NRL’s radical loan plan to keep New Zealand Warriors in the 2020 season
Exclusive: The Warriors could loan players from rival clubs in a bid to ensure eight NRL matches are played every weekend — check out the established first-graders that could be involved.
NRL
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The NRL is planning a radical solution of allowing the Warriors to loan players from rival clubs in a bid to ensure eight matches are played every weekend.
While the Warriors have committed to staying in Australia to play the Raiders on the Gold Coast on Saturday they have not given any long-term reassurances beyond this week.
The Daily Telegraph has learnt one of the drastic measures to keep the competition going includes forming a makeshift Warriors side made up of potential discards and veteran players at other clubs. It shows how desperate the game is to fulfil his broadcast commitments.
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The team could potentially be mixed with those current Warriors who wish to stay in Australia and play out the rest of the season and others who cannot get a crack with their current side. Calls to rival clubs and player managers have begun. While the plan is yet to be finalised, the Warriors would naturally be given large salary cap dispensations.
A host of established first-graders featured in the respective state-based reserve grade competitions last weekend. The likes of Bryson Goodwin, Euan Aitken, Billy Magoulias, Jayson Bukuya, Tautau Moga, Daniel Alvaro, and Mason Lino could easily feature. They could also consider calling up players without NRL contracts including Michael Lichaa, Kyle Turner, Josh Hoffman, Ata Hingano, Lloyd Perrett and Patrick Kaufusi.
The team could opt for a number of budding first grade stars in a bid to expose them to the top grade such as Adam Clune, Jayden Sullivan, Tex Hoy or Stefano Utoikamanu.
NRL boss Todd Greenberg said they could not force any player to remain in Australia. He will again meet with Warriors players and officials following their match against the Raiders.
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“They have given us an undertaking that they will get through round two and then my discussion with them is we will sit down with the players and management and assess that,” Greenberg said. “It’s possible for us to continue the competition if the Warriors want to go home. We want all 16 clubs being part of the competition. That step is a scenario and we will only get to after this weekend.
“(If the Warriors go home) we will be playing with 15 clubs not 16.
“We’re not putting pressure on people. We are trying to look at it in the context of the whole competition.”
The Warriors have based themselves in Kingscliff this week with travel restrictions keeping them in Australia if they want to play on. They must self-isolate for 14 days as soon as they return to Auckland, ending any chance of matches being played for at least two weeks.
Outside backs Pat Herbert and Peta Hiku have already returned home giving Warriors coach Stephen Kearney 24 players to pick from ahead of a match against last season’s grand finalists. Taane Milne would have come into calculations to replace either Herbert or Hiku but his season is over after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in the Canterbury Cup last week.
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“Having Pet and Pat go home has put a bit of pressure on from that sense but we’re talking with the NRL at the moment,” Kearney said. “We’ve got enough guys here at the moment to cope with that.
“I’m picking that things will resolve itself over the next little bit.”
POSSIBLE MAKE-SHIFT TEAM
Corey Allan, George Jennings, Euan Aitken, Tautau Moga, Bryson Goodwin, Jake Clifford, Sam Williams, Daniel Alvaro, Harry Grant, Sauaso Sue, Chris McQueen, Matt Eisenhuth, Billy Magoulias. Interchange: Mason Lino, David Gower, Stefano Utoikamanu, Jayson Bukuya.
Originally published as NRL’s radical loan plan to keep New Zealand Warriors in the 2020 season