General Warriors Could Take NRL Game To Pacific Islands

[mt.wellington]

Warriors could take NRL game to Pacific Islands
DAVID LONG
Last updated 22:53, July 9 2016

PHOTOSPORT
The Warriors players would become immediate stars if they played a game in the Pacific Islands.

The Warriors could take an NRL game to the Pacific Islands after their current agreement with Mt Smart Stadium expires in 2018.

Last weekend's Super Rugby game between the Chiefs and Crusaders in Suva was a huge success, not just because of there were 19,000 spectators at the game, but also the long term impact the game will leave on the region.

The NRL have also been looking to make inroads into the Pacific Islands and given the amount of Pacific Island players in the Warriors, it would be a boost for the code to have the Warriors take a regular season game to Fiji, Samoa or Tonga.

However, a stumbling block for the next couple of seasons is the club's current deal with Mt Smart Stadium, where they're only allowed to play one other home game elsewhere each year.

"As we're the New Zealand Warriors, we want to have that game in New Zealand," Warriors managing director Jim Doyle said.

"That's why we've been to Wellington, New Plymouth and other places."

However, Doyle said the new deal, which they're close to finalising, would allow them to play a game in the Islands.

"We're working with Mt Smart on our future deal, which would allow us to take two games out of here and that opens up the door to do things like that," he said.

"Also, we're working a lot with clubs in Australia to bring games here, like Penrith in Christchurch, the Raiders to take a game to Wellington and if we can get more of that happening, that gives us the opportunity to look at those types of things."

The NRL bankroll the Pacific tests, played in Australia during the representative round each year and have to sign off on an NRL game being played in the Islands. The NRL also have to fork out for some of the extra costs.

"They'd have to pay for two teams to go there, but it's about growing the game," Doyle said.

"I've no doubt that in some point in time there will be rugby league games played in the Pacific Islands. It's a case of when and which teams."

Taking someone like Roger Tuivasa-Sheck back to Apia for a game would be massive for the Warriors' profile in Samoa and may well encourage youngsters there to take up the 13-man game.

Doyle says they are keen on growing their profile in the Pacific.

"That's always a big opportunity for us," he said.

"Because a large make up of our team are Tongans and Samoans, the more we could do there the better and the more fan base and supporters we could get.

"We do community stuff there now, we've been to Tonga a few times and ran programmes there. We recently had Tony Iro there, running some clinics."

Next weekend the Warriors play the Sea Eagles in Perth. It's a long trip the Warriors would prefer not to make, but the NRL are keen on growing the game in Western Australia.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/81940045/warriors-could-take-nrl-game-to-pacific-islands

 

[tajhay]

Please make this happen. The islands would love to see NRL action and what greater advertisement could the code do there than stage a game in those countries? IMO it would be far more beneficial to play a game there than playing in Perth etc. Imagine a week long promotional visit where we could invite the islands top raw athletes with an eye to being future NRL players. What better way to make the warriors the islands fav NRL team and getting youngsters to support the club.

I hope to see a pacific island based team in the NRL. The code needs to involve Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.

 

[matiunz]

In theory I like the idea but would rather play an away game there, we travel more than anyone else seems silly to sacrifice a home game to travel that distance.
Playing in Apia or Suva instead of Perth? Absolutely.
Cue Jonno with the heat disadvantage theory

 

[Old Sid]

In theory I like the idea but would rather play an away game there, we travel more than anyone else seems silly to sacrifice a home game to travel that distance.
Playing in Apia or Suva instead of Perth? Absolutely.
Cue Jonno with the heat disadvantage theory

I'm with you on this one. Not in favour of taking a home game on the road. Way too much travel for us, time more of the Sydney clubs fronted up. Several even play home and away games on the same ground...go figure??

 

[Diesel]

I wonder if they'd play a trial game there and not premiership to test the waters?

As for Old Sid's comment, last night we have the Bulldogs play at ANZ as the home team while Wests played "away" and it's also their home ground (or one of them)

Cronulla plays 3 games out of NSW all season, one was round 1, the next is round 26, with round 7 played in the ACT. This just proves how much of an advantage Sydney teams have

 

[Johnnyray]

Awesome. Considering what Pacific Island Communities both here in Australia and New Zealand have given to the game over the years I've always thought that it was disgusting that NRL hasn't already taken at least one of their games to Islands (especially during heritage round which would be perfect time to do this along with taking another game to the bush). It's something I've always felt strongly about it and personally feel it's disgrace that the only reason why they're even talking about it now is because Super Rugby has beaten them to it and proven to people involved that it can be a viable option. Suva or Apia would be my first two choices where put game followed by Port Moresby or that place where PNG Hunters in Intrust Super Cup play in New Britain (that's if we can convince a QLD side like Cowboys or Broncos to move one of their season games there). One idea I've always had is that knowing how NFL Pro Bowl is always played in Hawaii a week out before SuperBowl in February, why don't NRL as part of cross code promotion hold a couple of rugby league trial games there or better yet All Stars game ? That would be so awesome !!! In my opinion Australia and NRL really need to be held to account over this and if NZ Warriors don't do something about it soon, then cool some of clubs should if not for game itself then for majority of people now playing it ....

