New Zealand 2 will deal a massive blow to NZ rugby

[Gobsmacked]

The Press

www.thepress.co.nz

“We need to start spreading the game around the country because we’re seeing outside Auckland, tremendous growth in junior numbers, 28% up year-on-year.”

28 percent junior growth


“Peters also felt the growing rugby league audience in Canterbury could help boost the case for a potential South Island NRL team.

“It [the big crowds] grows the interest in the game, generally. Ultimately, when the NRL makes its decision around future teams and expansion, that’s a big part of it because they want to see new fans coming to the game, they don’t want to cannibalise fan bases for current teams.”

28% !!!
Remember we were told about the massive decline lol
Sold out 2 weeks in advance...
The game is absolutely booming in NZ and we need to strike while the iron is HOT!
New Zealand 2 - 2026 Christchurch!

 

[AdelaideSharky]

Mehrtens has alway been a bit of a knob (unless you were a cantabrian) he’s got a cushy media position with Stan sports to protect so he’s not exactly going to say anything league positive

He was the Waratahs kicking coach when they beat his old team in the 2014 final (I was at that game with a mate I've since lost contact with).

 

[AdelaideSharky]

Great player

Like lomu huge miss for rugby league

Had the Warriors come in in 1988 when the Broncos & Knights came in it might've been game, set and match already.

 

[Matua]

28% !!!
Remember we were told about the massive decline lol
Sold out 2 weeks in advance...
The game is absolutely booming in NZ and we need to strike while the iron is HOT!
New Zealand 2 - 2026 Christchurch!

Are you genuinely this thick or are you just this disingenuous? You were told about the "massive decline" before the 2023 Warriors season and associated hype that came along with it. And the posters telling you about it all said they hoped it would lead to an increase in player numbers.

 

[Matua]

Mehrtens has alway been a bit of a knob (unless you were a cantabrian) he’s got a cushy media position with Stan sports to protect so he’s not exactly going to say anything league positive

@Wb1234 has pivoted from crying about historical relations between league and rugby to posting nearly four year old articles with headlines that don't really match the content.

 

[Matiunz]

Had the Warriors come in in 1988 when the Broncos & Knights came in it might've been game, set and match already.

Was actually watching Aucklands 26-24 win over the touring Kangaroos last night. That Auckland side was pretty stacked and had some names you’d later recognise in the ARL such as Nikau, Ropati, Mann etc.
It’s a shame they don’t have that talent at club level anymore, Warriors we’re supposed to keep them in Auckland but didn’t really work out that way

 

[Perth Red]

Was actually watching Aucklands 26-24 win over the touring Kangaroos last night. That Auckland side was pretty stacked and had some names you’d later recognise in the ARL such as Nikau, Ropati, Mann etc.
It’s a shame they don’t have that talent at club level anymore, Warriors we’re supposed to keep them in Auckland but didn’t really work out that way

As soon as warriors started to show the talent available all the clubs went scouting. That along with increased migration to Australia ( I wonder how many kiwis in NRL came to Aus as little kids due to family migration rather than specifically for RL?) and Warriors can only have so many players on their books at any one age group. Another good reason for a NZ2 club if the sentiment is Kiwi kids should stay and play in NZ, though I'm not sure the other 16 clubs would agree!

 

[warriors 95]

Leeds and some NFL team wanted him.....suprised no ARL sides.

Yeah, the warriors should have made a play for him even before the 95' world Cup.

 

[warriors 95]

Newcastle had tana Umaga in reserve grade before he got home sick

Played for his league team from the Wellington Region in the Sydney 7's back in the early 90's.

 

[warriors 95]

As I posted above Canterbury-Bankstown almost signed him prior to the 1995 season.

Did they opt for John timu instead?

 

[warriors 95]

His brother Mike also played League in UK, Tana was a junior Kiwi too, ironically he was originally keen on a soccer career before switching to league

Mike umaga played for Halifax in super league or to be precise the Halifax bluesoxs to give them their full title.

Can't remember if Mike umaga signed from RU or came from the new Zealand domestic RL scene?

 

[warriors 95]

Great player

Like lomu huge miss for rugby league

Ma'a nonu was supposed to be close to signing for a Sydney nrl team also.

All these players would have been massive in league and maybe even have represented the Pacific nations also giving RL a 20 year headstart in the Pacific.

 

[Matua]

Yeah, the warriors should have made a play for him even before the 95' world Cup.

They probably did (they were throwing money at everyone in 1993-1994), he was close to going because he thought Mains didn't like him, but Eric Rush convinced him to stay.

 

[Matiunz]

Did they opt for John timu instead?

There were a few fringe ABs converts around this era along with the likes of Ridge,Innes, Halligan etc. Remember hearing a few more established All Blacks were close to joining them and the flow probably would have increased had Union not gone professional

 

[Matiunz]

Mike umaga played for Halifax in super league or to be precise the Halifax bluesoxs to give them their full title.

Can't remember if Mike umaga signed from RU or came from the new Zealand domestic RL scene?

Think he started league then moved to Union, there was a story about him playing for Samoa against Tana in ABs so would’ve been towards the end of his career

 

[warriors 95]

There were a few fringe ABs converts around this era along with the likes of Ridge,Innes, Halligan etc. Remember hearing a few more established All Blacks were close to joining them and the flow probably would have increased had Union not gone professional

Zinzan Brook was supposedly close to following ridge to Manly.

 

[Matiunz]

Zinzan Brook was supposedly close to following ridge to Manly.

Yeah that’s who I was thinking of, it was either a podcast with Matthew Ridge or Graeme Lowe where the spoke about some of the names, think it was Zinny that even signed a contract before backing out.

 

[Foreign Legion]

Rugby league shaking up union's stronghold in Otago with new programme

Rugby league registrations are surging thanks to the Southern Zone Academy, one of the Warriors' newest satellite programmes.

www.1news.co.nz

 

[Gobsmacked]

Rugby league shaking up union's stronghold in Otago with new programme

Rugby league registrations are surging thanks to the Southern Zone Academy, one of the Warriors' newest satellite programmes.

www.1news.co.nz

40%
Holy crap!

 

[Matua]

There were a few fringe ABs converts around this era along with the likes of Ridge,Innes, Halligan etc. Remember hearing a few more established All Blacks were close to joining them and the flow probably would have increased had Union not gone professional

Yeah that was a crazy period, seemingly kicked off by Kipper Gallagher and Frano Botica. The league convert backline in that era was class, could nearly form an all AB one aside from halfback and would need to put Gallagher back to his earlier position of centre - Brett Iti, Frano, Inga, Schuster, Gallagher, Innes, Ridge.

A few years before that Mark Brooke-Cowden an AB flanker went to league along with Emosi Koloto the Tongan born number 8 who went close tot the ABs.

Hell, even Eion Crossan blagged himself a first grade career.