup players and Tony has brought us all through.
"I don't understand why he doesn't get a shot. He has been assistant coach of the Kiwis, assistant coach of the NRL side now for the last four years.
"They were saying (they wanted) a supercoach, a Bennett or Bellamy. I'm a player and whatever coach comes I've got to do my job."
At NRL level, Elliott has coached in 236 games for 108 wins and a success rate of 45.8 per cent. Elliott, 47, is a survivor, having coached at Canberra, Penrith and Bradford.
The Warriors struggled to name a coach after a number of candidates - Craig Bellamy, Tim Sheens, Shane Flanagan, Justin Morgan, David Kidwell and Steve Kearney - dropped out.
"While we have spoken to a number of contenders, Matthew consistently impressed us every time we met him with his total vision of how our football program should be structured and run,'' Scurrah said.
"Through his long association with the game as a player and especially as a coach, he appreciates as much as anyone just what's required to achieve the standards we are striving for.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for Matthew as head coach to shape our football department to enable us to become a consistent threat in the NRL.
"Our ultimate goal will always be to win premierships and, in Matthew, we have secured a coach not only capable of achieving this but also with the skills and vision to build a stronger total football club.''
Taylor said the Warriors may have cost Iro the job by performing poorly in their final two games this year.
"He was chucked in the deep end, two games to go to make something out of it," Taylor said.
"That was his job interview I suppose and it's not very fair.
"He needs a decent shot."
Freeman, who played 45 Tests for the Kiwis, was just as shocked.
"I am surprised," Freeman said. "I thought they would have given Tony Iro an opportunity.
"He took over toward the end of the year in tough circumstances and I think the club needed a fresh start.
"New coaches need to come in at some stage. Tony would have given the Warriors a fresh and vibrant style.
"I spoke to Tony and he wanted to get his hands on the team and make his own mark."
"It will be a tough place to walk into when the players want someone else."
Read more: http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/...rs/story-fn2mcuj6-1226494112614#ixzz294xdxxrF
