fenster

Record crowds and tv viewing figures would agree with you.

Absolutely.

I think both the NRL and NZ2 bids teams are favouring a South Island team headquartered in Christchurch with maybe playing a few games in Dunedin. anothet ace a Christchurch based team could play is the amazing new 30k stadium that is currently being built.

Injuries to the roosters team have taken their toll unfortunately but the panthers would have won anyway playing like that.

I think the root causes of the decline of English pro RL is far way deeper than the signings of union players to be honest. some of the greatest ever British RL players came from rugby union and did so for nearly a century.

I don’t think it’s hyperbolic to state that the decision to include another New Zealand team into the NRL could be one of the biggest and most pivotal moments in the history of NZRL mostly due to the current standing of the NRL in terms of popularity and financial power but also because of the recent downward trajectory of both professional domestic RU competitions in New Zealand. This could be the making of RL in New Zealand and turning into the country’s #1 code.

Apparently panthers v roosters is sold out and dogs v sea eagles is close to 45k.

Sure they weren’t Allblacks but they were pretty decent union players who for the most part had decent league careers. if anything back in the early-mid 90’s English RL competition was a bigger pull factor and had the financial edge for NZ Union talent. interesting fact that I just recently found out about was that manly were close to signing zinzan Brooke in the early 90’s just after or around the same time they signed ridge which would have been massive and very interesting.

Interesting article. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/rugby/10-reasons-why-rugby-league-can-crush-rugby-union-gregor-paul/NZO7MHLPJ5G7BCZMCH4K5JHFHQ/

Daryl halligan, Eion crossan, John schuster, gavin hill, mathew ridge, Marc Ellis, John timu, John kirwan and mark carter.

Are Oldham going to be full time next year?

Well done James Graham. dogs v sea eagles is currently tracking 40k and hopefully should be around 45k on the day.

Makes you wonder where the domestic game in Australia&NZ would be had it all not happened? maybe even stronger than it is today and still with teams in Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane2?

The bears will need a decade or so to establish themselves within the Perth/western Australia population but will be a good draw in Sydney from the off I feel. not sure how league gets bigger in NZ without the addition of NZ2 to the NRL. I think the NRL today has just about over taken the winfield cup of the early 90’s although it was obviously a different era in which top RU talent from NZ was regularly plundered.

I had the warriors not making the playoffs and the broncos winning the grandfinal. lol i think both teams will be a force in 2-3 years time as long as they can keep hold of their young players and in the case of the warriors coach he starts picking them!!