NRL NRL Expansion

[Teets]

I'm a Wahs fan because it's my only option! Ain't no way in he'll I'm supporting an Australian club and that's the reason I started following the Warriors as an 9 year old In 95. As soon as a South Island team comes into the comp I'm jumping ship because Chch>Auckland>Australia.

I suspect for all the noise about rusted on Warriors fandom most Southerners would be the same. Same way I'd imagine most Cowboys supporters dropped the Broncos quicker than a hiccup in 95.

Only the most die hard Wahs will spurn their local South Island team and the chance to see live NRL action every 2nd week out of loyalty to a Auckland team.

 

[Riz]

Shhhh! Shut up bro, you're killing our chances!

Haha sorry, let me rephrase for Mr V'landys reference...

As soon as a South Island side come into the comp, I will be supporting them when they play the Warriors but I'll still be supporting the Wahs whenever they're playing those Aussie cunts.

 

[Teets]

Haha sorry, let me rephrase for Mr V'landys reference...

As soon an a South Island side come into the comp, I will be supporting them when they play the Warriors but I'll still be supporting the Wahs whenever they're playing those Aussie cunts.

Dear PVL

You're a top man.

I'll pay memberships for both NZ teams and i'll eat a Sky TV fees hike if that what it takes.

Wahs always, but up the South Island against any of those other fucks!

 

[Riz]

I suspect for all the noise about rusted on Warriors fandom most Southerners would be the same. Same way I'd imagine most Cowboys supporters dropped the Broncos quicker than a hiccup in 95.

Only the most die hard Wahs will spurn their local South Island team and the chance to see live NRL action every 2nd week out of loyalty to a Auckland team.

Honestly, the thought of being able to attend matches to support my local team every second week makes me tingle in places it probably shouldn't! I love the Warriors, me being on this site right now is testament to that but the club hasn't earned my loyalty. This part of the country has been completely ignored by the club for 90% of its existence, our hopes of seeing the team live in action relied on clubs like the Tigers bringing their home games here. I'm not saying that the Warriors are obliged to bring games here or owe us southern fans anything more than we're currently getting (which is 100x better than it was) but being the only backable horse in the race is what is keeping me locked in. I envy what you Auckland folk have on your doorstep, I want some of that too, I want to feel like an actual part of something, not just a member who gets a hat and a lanyard and a token game or two now that the current administration has wised up to the fact that we have something to offer down here.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Haha already can see the problems the NRL has to navigate.

I think Chch will get one, it’s just a matter of when. Zero chance before 2030. Probably not before 2035 either

 

[Matiunz]

.

Doubt it, they just let the Dolphins in. A huge part of their fan base would have already been existing fans of the Bronx or some other team in the NRL.

Not like a team in North Brisbane converted a bunch of new RL fans in a league obsessed state.

Doesn't matter where they go, huge part of any new clubs fanbase will be made up of existing NRL fans who'll ditch their current team the same way so many of us did when the Warriors came in.

The way I’ve heard it phrased is “Will the team bring NEW fans to the game”. For example Jumping from the Warriors to NZ2 doesn’t create a new fan it just shifts an existing one.
The argument for the Dolphins was that the Broncs crowds didn’t decrease and the Dolphins crowds were an addition.
Likewise I doubt a team in Christchurch will have any negative effect at all on an Auckland crowd.
Christchurch’s biggest hurdle will be getting local juniors up to the level of their counterparts and recruitment. The game will want an expansion side adding to the player pool not stretching existing resources. Christchurch will also be one of the hardest sells to outside players to relocate to outside of expats (and won’t have the proposed tax incentives of the one bid)

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Just locate the new NZ franchise in Tauranga and be done with it.

The central North Islands surrounding regions (Boy of Plenty, Waikato, Hawkes Bay) have a population of 1.2m and are the fastest growing regions in NZ.

Better for lifestyle than Auckland and the South Island. League mad locals. Wont cannibalise the warriors because the mighty Bombays are a physical barrier that us real New Zealanders don’t like to cross…. And Tauranga has the advantage over the South Island because we don’t include Gore within its fan base…

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Just locate the new NZ franchise in Tauranga and be done with it.

The central North Islands surrounding regions (Boy of Plenty, Waikato, Hawkes Bay) have a population of 1.2m and are the fastest growing regions in NZ.

Better for lifestyle than Auckland and the South Island. League mad locals. Wont cannibalise the warriors because the mighty Bombays are a physical barrier that us real New Zealanders don’t like to cross…. And Tauranga has the advantage over the South Island because we don’t include Gore within its fan base…

Haha the hillbillies will come for you bro

 

[John Nick]

Haha the hillbillies will come for you bro

Hey Hey Bro.
Some very staunch leaguies in the Bay.

 

[Riz]

Hey Hey Bro.
Some very staunch leaguies in the Bay.

I think he's talking about the residents of Gore

 

[mrblonde]

I suspect for all the noise about rusted on Warriors fandom most Southerners would be the same. Same way I'd imagine most Cowboys supporters dropped the Broncos quicker than a hiccup in 95.

Only the most die hard Wahs will spurn their local South Island team and the chance to see live NRL action every 2nd week out of loyalty to a Auckland team.

And
1. The Warriors go back to being Auckland. Sweet.
2. I totally suspect any non-Auckland Warriors fan will at that point default to being a Kea/Whoever fan because We Hate Auckland. Maybe that might change if the Warriors make the finals on the basis of the Auckland>Australia equation, but during the regular season, it's the Kea/Whoever.
It will be very intereting - if it ever comes to pass - when analysis comes out as to how many new fans the Christchurch team have brought to the NRL table rather than existing fans and of those existing fans, how many were Warriors fans...

