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Pacific Islander owned 18th NRL club.

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
I suppose the idea is you’d have local comps in each island feeding a nsw or qlnd cup team from that island which in turn they all feed the PI nrl club? we’ve got png and Fiji, a Samoan and tongan second tier club would be next in the development pyramid maybe?
 

The Great Dane

First Grade
Messages
7,723
Totally agree. The logistics though of any type of side trying to represent all of the Islands is the problem. Where do you base them? Do you play their games in several islands or do you play their games at one ground? How do you market the team so that it is inclusive of and accepted by, the different races and cultures of the Island nations?
The short answer is that you wouldn't even attempt to build a side that represents all of the Islands as it's an incredibly stupid idea. The only reason people even suggest that sort of thing is because they want to look like they're doing something without actually having to make the sacrifice required to do anything meaningful.

What you'd do is you'd treat each of those nations as what they are, individual nations with their own cultures, national identities, and challenges to face, and take a horses for courses approach to each with the goal of getting the best outcome feasibly possible for RL in each nation.

As a general rule that would just entail significant investment on the ground to develop local competitions and build professional pathways into the NRL, with development officers in each nation to manage and facilitate that investment and growth. In some cases that might lead to pro/semipro clubs from those nations participating in Australian competitions, or even something like the NRL buying into local leagues to help fund and manage them, but that should only be the goal if it's financially feasible and in the best interests of RL in that nation.

In saying all that, every time this discussion comes up I always come to the conclusion that it'd be mad for the NRL to invest all the time and resources required to achieve anything significant in the PI's when grassroots and junior footy is totally f**ked here in Australia. The NRL could get way better outcomes in junior development and growth for a similar investment simply by taking the grassroots in Australia seriously.
 
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MugaB

Coach
Messages
11,807
I like the idea of a PI collective team based out of Auckland to give the nrl a game in NZ every week, but as PR mentioned having all the islands lower grade feed into it, but it cant be a teamed named purely as "pasifika" got to be a generic team that represents the club moreso than where the talent is being drawn from, so really something like South Pacific Halos would be the go for me, or South Pacific Lions etc, a bit like north qld cowboys, that isn't just representing townsville, its representing most of north qld
 

flippikat

Bench
Messages
4,378
I like the idea of a PI collective team based out of Auckland to give the nrl a game in NZ every week, but as PR mentioned having all the islands lower grade feed into it, but it cant be a teamed named purely as "pasifika" got to be a generic team that represents the club moreso than where the talent is being drawn from, so really something like South Pacific Halos would be the go for me, or South Pacific Lions etc, a bit like north qld cowboys, that isn't just representing townsville, its representing most of north qld
Yeah, but a Pacific Island team based in South Auckland would likely undermine the Warriors supporter base. No way the Warriors would be keen on that.

The best solution for a 2nd NZ team would be a big (for New Zealand) city away from Auckland - and Wellington or Christchurch are the options.
 

Iamback

Coach
Messages
16,988
Yeah, but a Pacific Island team based in South Auckland would likely undermine the Warriors supporter base. No way the Warriors would be keen on that.

The best solution for a 2nd NZ team would be a big (for New Zealand) city away from Auckland - and Wellington or Christchurch are the options.

That new Stadium in Canterbury would be a good home
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
Yeah, but a Pacific Island team based in South Auckland would likely undermine the Warriors supporter base. No way the Warriors would be keen on that.

The best solution for a 2nd NZ team would be a big (for New Zealand) city away from Auckland - and Wellington or Christchurch are the options.
I guess if it’s going to be a Pacific Islander club then it would need to be somewhere that has a big pi population base or else whose going to go and watch Them? maybe 9 games in na then one in tonga, Samoa and Fiji? Not that tv would ever agree to that!
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
That covered stadium Christchurch is getting is just RIPE for that 6pm Sydney (8pm NZ time) Friday night timeslot.
Shame it’s in a small city with limited corporates where union rules. The new owners would need deep pockets.
 

Iamback

Coach
Messages
16,988
That covered stadium Christchurch is getting is just RIPE for that 6pm Sydney (8pm NZ time) Friday night timeslot.

I like what The Dolphins are bringing to the table as far as infastructure, So I am all for NZ 2 being next up. Could hopefully use Eden Park for the games v Warriors too. Which helps them grow too
 

Matua

Bench
Messages
4,528
Moana Pasifika isn’t really a PI team in any meaningful way.

They’re really just a team for Kiwis of Islander heritage. They’re based in Auckland and play out of Mt Smart, and their main target audience and fanbase is made up of people of Samoan and Tongan heritage from the Southside of Auckland.

