South Island Kea

[Beavers Headgear]

The 2nd bid led by Frank seems to be gaining some more traction, slightly concerned at 1 of the coaching options though lol

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Here’s the scoop: the Australian Rugby League Commission (#ARLC) has given the green light for a 20-team competition.

The Daily Telegraph reveals 'the ARL Commission has instructed NRL boss Andrew Abdo to preside over a business case for more teams in the most definitive sign yet fresh expansion is on the cards.’

‘At a marathon board meeting held just hours before Origin II in Melbourne, the ARLC backed chair Peter V’landys’ expansion masterplan with three new franchises set to be added before the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.’

‘The National Rugby League’s study will identify the best expansion zones, the bid process and a timetable for formal entry to the Telstra Premiership.’

“The analysis will show us what the best options are and what the bid teams have to prove to us is they will bring in a new audience.'

“If we don’t expand, we will never reach our full potential.’

'Multiple bids are expected from New Zealand. ‘There are three bids alone emanating from #Christchurch’, ‘including South Island NRL Bid which has the support of former Warriors coach Frank Endacott.’

‘Another secret consortium of millionaire businessmen have also reached out to the NRL from the same region.’

While the participants in this 'secret bid' aren't exactly a mystery, we welcome competition in the spirit of rugby league. The competing bid we've seen so far has made us a more well-rounded product.

Upholding our community values, it’s crucial to keep our supporters informed. We'll bring you along on this #NRLexpansion journey and represent the region with pride.

(Image source: The Daily Telegraph)

 

[Beavers Headgear]

“Really exciting having the South Island NRL Bid team presenting to Council yesterday.

A South Island team based in Christchurch would be huge for the success of our new stadium, our local economy and the grassroots game.

Stadium - 10 games a year at estimated average crowds of 15,000 (which I think is a conservative estimate) would provide a huge amount in revenue for the new stadium and an NRL team would likely be its biggest tenant. Throw a ticket levy in the mix and that becomes a significant amount of annual revenue to help pay for the stadium cost.

Local economy - The Warriors game in March generated 7012 visitors nights (6252 visitors) and that was with a limited sold out capacity crowd of 15,912. A support base from around the entire South Island would generate a lot more visitor nights than what we currently get from Super Rugby games. The team itself would also generate a number of new local jobs. According to my Google search the Warriors have 123 employees.

Grassroots - We produce a lot of local talent here in the South Island but lose it to Australia. Around 26% of NRL players are from New Zealand and we want to keep talent here. An NRL team would boost interest, members and sponsorships of our local clubs who absolutely need it. I do hear the stories of kids wanting to play who don't necessarily have parents who can afford the boots or registration fee and anything we can do to provide more opportunities is critical.

There is no current proposal for any start-up funding contribution from Council but what I'd say is that it appears highly likely that any contribution would pay for itself very quickly in revenue generated at a Council owned & operated stadium which means it could actually help reduce rates rather than adding to them so it seems very important to me that minds are kept open.

Until we have our own NZ State of Origin equivalent twice a year I guess it's up the Maroons tonight.”

 

[sup42]

The Warriors better pull finger.
Two NZ franchises would boost the sport like never before. The depth is there if think broadly, there are a ton of good players in New Zealand Juniors, but they play Rugby Union.

If the NRL are serious about taking on Rugby Union in this country then they need to offer people a different vehicle than the painful Warriors bus.

 

[Matua]

The 2nd bid led by Frank seems to be gaining some more traction, slightly concerned at 1 of the coaching options though lol
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Kidwell??? After the first season half the team will defect.

 

[Campion]

Kidwell is a moron. No thanks!

 

[sup42]

While David Kidwell has a tainted record in this country it should not discount him from being part of a bid imo. Plenty hate Tony Iro at the Warriors, yet he remains there and has degrees in sports management and is seen as a Rugby League managerial expert by the NZRL.

I think the problem with NZ League is that people like Kidwell and Kearney who have Storm training, get dismissed out of hand for their foolish mumblings in the NZ media and mixed bag results as NZ coaches.

That is not the total sum of their worth.

Just because they were spectacular failures in specific roles does not garantee they have nothing to offer a coming from nowhere bid like Christchurch.

David Kidwell is one of, if not the greatest ever player out of Christchurch, so he has pedigree, and was an enforcer that should never have been given the national side without exceptional aides around hi, during the infamous Ki is the we campaign .

We need to chill out on these guys and wish them all well imo, if Bluey McClennans old man from the Mt Albert Lions could draw up an NRL bid over a table in the McClennam house that became the Warriors then shooting down any Kidwell involvement in Canterbury is premature.

It seems to me that a Canterbury bid needs all the intellectual property it can get with a strong leader overseeing people like Kidwell and being able to unite the various bids like Happy Franks and the other heads of the three headed monster.

They need a leader to bring all those names together and identify what each of them bring to the party, if they do that, they will be decades ahead of the Warriors first managerial structures.

 

[Campion]

Kidwell having the kiwis stay in a marae told me all I needed to know. It’s silly from a mental physical prep point of view but also culturally inappropriate given much of the team was not Maori. This guy should not be leading anything, but he may be a great assistant. He may be a doer, not a thinker. That’s fine.

 

[Matua]

Kidwell having the kiwis stay in a marae told me all I needed to know. It’s silly from a mental physical prep point of view but also culturally inappropriate given much of the team was not Maori. This guy should not be leading anything, but he may be a great assistant. He may be a doer, not a thinker. That’s fine.

You're overplaying that, the Chiefs stayed on a marae as team building in theyear they first won the Super comp and much of the team wasn't Maori.

It's silly from a prep point of view if it's in the lead up to a game.

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

Kidwell as a head coach for CHCH? Fk me that’s got to be a piss take.

If Wayne couldn’t land the likes of Munster and Smith for a new club, Kidwell would struggle to attract the third string goalkicker from the Glenora Bears

 

[Campion]

You're overplaying that, the Chiefs stayed on a marae as team building in theyear they first won the Super comp and much of the team wasn't Maori.

It's silly from a prep point of view if it's in the lead up to a game.

I mean the Chiefs are in a Maori-concentrated area (Waikato-Rotorua) and it was preseason, no? The kiwis did it a week or so before a game with a strong Samoan/Tongan contingent and represent a geography that is culturally very diverse. I don't think this is an apples-for-apples comparison.

 

[Matua]

I mean the Chiefs are in a Maori-concentrated area (Waikato-Rotorua) and it was preseason, no? The kiwis did it a week or so before a game with a strong Samoan/Tongan contingent and represent a geography that is culturally very diverse. I don't think this is an apples-for-apples comparison.

The Chiefs were made up of as much of a cross section of ethnicities as the Kiwis (probably more Pakeha ) so I still think you're over egging it.

Plus, I already said in the post you responded to that I didn't think they should do it in the lead up to a match.

Treating JT like shit is more of an issue, even though he's now dead to me.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I mean the Chiefs are in a Maori-concentrated area (Waikato-Rotorua) and it was preseason, no? The kiwis did it a week or so before a game with a strong Samoan/Tongan contingent and represent a geography that is culturally very diverse. I don't think this is an apples-for-apples comparison.

We stayed on Marae at school and sports trips regularly as kids and we weren’t a majority Māori group. I have no issue with it, other than if it’s in the direct leadup to games from a performance optimisation point of view. It’s not exclusionary and is a very communal experience that would be generally conducive to team bonding.