 

[InsideBall]

Great idea.

Idiotic if it's us.

It should always be two Sydney teams taking these kinds of games to places like this - they have such a huge advantage over all the non-Sydney teams in terms of travel.

 

[Sup42]

Where I sit on this is from a socio political, cultural POV.

So given we have ridden on the back of so many sons of the Islands I say fark quibbling about home games, own it and take the front foot...and use your game quota Warriors...to take it to the Islands.

Culturally speaking this approach is how Polynesian tribal societies roll, I'm Maori....but I'm confident that my Island tribal society brothers would rather the war fought at home was on their invitation than waiting for the colonizer to use their Autonomy in making it happen.

The other thing about Polynesia is people confuse it as one place with lots of like minded races/ nations.

A more accurate view would see split tribal societies.

That begs the question of which Island d should the Warriors be hosted by ?

To my way of thinking the cooks are at the bottom of the pile by virtue of the kiwis playing prep games there thanks to the Iro brothers.

Next options are a close run thing z
Between Samoa and Tonga.

I would say that historically Western Samoa has provided more players from day one of the great P.I migration to NZ than any Island.

Following that the Tongan nation have clearly provided a number of contempory Stars.

If you ate purely looking for a promotional opportunity you use Fiji, the Island that Union in NZ has had the most difficulty containing in their seven man code.

 

[nickster]

A trial game yes, but no to a NRL draw. Can you imagine traveling that distance and time zones with the season on the line???

 

[Johnnyray]

Great idea.

Idiotic if it's us.

It should always be two Sydney teams taking these kinds of games to places like this - they have such a huge advantage over all the non-Sydney teams in terms of travel.

A trial game yes, but no to a NRL draw. Can you imagine traveling that distance and time zones with the season on the line???

To be honest I think it's time zones than the travel that super fucks with players the most. Take NZ Warriors game this weekend in Perth against Sea Eagles, the reason why I'm picking them to win this game in place that they've never won before is because at least this time when we play there it will be around 6pm NZ time for us and not the 11.30pm/12am kick off start like it usually it is. To me you're never going to win game if your body clock is telling you to go bed, that it midnight asshole, time to go to sleep, hence our poor performances before playing in Perth. One of the advantages for us is that if we do get to play game in islands we will still be on same time zone as we are here in New Zealand (if we play game in Fiji. It will be about half an hour to hour later if we play it in Samoa or Tonga) something that's alot better than two to three hour time difference that we normally get playing games away from home in Australia. In my way of thinking then it would be way more of disadvantage for Australian NRL team to play game against us in Islands than it would be for us which for me is just another reason why we seriously should be considering doing this ...

 

[Maraea]

What a waste of time. They haven't even won the comp yet, ups and downs in management terms for years, dubious coaching and theyre going to take nrl to the island?! Don't even know what to do with the raw talent here. Development plan - throw bodies at the problem, yeah right. Nrl can send over coaching staff from oz and give them funding to do it themselves, they can. Concentrate on winning a comp warriors then fans and recruitment will come easy.

 

[eudebrito]

A trial game yes, but no to a NRL draw. Can you imagine traveling that distance and time zones with the season on the line???

Fugg it, its easier to get to the islands (direct flight) than it is to get to Townsville (need to change planes) or Perth (worse time zone). The super rugby teams have to jet around the entire southern hemisphere.

Warriors got handed 2 bonus “home” games in Wellington and Christchurch this year, and will probably keep getting more, the big bad NRL were very kind to them with the draw.

 

[Trugoy]

They are professional athletes aren't they?
If we played in the islands somewhere, whoever we play has to travel there as well.
What's the big deal?
See a lot more positive to come out of it than negative, for us, and the NRL, for the sake of sacrificing one home game.
I'm all for it.

 

[Old Sid]

They are professional athletes aren't they?
If we played in the islands somewhere, whoever we play has to travel there as well.
What's the big deal?
See a lot more positive to come out of it than negative, for us, and the NRL, for the sake of sacrificing one home game.
I'm all for it.

As far as I read JD's comments, it's not one home game, it's another home game, meaning we'd effectively only have 10 at home. No way... others stay at home most of the year, let them take one of their home games to the Islands and we'll quite happily play them there instead of Sydney.