Their existence does little to nothing to improve RU on the ground in the Islands themselves, and is indicative of a sad trend of regression within western society and the abandonment of universal principles.

If the NRL’s goal is to improve RL in the PI’s, and gazump Moana Pasifika in the process, then finding a feasible way to fund and grow the sport on the ground in the PIs is the way to do it, not building a token pro-team.
Not sure I agree with most of this. The bold is emotive nonsense. The team is based in Auckland because it's not feasible to base it anywhere in the Islands and pretending otherwise is just silly.

The team is designed to provide PI declared players spots in Super Rugby. The majority of the players in the team represent the islands, and we've already seen players switch to the Islands due to their involvement in the team. Without this team most of those players would be playing up in the NH.

As for building from the ground, the bulk of the PI players in rugby/rugby league are from NZ (and increasingly Oz). It does not have to be zero sum, the sport (either one) can be built in the islands while having other avenues for PI players such as Moana Pasifika. A specific PI team in a comp, even if based in another country, still gives players from the islands something to aim for outside of securing a NH or NRL contract in an Oz city.
 

Iamback

Coach
Messages
16,988
Not sure I agree with most of this. The bold is emotive nonsense. The team is based in Auckland because it's not feasible to base it anywhere in the Islands and pretending otherwise is just silly.

The team is designed to provide PI declared players spots in Super Rugby. The majority of the players in the team represent the islands, and we've already seen players switch to the Islands due to their involvement in the team. Without this team most of those players would be playing up in the NH.

As for building from the ground, the bulk of the PI players in rugby/rugby league are from NZ (and increasingly Oz). It does not have to be zero sum, the sport (either one) can be built in the islands while having other avenues for PI players such as Moana Pasifika. A specific PI team in a comp, even if based in another country, still gives players from the islands something to aim for outside of securing a NH or NRL contract in an Oz city.

That is the issue in RU, The island nations young guys needing to go to UK or France for starts.

RL you could say is the same with very few Kiwis actually in the Warriors system
 

flippikat

Bench
Messages
4,378
Shame it’s in a small city with limited corporates where union rules. The new owners would need deep pockets.
It doesn't *necessarily* mean team 18 should be in Christchurch, though.

I think Perth has *by far* the most compelling case for the next spot - and that could help establish a new TV timeslot - whether that's late on Friday, late on Saturday or the final Sunday game.

Once the new stadium is open in Christchurch, that city can still be in the mix to help share the load in that 6pm Friday (Eastern Time) slot.

Get 2 or 3 games per season there, and it not only helps fill that part of the schedule, but can act as a chance to guage interest, build a following for live games & maybe just work as a "way in" to that market for an eventual team there.
 

Matua

Bench
Messages
4,528
That is the issue in RU, The island nations young guys needing to go to UK or France for starts.

RL you could say is the same with very few Kiwis actually in the Warriors system
The Warriors are a dysfunctional club so they're not really comparable with PIs needing to leave the islands. They're just hopeless at picking the right young guys and under their latest ownership they do not care that they're a NZ club at all.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
It doesn't *necessarily* mean team 18 should be in Christchurch, though.

I think Perth has *by far* the most compelling case for the next spot - and that could help establish a new TV timeslot - whether that's late on Friday, late on Saturday or the final Sunday game.

Once the new stadium is open in Christchurch, that city can still be in the mix to help share the load in that 6pm Friday (Eastern Time) slot.

Get 2 or 3 games per season there, and it not only helps fill that part of the schedule, but can act as a chance to guage interest, build a following for live games & maybe just work as a "way in" to that market for an eventual team there.
I’d love to see the nrl get strategic about such things, lol! Ideally they should be working with Christchurch council and the sydney clubs to take 2-4 games to that great stadium a year. At least two of them v the warriors. If nrl has to chip 8n a bit to make it happen then it’s a good investment, and as you say helps with the shtty ko time slot. Could do same in other nz cities so that out of 26 friday 6pm games 16-18 of them are played in nz. Be a good prelude as well to build interest in team 20 being nz2.
 

Dragonwest

Juniors
Messages
1,652
It's not like PI players are missing out on pathway opportunities ...

A club mixed between different cultural bases with no real home sounds like a train wreck ready to happen.

Perth is the go, a big population (including PI), no canabalism of fans and large potential corporate base. Get the right coaches and pathway setup over there and actually grow the game.
 

MugaB

Coach
Messages
11,807
.Perth is the go, a big population (including PI), no canabalism of fans and large potential corporate base. Get the right coaches and pathway setup over there and actually grow the game.
No bias ....much,
yourself and PR should be on the talking up perth thread
 
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