NZ expansion bombshell: More than a decade away from second team

While welcoming the prospect of a second New Zealand team in the future, the brains behind the rise of the Warriors have given a warts-and-all account of how much work the NRL have to do to grow the game across the ditch.

The NRL are at least 10 to 15-years away from being able to expand into New Zealand with a second team to rival the Warriors. That’s the opinion of two of the most powerful men across the Tasman, Warriors owner Mark Robinson and CEO Cameron George, who have declared it would be “devastating” if the NRL added a second franchise anytime soon.

While welcoming the prospect of a second New Zealand team in the future, the influential brains behind the rise of the Warriors have given a warts-and-all account of how much work the NRL have to do to grow the game across the ditch.

George has even had a crack at former NRL and NZRL CEO David Moffett, who is part one of the three New Zealand franchise bids, the South Island Keas.

New Zealand Warriors owner Mark Robinson and CEO Cameron George. Picture: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

“What underpins a strong NRL team is having strong elite players that are getting challenged every week in (second-tier) competitions,” George said.

“So when you drop them from NRL down they can find form and come back up.

“Right now, if we drop a player back to a local competition, there’s no chance of being NRL ready a week later.

“It’s funny because David Moffett has been quite vocal about how he’s coming to get the Warriors.

“This is the problem. I think he was the CEO of the NRL (in 2001), why didn’t he put money into New Zealand rugby league then?

“Then all of a sudden, we’re saying we’re ready to go now.

“(But) he knows it’s not ready to go.”

George’s comments have emerged ahead of the NRL’s anticipated announcement this week that Papua New Guinea will become the game’s 18th team, potentially by 2028.

Fans and commentators will receive the news by asking questions as to how, given the surge in interest in rugby league in New Zealand, largely due to the Warriors recent success, and the talent pool of schoolboy rugby union players, the NRL haven’t introduced a second team across the Tasman.

George gave a telling insight.

“For us, we’ve never said expansion into New Zealand isn’t right,” George said.

“There’s an opportunity for sure and certain, but it’s the timing of that opportunity.

“To give you an example, the NRL, as I understand it, has people employed working for the NRL, in the Northern Territory. “They have no one working in New Zealand to grow the game.

“We’re (Warriors) the shop front window for the game, along with the Kiwis playing a few times a year.

Warriors fans have rallied around the Wahs. Picture: Phil Walter/Getty Images

“My challenge to the NRL and for those that have got bids in is, we’re trying to get more money invested in the game in New Zealand.

“At the moment, we’ve got five teams (NRLW, NSW Cup, Jersey Flegg, SG Ball and Harold Matthews) that sit underneath the NRL.

“For all five of those teams to compete in top line competition they have to travel to Australia.

“You can’t play them locally because the level of competition isn’t there.

“So our message to the NRL is if you’re looking at New Zealand as an expansion opportunity, absolutely it’s an opportunity.

“But it’s going to take at least five to 10-years for the local game to be equal to Queensland Cup or NSW Cup (standard) because there’s no use putting another team here, in Christchurch next week, next year or the year after and flying five teams over (to Australia) because that’s 10 teams going over and back every week.

“It just can’t be sustainable.

“So they’re better off to say, in 2035 there’s a second team in New Zealand, but between now and then we are investing and growing the game and taking over that country.

“We can help them with that.

“But it would be devastating in my view if they threw one (team in Christchurch) now and they’re sending all their teams over with us to play in Australia.”

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak thanks the fans at Mt Smart. Picture: Hannah Peters/Getty Image

Robinson echoed George’s position when asked to consider the three New Zealand bids, which have included the Southern Orcas based in Christchurch and run by former Kiwis coach Graham Lowe, a South Island bid led by former Canterbury Rugby League chair Tony Kidd and ex-Kiwis and Warriors coach Frank Endacott and the Keas overseen by Moffett.

“It comes back to our local league comps here. Auckland Rugby League is in a shambles, there’s no real senior competition,” Robinson said.

“Schoolboys are strong up until the age of about 13 and then there’s nothing.

“They go and play rugby union.

“The local competitions are at least 10 to 15 years away from having the right amount of decent players to even run a second team.”

Originally published as NZ expansion bombshell: More than a decade away from second team