We do enough flying about and changing time zones. Sydney clubs comment on the long road trip to Newcastle or Canberra. Cows stay in the same time zone and all their flights are domenstic (except NZ) which means turn up 30mins before departues and no customs, passport control etc. We have 2 hrs minimum each way just waiting around or queuing plus the min 3 hr flight. Near enough a full day just to get to Sydney without any extran flight or bus trip.

 

[mt.wellington]

Been an advocate of the NRL taking games to the islands. The amount of talent coming out of the islands or from people of polynesian descent these days is truly staggering. League isn't the only oval ball sport where the polynesian minority are making up the majority of junior players in the SG Ball, Harold Matthews and NYC grades. We also see poly boys over represented in professional rugby and NFL. The NRL have made some inroads by having the PNG Hunters playing in the NSW Cup. More can and should be done to try capture more of the talent that goes straight to rugby union because of its popularity. It really is as simple as getting some simple broadcasting going as well as playing games there on a regular basis.

Discussion about the Warriors playing a game there is interesting. As a proud Tongan my heart wants to jump all over this. Of course Id love to see a game back in the motherland but there are some concerns. Some are valid, a lot aren't.

The arguments about excessive travel is wafer thin. Laughable in fact. This week the boys will be travelling 5343 km to Perth. A trip to Melbourne is 2626 km while Sydney is 2161 km. Tonga in comparison is 1993 km away from Auckland. Travel is part of professional sport and going to new and exotic places like Fiji are considered junkets by players. They won't be complaining I guarantee you.

Timezone has little to no bearing. Samoa and Tonga is one hour ahead. Fiji is the same time as New Zealand. Any game played in the islands would have to be played in the early afternoon as there's little hope in a stadium having adequate lighting. Best I can think of is Churchill Park, Lautoka, Fiji but those are still poor.

One thing that does bother me is that maybe the team should be spreading their home games at home. As in right here in good ole Aotearoa. No other club in the competition has to service a nation like the Warriors do. Although polynesians make up the large majority of the Warriors squad that in no way means the club owe the Islands a game. Far from it. The opportunities afforded to polys is plenty enough. I honestly don't believe anything is owed to the Pacific even on a moral point.

Who is picking up the tab for the game? The host nation? May as well can it now if that's the case. Samoa lost huge money hosting the All Blacks. While the feel good factor about hosting a game maybe priceless there is a very real monetary cost involved and to cripple a poorer nation with the tab is not only pointless but irresponsible. You wont grow the game by putting it back financially into the stone age. Lets not forget that most players from Samoa and Tonga have been known to have to pay for their own airfare to get to Internationals. If the club or the NRL foot the bill they'll have to do so knowing full well they will lose money. Some estimates by the Samoan government put the loss of hosting the ABs at $NZD890,000. While most of that was paying players fees I wouldn't expect any change from $100K once travel, hotels, meals, promotion, etc are all factored in.

As much as Id love to see this go ahead Id like to see the club do due diligence and make sure an away home game in the Pacific is not only feasible but benefits both the game and the host nation. The romanticism of giving back to the islands has me smitten but Im pragmatic and hope the NRL and the Warriors are too...

 

[Stone]

Great post mt.wellington ... pretty much mirrors my thoughts on the topic exactly

One thing I will add is that at least you Tongans, Samoans & Fijians now have some kind of legitimate hope of seeing NRL footy being played back in your respective ancestral homelands

As a proud part descendant of Niue one thing I know for sure is we'll NEVER SEE ANY top flight footy from any code being played on The Rock ... EVER lol

Edit: need a "maybe / possibly" on that poll for mine

 

[mt.wellington]

Edit: need a "maybe / possibly" on that poll for mine

Added more options. Poll has been reset so please vote again guys...

 

[kiwi's 13-6]

If most of costs of the game are funded by the NRL then YES! as its not going to make money you'd be lucky to break even with sponsorship and reduced gate takings. Better if its not a warriors home game but instead of travelling to Perth our away game was transferred to Fiji or Samoa or Tonga. If its not funded by NRL & a warriors Away game then NO! I dont think Warriors should do it. Only other possibility is if Warriors have to pay for it all is run preseason training camp in one of the Islands & playing a trial game against the FIji, Samoa or Tongan residents.

 

[Sup42]

This thread reminds me of the quibbles in the seventies around Muhamaad Ali's decision and George Foremans decision, to fight at 4AM in the morning in their ancestral home Africa.

History will tell you that decision saw two African American men add to the legend of David and Goliath, Achilles and Hector, Churchill versus Hitler.

They took the fight back to their bones....back to their DNA....and the result was epic for the champion of the local people.

in this Island idea the champion of the local people is the Warriors.

