General NRL Expansion

[Bangbros 2023]

I mention the fanbase while including myself in the team of five thousand useful idiots.

Our legendary loyalty in the NRL is what has enabled the mediocrity.

Probably the Wayne Scurrah era illustrates this best.

While the team was rubbish and the attitude of the players was piss poor, Wayne made hay, selling Jerseys, more Jersey sales than any other NRL franchise.

A different Jersey every week, because he understood that the fans would accept mediocrity, that they would keep showing up at Mt Smart, and more importantly they would keep buying those ludicrous Jersey promotions.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj_qvWBgOL9AhWU0XMBHd1RBkcQFnoECA4QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fsport%2Fnrl%2Fwarriors-warned-that-loss-to-panthers-was-no-laughing-matter-20130519-2jukk.html&usg=AOvVaw1-1tJ_eGuIcn5afBUCmK0N

The Fans who went to the Warriors next home game after that mate were unfortunate enablers.

Stadium should have been farkn empty and the Wozzas players should have been forced to see it.

The most fickle and difficult to please fans in the NRL belong to the Melbourne Storm. The link is not incidental. The Storm has to fight every week to sell tickets. The Warriors never have.

The main point I want to make about a 2nd NZ franchise is that the Warriors need to be forced to compete for support in their own small pond.

Too long have they got away with being the big fish, the only option in the NZ RL Universe when frankly they do not deserve that kind of loyalty and it does them no good because they have eternally got fat lazy and entitled on it.

Also...perhaps the NRL need to be threatened with the colapse of their best franchise selling model too. The NRL treat us like the beggars who cannot be choosers that we are.

Agree that a second team has to happen in this country!

 

[jonesy101]

Perth

Agree. Despite the time zone challenges they have a great stadium and the games played there are usually well attended.

 

[Mr Dragon]

Agree. Despite the time zone challenges they have a great stadium and the games played there are usually well attended.

1am League!

 

[jonesy101]

1am League!

As we know with the ANZAC game they don't always think of the NZ audience, but generally they are making a little more effort with Warriors game times these days.

The AFL manage it with their Perth based teams for the Australian viewership.

 

[TeetsNRL]

As we know with the ANZAC game they don't always think of the NZ audience, but generally they are making a little more effort with Warriors game times these days.

The AFL manage it with their Perth based teams for the Australian viewership.

Sky TV should be agitating the NRL for that early Friday slot every week.

Give our boys that cushy Broncos schedule.

 

[playdaball]

I’ve said it before and will say it again , NZ is not ready for a second team.

 

[snake77]

Sky TV should be agitating the NRL for that early Friday slot every week.

Give our boys that cushy Broncos schedule.

When they changed the Friday schedules to having an early game instead of two games at the same time I remember reading how we would be one of the best teams for that slot with the time zone. We get Friday night games now where it wasn't an option before.

Having a second NZ team could mean at least one of the NZ sides playing in that slot every week.

I'm not sure how well that slot rates and if it a good time slot overall.

Some cities it might be a pain getting to the ground at the earlier time (Aus time). The game on at the moment it looks like Newcastle is a city that isn't an issue.

I have a theory not based on any facts. But during Cleary's time it felt like some of our success was getting Aussie clubs over here to play at night on a wet dewy ground vs good stepping guys. It then seemed like we went to more Sunday afternoon games.

 

[bruce]

Perth

Been there tried that

 

[bruce]

I don't recall there being an issue with parking there and recall car parks all around it.

Private land, they now tow you away without notice

I'm pretty sure you can fit over 20,000 in that ground as well.

25,000...apparently...and when it comes to atmosphere MSS still is pretty good.

 

[jonesy101]

Private land, they now tow you away without notice


25,000...apparently...and when it comes to atmosphere MSS still is pretty good.

Where is the private land you refer to? Understandable where there are apartment blocks and directly in front of any retail outlets, but there are parking spaces around the perimeter of the stadium which I thought would be ok to use where there is an event on.

As I said earlier it has been a long time since I've been there so you've probably got more recent experience, but for the carparks that surround the stadium where are you likely to be towed?

