Player Nationality in Warriors Team

[NRLMad]

It seems like the Warriors are eventually not going to need Aussies to fill the gaps in their team.. e.g. five-eight/halfback.

Does anyone have stats on the shift in reliance on outside (non NZ naitonality) players for the last 5 years?

 

[playdaball]

An article in the NZ herald outlined this.

 

[Didgi]

2005 squad: http://www.warriors.co.nz/2005/2005-player-stats

NZ 15
Aus 6
Islander 4
* Nathan Fien & Brent Webb counted as Australian. Only players who played a game that season counted.

2010 squad.

NZ 17
Aus 8
Islander 1
Scottish 1

 

[SpaceMonkey]

The Warriors will never be exclusively Kiwi and neither should they, as a club they have to field the strongest possible team, and that's always going to include the odd import. I think the balance is about right now, we've probably got a similar mixture of developed and imported players as other strong development clubs such as The Dragons and the Broncos, as long as we're not a transit lounge I'm happy.

 

[mean_maori_mean]

The Warriors will never be exclusively Kiwi and neither should they, as a club they have to field the strongest possible team, and that's always going to include the odd import. I think the balance is about right now, we've probably got a similar mixture of developed and imported players as other strong development clubs such as The Dragons and the Broncos, as long as we're not a transit lounge I'm happy.

I agree however with the improving standard of the Fox and hopefully the vulcans Combined with U/20s I think that ratio will improve even more.

Seriously if warriors need to fill gaps i.e players for cover I see no reasons why they cant look locally.
tbh it would be cheaper and more beneficial. than signing blokes like crockett, aidan kirk etc.

Top local players could fill the gap if given a chance.
Rather than look purely at U20s as only source.
Plus would be much cheaper & probably more succesfull.

The James Blackwell, Niuvao Taka, Pita Godinet and Darin Kingis.
I know Warriors have Houma & Godinet on traning contracts.

they need more hooker cover.
Then they should look at Darin Kingi in the vulcans permanently as cover for heremaia & mara.

 

[mean_maori_mean]

dbl post .

 

[Didgi]

The Warriors will never be exclusively Kiwi and neither should they, as a club they have to field the strongest possible team, and that's always going to include the odd import. I think the balance is about right now, we've probably got a similar mixture of developed and imported players as other strong development clubs such as The Dragons and the Broncos, as long as we're not a transit lounge I'm happy.

I dont think they should be thought of as imports. Yes, they're from a different country, but it's all within the same competition. I dont consider NZers or Islanders playing in Aussie NRL sides 'imports'. Unless the Warriors' stated mission is to play with a side of x amount home grown talent (is it? I wouldnt know) I dont see anything wrong with it.

On the same issue, do you guys, as Warriors fans, prefer to see a NZer in the Warriors side than Aussies? I would think most of you do, for purely patriotic reasons, but is it really a big deal?

I'm not trying to be judgemental, interested in your view on it is all.

 

[Martli]

On the same issue, do you guys, as Warriors fans, prefer to see a NZer in the Warriors side than Aussies? I would think most of you do, for purely patriotic reasons, but is it really a big deal?

There are two camps as far as this debate goes:

There are the dudes who just want a winning team regardless of nationality and there are those who think we should have as few Aussies as possible and keep it a largely NZ club. Personally, i'm the former, but I still think it's good to have lots of Kiwis; the warriors because at the end of the day the warriors are still largely responsible for developing the game over here.

 

[ozbash]

On the same issue, do you guys, as Warriors fans, prefer to see a NZer in the Warriors side than Aussies? I would think most of you do, for purely patriotic reasons, but is it really a big deal?

some of those players, Pricey and Tate, are obviously the cream of the crop and any criticism of their inclusion would be stupid.

what rattles my chain is seeing Aussies playing for the Warriors NRL side yet we have better (by far in some cases, Issac John springs to mind) locals playing NSWRL or Fox.

There shouldnt be a quota, every Warrior should be there on his own merits, not from where he was born.

Some people think that just because he has "made in australia" stamped on his arse he is better..

 

[NRLMad]

what rattles my chain is seeing Aussies playing for the Warriors NRL side yet we have better (by far in some cases, Issac John springs to mind) locals playing NSWRL or Fox.

There shouldnt be a quota, every Warrior should be there on his own merits, not from where he was born..

I agree. What ratttles me further is that you guys keep giving contracts to people who aren't juniors and then lose juniors.. Liki Liki is a prime example of this.. He's a gun. He must have attitude issues or something to have not been kept.. same goes for Seluini - top player; just behind Mara.

 

[Didgi]

I agree it's strange they've let those two go.

I dont like the phrase, but I think it is good for the game to have NZers, and in particular NZ juniors, in all the clubs' FG and TC sides. After all, there's 15 teams for Aussie juniors to come through, but only 1 for NZ juniors, and, as evidenced by the TC Premiership, the junior Kiwis and the recent big-game success of the Kiwis, there's plenty of talent there. If I was a development coach the second place I'd be looking (after my own backyard) would be NZ. Still, I agree 13 Aussies running out every week wouldnt be the best look to the fan, young or old.

 

[ozbash]

Its quite interesting really, Tawera Nikau reckons that in 5 yrs time, 75% of league players will be of maori/Pacific Island descent.

Then you have the large numbers of Asian/Middle Eastern people coming to live in our part of the planet starting to show an interest in league.

Wonder who will make up the Qld and NSW SOO sides in 2020 ??

 

[Iafeta]

Non Kiwis out for 2011: 4
Non Kiwis in for 2011: 1

We have lost a number of Kiwis obviously in Ah Van, Ioane, Niko, Nafe, Likiliki and Royal, and it's a pity we lost Suiatonga and Seluini in particular. But those Kiwis that are leaving are being replaced on full time contracts by more Kiwis. And whats more, we have had 200 players turn up for U20s trials.

In my opinion, they'll get to an 'optimum' level of non Kiwis. I don't know, that might be 5 or so. And if they continue to exploit Toyota Cup, while we will be plundered for some of our better players, we will still end up keeping extra special talents like Johnson, Fisiiahi and co who all have the ability to have a big future.

 

[NRLMad]

Its quite interesting really, Tawera Nikau reckons that in 5 yrs time, 75% of league players will be of maori/Pacific Island descent.

Then you have the large numbers of Asian/Middle Eastern people coming to live in our part of the planet starting to show an interest in league.

Wonder who will make up the Qld and NSW SOO sides in 2020 ??

I doubt that - I think it will go up to maybe 40% max.. There are plenty of aussies who love league & this will never stop.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

some of those players, Pricey and Tate, are obviously the cream of the crop and any criticism of their inclusion would be stupid.

what rattles my chain is seeing Aussies playing for the Warriors NRL side yet we have better (by far in some cases, Issac John springs to mind) locals playing NSWRL or Fox.

There shouldnt be a quota, every Warrior should be there on his own merits, not from where he was born.

Some people think that just because he has "made in australia" stamped on his arse he is better..

Pretty much bang on Oz. We should go for marquee players when they come on the market, but I'd rather see the lower ranks of the team filled from locals unless we have a real shortage in a particular position. Thats said gotta admit Maloney was an inspired signing.