The greatest rugby league game I have ever seen was the first time Tonga played Samoa at Carlaw park.

Warrior sycophant Alan Mac will tell you it is the greatest game he has seen as well (that niggah predates me).

The Warriors would not want to lose in the Islands.

The more often they play there the more often they have the advantage.

It's not like they are playing in front of a hostile crowd.

They are being cheered on by Kinsmen in a hostile environment.

It is perfect for them.

It would be shit to go there from Aus and face that.

Andrew Johns reconed the worst place he ever played was Mt Smart with the Cook island Drums beating in his ears while big Poly's lined up to smash him.

Fark me dead imagine a whole stadium on that rock earth while we play the like of Manu off the Bench and every other big bastard in the entire squad against rolling through them.

The stuff of nightmares.

Make it happen.

ive seen better fights in the street and in Prison than any of your Pay PV nonesense.

Ive seen crash players that would make the Warriors cry.

Take the NRL to the Islands and fight like Warriors.

You saw what happened when they flew Hurrells mum here.

Take them to the grave yards of their Tupuna, the rocks and stones of their clans, their tribes, their villages and where spirits walk among the living.

 

[Sup42]

0

Been an advocate of the NRL taking games to the islands. The amount of talent coming out of the islands or from people of polynesian descent these days is truly staggering. League isn't the only oval ball sport where the polynesian minority are making up the majority of junior players in the SG Ball, Harold Matthews and NYC grades. We also see poly boys over represented in professional rugby and NFL. The NRL have made some inroads by having the PNG Hunters playing in the NSW Cup. More can and should be done to try capture more of the talent that goes straight to rugby union because of its popularity. It really is as simple as getting some simple broadcasting going as well as playing games there on a regular basis.

Discussion about the Warriors playing a game there is interesting. As a proud Tongan my heart wants to jump all over this. Of course Id love to see a game back in the motherland but there are some concerns. Some are valid, a lot aren't.

The arguments about excessive travel is wafer thin. Laughable in fact. This week the boys will be travelling 5343 km to Perth. A trip to Melbourne is 2626 km while Sydney is 2161 km. Tonga in comparison is 1993 km away from Auckland. Travel is part of professional sport and going to new and exotic places like Fiji are considered junkets by players. They won't be complaining I guarantee you.

Timezone has little to no bearing. Samoa and Tonga is one hour ahead. Fiji is the same time as New Zealand. Any game played in the islands would have to be played in the early afternoon as there's little hope in a stadium having adequate lighting. Best I can think of is Churchill Park, Lautoka, Fiji but those are still poor.

One thing that does bother me is that maybe the team should be spreading their home games at home. As in right here in good ole Aotearoa. No other club in the competition has to service a nation like the Warriors do. Although polynesians make up the large majority of the Warriors squad that in no way means the club owe the Islands a game. Far from it. The opportunities afforded to polys is plenty enough. I honestly don't believe anything is owed to the Pacific even on a moral point.

Who is picking up the tab for the game? The host nation? May as well can it now if that's the case. Samoa lost huge money hosting the All Blacks. While the feel good factor about hosting a game maybe priceless there is a very real monetary cost involved and to cripple a poorer nation with the tab is not only pointless but irresponsible. You wont grow the game by putting it back financially into the stone age. Lets not forget that most players from Samoa and Tonga have been known to have to pay for their own airfare to get to Internationals. If the club or the NRL foot the bill they'll have to do so knowing full well they will lose money. Some estimates by the Samoan government put the loss of hosting the ABs at $NZD890,000. While most of that was paying players fees I wouldn't expect any change from $100K once travel, hotels, meals, promotion, etc are all factored in.

As much as Id love to see this go ahead Id like to see the club do due diligence and make sure an away home game in the Pacific is not only feasible but benefits both the game and the host nation. The romanticism of giving back to the islands has me smitten but Im pragmatic and hope the NRL and the Warriors are too...

Only Union would go to underprivelged areas and expect them to foot the cost of the priveledge.

The prime ministers thirteen go to PNG and pay their own way,

The Kiwis have stopped going to PNG because they can't pay their own way.

The Iro's ensure no excess cost to the Cooks when League went there.

union is the game of the upper classes.

The Warriors wouldn't dream of busting an islands economy for the privilege. I'd bet my left nut on that.

The Warriors would only go there on NRL funding. When Rugby League hosted the Maori versus England and the Samoans Vs NZ for the first time as a promotional exercise it cost five dollars for a seat at Mt Smart.

The NRL couldn't convince the Isles who are former dependencies of colonial Europe to pay for the anti sport of Englands Unionism.

The snobbery of British thinking is intrinsic in Modern Polynesia.

Only the rebelious and the disaffected of the old commonwealth are league rugby interested.