 

[jonesy101]

Been there tried that

True they did try the Western Reds, but they were a victim of the messy super league fallout. That was 25 years ago and Perth is a mega city with great stadiums and demonstrable support so it's still a less risky bid than a second NZ club at this point. Until the Warriors sustain some long-term success then it should be the Bears or Perth as the front runners for that 18th club.

 

[marv]

It's been a while since I've been to North Harbour Stadium, early 2000's was the last time, but I don't recall there being an issue with parking there and recall car parks all around it. Are you sure that's the case? It's a little distance but there's that park and ride place for mid-week commuters to the city that's pretty empty in the weekends.

What I do remember when going to that stadium was that it felt like it was in the middle of nowhere as there was nothing surrounding it at the time, but Albany has grown heaps now. There are sportsfields, parks, the big Westfield and restaurants opening all around it now which makes it a great precinct. I'm pretty sure you can fit over 20,000 in that ground as well.

yeah man, i used to live in birkenhead so would go to albany a bunch. all the restaurants and bars around there would make a great precinct for games as well as pre/post. i moved away in 2015 so i can only imagine how much more it’s grown around there since then.

 

[ndp26]

I’ve said it before and will say it again , NZ is not ready for a second team.

Probably accurate at the moment, but there would be a 2-3 year lead time (at least). So how far away is it from your perspective and what are the triggers / hurdles?

 

[ndp26]

It’s sad that we’ve lost all our prime central real estate in our big cities.

Carlaw Park, Rugby League park in Welly, CHCH.

Very sad! The loss of Rugby League Park in Chch was an additional impact on league in post-earthquake Christchurch... It has only just been lessened by getting the keys to us Ngā Puna Wai.

A lot of the teams on the east-side of Christchurch have struggled post-earthquake - although Linwood has continued to be strong with a good catchment area and the Northern Bulldogs (Kaiapoi area) have been resurgent post-Covid with people moving up that way, I heard recently that the Celebration Lions have now folded. On the west-side, Papanui Tigers have struggled for a while and apparently they're not fielding senior sides this year.
In a pleasant surprise, West Coast RL has organised the Greymouth Greyhounds to play in the reserve grade comp (with the comp structure being rejigged this year for promotion relegation).

Having played in both the Canterbury and Wellington RL comps, there is some great young talent in the Welly comp (and the intro of Whiti Te Ra (Ōtaki) gave it a boost), but the Canterbury RL comp is higher quality IMO. So this, with the rugby yawnion talent floating around and relative ease of travel from other comps/regions in Dunedin/West Coast/Tasman/Welly to form a catchment area, means that Christchurch is probably more attractive for a second NZ team (even if I'm slightly biased having grown up there).

 

[bruce]

yeah man, i used to live in birkenhead so would go to albany a bunch. all the restaurants and bars around there would make a great precinct for games as well as pre/post. i moved away in 2015 so i can only imagine how much more it’s grown around there since then.

I give up. Most shore people think the place is a dud. But you feckers can go there just don't get towed

 

[matiunz]

No bears in Chch either, yet another thing we have in common with our north Sydney brothers.

Oh there’s plenty of Bears in Sydney

 

[matiunz]

Been there tried that

Was a cost cutting exercise when both sides of the War were struggling for cash. Not sure Melbourne would have been so successful early on without inheriting essentially the pick of the rosters of Perth,Hunter and Adelaide

 

[jonesy101]

I give up. Most shore people think the place is a dud. But you feckers can go there just don't get towed

You have been to the ground bruce? Your model t ford can make it over the bridge?

 

[bruce]

You have been to the ground bruce? Your model t ford can make it over the bridge?

I am a shore boy George, I went there when it was bloody apple orchards ...MSS has the best parking of any sports ground in Auckland...my beloved Carlaw Park would have been terrible these days.

 

[Angry Pirate]

How about starting with a second NSW cup team at North Harbour stadium built on talent from Fox? If it gets a decent following, can build a case for second NRL side. Games played on alternate weekends to Warriors home games - means a league game in AKL every weekend, plus a tin pot derby twice a year. That stadium is such a white elephant, would be nice to see it utilised more.