 

[juju]

I agree with TohuKnees it is a shakedown

The NRL wants a big cash up front payment. I am just speculating of course,

It's not a shake down - its an arbitrary amount for the bid to 1. prove they're serious and 2. insurance against the potential risk of the NRL needing to jump in and rescue it if it goes kaput.

The NRL provides the salary cap and club grant each year which actually is more than the licence fee, with that amount to increase exponentially with every new broadcast deal.

 

[Teets]

[QUOTE="Matiunz, post: 124115, member:

Christchurch’s biggest hurdle will be The game will want an expansion side adding to the player pool not stretching existing resources.

[/QUOTE]

Should actually work in their favour. Sth Island has already started producing NRL players (Riki, Neame, Isaako) with another 2 dozen or so spread across NRL pathways.

Just off my head there's.

Stewart, Tuiloma, Stowers-Smith, Tafua, Neal, Booth - Warriors

Lawry - Manly

Cranwell - Knights

Donaldson, Haywood - Bulldogs

And from watching a lot of our jr rep tourneys we've still only just started scratching the surface of the talent outside Auckland.

Those participation numbers down Sth which have exploded would grow again with their own team and be less reliant on Warriors/Kiwis success to stay up.

Whereas a Perth will be very much like the Storm, will take years before it ever develops a genuine NRL player pool and any local players. Kids aren't going to suddenly put down their aussie rules ball.

 

[Riz]

[QUOTE="Matiunz, post: 124115, member:

Christchurch’s biggest hurdle will be The game will want an expansion side adding to the player pool not stretching existing resources.

I'd love to see Te Kaio Cranwell in Warriors colour's, that kid has a big future imo.

 

[Matiunz]

[QUOTE="Matiunz, post: 124115, member:

Christchurch’s biggest hurdle will be The game will want an expansion side adding to the player pool not stretching existing resources.

Should actually work in their favour. Sth Island has already started producing NRL players (Riki, Neame, Isaako) with another 2 dozen or so spread across NRL pathways.

Just off my head there's.

Stewart, Tuiloma, Stowers-Smith, Tafua, Neal, Booth - Warriors

Lawry - Manly

Cranwell - Knights

Donaldson, Haywood - Bulldogs

And from watching a lot of our jr rep tourneys we've still only just started scratching the surface of the talent outside Auckland.

Those participation numbers down Sth which have exploded would grow again with their own team and be less reliant on Warriors/Kiwis success to stay up.

Whereas a Perth will be very much like the Storm, will take years before it ever develops a genuine NRL player pool and any local players. Kids aren't going to suddenly put down their aussie rules ball.
[/QUOTE]

Agree Perth will be a bit of a player drain however outside of NSW/QLD they are the next best supported league state.

Yes there’s some decent SI BORN (not so much developed)players but as the Warriors have shown over the years with more resources there’s still a massive gap in quality between players developed here and those developed in Aus that needs to be addressed.
I used to be in the camp that we could churn out NRL level players at home but when you see first hand what Aus schools and junior clubs are working with it’s not a level playing field. Early 90s we could get away with it but with sports science how it’s evolved the gap has grown massively

 

[Noitall]

I'd love to see Te Kaio Cranwell in Warriors colour's, that kid has a big future imo.

NgÄi Tahu youngster lands junior Newcastle Knights contract

After a time in Australia with the junior Newcastle Knights, a NgÄi Tahu rangatahi has firmly set his sights on an NRL career with the hope of making the Kiwis one day.

www.teaonews.co.nz

Sounds like knights have him

 

[Riz]

NgÄi Tahu youngster lands junior Newcastle Knights contract

After a time in Australia with the junior Newcastle Knights, a NgÄi Tahu rangatahi has firmly set his sights on an NRL career with the hope of making the Kiwis one day.

www.teaonews.co.nz

Sounds like knights have him

Yip, he went over before the start of last season.

 

[Teets]

Yes there’s some decent SI BORN (not so much developed)players but as the Warriors have shown over the years with more resources there’s still a massive gap in quality between players developed here and those developed in Aus that needs to be addressed.

[/QUOTE]

The SI development thing is a bit chicken and egg I reckon. Riki, Neame, Isaako had to leave to Aussie as teenagers to develop, not like they have a local NRL pathway down there.

I do agree Wahs development has been shit in the past but we've only just finally got a full NRL pathway in place and I think we've already started seeing the benefits.

Kids like Fukofuka and Piliu might've been 20s stars back in the day. Now we're finding out their limitations and work ons much earlier and there's no rush to push anyone through early because of 20s highlights.

Though I do still worry about what they're scouting for after listening to TJ call the Schools v Clubs game.

The last big thing we're missing for me is high level regular high school footy. The Aussies go back to tough school comps and league programmes plus interstate rep footy once Matts/Ball finish.

Our kids largely go back to kick and clap and a lot of barge over Auckland footy.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

I think he's talking about the residents of Gore

Called the Port HILLS for a reason mate..

 

[WA Warrior]

Well it looks like the NRL are pushing the Western Bears side now themselves so I would be surprised if it doesn’t go through.
According to the DT the next fortnight we should know if Perth is side 18 and PNG 19.
If Perth bid needs more work PNG will be first then Perth 2nd.
With Vlandys himself involved in the Perth bid I just can’t see it failing.
He hasn’t failed yet.
He was in Christchurch for the Test and had good things to say about the SI team.