Kris Shannon: Five reasons why New Zealand shouldn't get a second NRL team & More News Here

OPINION:

1. Two phrases: the Warriors

Things aren’t going nice when even the 6’o’clock information is dunking on you. After a story on Newshub’s Monday bulletin about meatworks, Mike McRoberts previewed sport with this impressed
segue: “Speaking of getting slaughtered, the Warriors…”

As that spice urged, this wasn’t the most effective week for NRL chief Andrew Abdo to lift the potential for New Zealand being awarded a second team.

The Warriors get outplayed by 11 males, a fortnight after delivery 70 factors, and the NRL assume this nation hasn’t suffered sufficient?

In equity, there is not any purpose the brand new franchise shall be equally cursed. It’s virtually admirable to be that cursed.

But there’s equally no purpose to assume a new Wellington-based franchise shall be any higher. After all, the Warriors have been plugging away for 28 years and are nonetheless discovering new depths to plumb.

Perhaps this NRL factor is sort of tough. Perhaps one team is sufficient. Perhaps, earlier than we get a second, the primary must win some video games – and win again the respect of the nation’s newsreaders.

2. Small pond ain’t large enough

The NRL will subsequent season increase to 17 golf equipment, with the Dolphins giving Brisbane a second team, at present being constructed by Wayne Bennett.

Despite the inherent lures of the Dolphins – enjoying beneath Bennett, residing close to what Reece Walsh made appear a fairly good celebration scene, free passes to Sea World, presumably – the brand new boys are struggling to construct a squad.

The blame has been laid on a shallow present participant pool, and potential recruits are being both overpaid to hitch the Dolphins or overpaid to stay with their present golf equipment.

That would not be a drawback in New Zealand, the Sydney Morning Herald defined, as a Wellington aspect might merely recruit promising rugby gamers fairly than raid NRL groups.

What a sublime resolution. It’s a marvel nobody has considered it earlier than. Rugby will certainly be shocked when NRL scouts are immediately floating across the schoolboy scene and attractive younger expertise to league.

Needless to say, if the Warriors have in recent times fought a dropping battle to signal promising Kiwis in both code, any new aspect aren’t going to have their choose of the crop.

3. Will there be good days in Wellington?

Let’s first make one factor clear: jokes about empty yellow seats on the Cake Tin are asinine and unoriginal. With that mentioned, if Wellington turns into dwelling for an NRL team, fellas, it is time to begin punching up these yellow-seat jokes.

There’s gonna be a lot of them. Jokes, I imply. And empty yellow seats.

It’s not Wellingtonians’ fault. The metropolis is simply too small. Brisbane has 2.6 million individuals to assist its second NRL team; Wellington has fewer than a tenth of that quantity.

Hurricanes video games are sparsely attended, the Phoenix draw good crowds when visiting as soon as a season, and cricket seems packed solely when it is performed on a roundabout.

That lack of potential supporters has been acknowledged. It’s been urged Wellington could be merely a base for a new NRL franchise, with Christchurch and different centres internet hosting video games.

But that is a effective approach to alienate a new fanbase earlier than it has been developed. Good information, Wellington: you have got a new team, however solely sometimes. Tickets are on sale now.

4. It’s not precisely the Old Firm

One of the principle points of interest of a second Kiwi aspect is the concept they might forge with the Warriors a gripping new rivalry, establishing two blockbuster derbies every season.

But significantly, have you ever met New Zealanders? We do not do rivalries. It’s exhausting sufficient to assist your individual team; hating one other looks as if an excessive amount of trouble.

Super Rugby derbies are derbies in title solely. Aside from a little animus between Auckland and Christchurch, a vestigial flicker from the times when that was a first rate rivalry, Kiwis make it simple to overlook that fan is brief for fanatical.

Away supporters do not journey to video games, and in the event that they did, would encounter solely hospitality. Very few could be severely overwhelmed outdoors the stadium.

This extends to gamers, too. Maybe one purpose there’s a lack of pleasure in Super Rugby is that video games are devoid of spite. No spite means no petty tweets, which implies no grudges and no drama.

The similar could be true within the NRL. New Zealanders simply aren’t reduce out to hate issues, except these issues are public-health measures designed to maintain us alive.

5. NRL ought to go to PNG

Another obvious tick is that a second Kiwi team could be a boon for Pacific Island gamers, who kind a sizeable proportion of the NRL workforce.

But you understand what else could be a boon for Pacific Island gamers? A team based mostly within the Pacific Islands. Specifically, Papua New Guinea, a nation the place league is the nationwide sport and one with designs on successful an NRL aspect.

PNG’s bid has been backed by its prime minister and raised the concept of linking with Fiji, Tonga and Samoa to create a unified Pacific team.

The deserves of NRL enlargement basically are debatable. But there is not any query that league, like most sports activities, ought to attempt to increase globally.

And the place a new team in Wellington would probably be met by traditional Kiwi apathy, the sport-mad and sport-starved followers within the Pacific Islands – as seen not too long ago in Super Rugby – would undoubtedly embrace a new aspect.

Alternatively, have we thought-about sending them the Warriors?

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