Stronger NZ or stronger Pacific?

[Damien]

5 minutes ago, jpmc said:

What's the chances of the domestic game in NZ growing on the back of this world cup? 

I'd love to see the NRL fund a domestic national semi-professional Rugby League competition in New Zealand. It would be small change to them but could provide another source of players to the NRL whilst simultaneously boosting the game in New Zealand. The NRL and Australia take far more from New Zealand than they give back imo and they should do a lot more to help the NZRL, both in funding and resources, to develop the game in New Zealand.

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, jpmc said:

What's the chances of the domestic game in NZ growing on the back of this world cup? 

New Zealand at the very least need another franchise in the NSW cup. Preferably Christchurch. In preparation for an eventual NRL franchise.

[SilentAssassin]

New Zealand still have an excellent team on paper even without heritage players, one that has big time under achieved in this WC and should have made the semis and given Australia a good go at the very least.

 

[Guest]

A change of manger and the availability of players like Keiron foran, Jesse Bromwich, Kevin proctor and tohu Harris will see the kiwis drastically improve.

Add to this more gametime and NRL experience for the likes of Martin, DWZ, NAS and nikorima. Plus the emergence of exciting talent like Brandon smith and James Fisher-Harris.

[eal]

55 minutes ago, jpmc said:

What's the chances of the domestic game in NZ growing on the back of this world cup? 

None. Domestic Rugby League is a non-entity in New Zealand and always will be. A second NZ team in the NRL or NSW Cup is the best thing to aim for. To be honest the cursed Warriors have done a lot of damage to the code in NZ, and the Kiwis now being ###### and mismanaged isn't going help.

Rugby League in NZ will always have the stigma that it is the game for thick Maoris and Islanders who couldn't hack Union, and the Warriors haven't exactly helped eradicate this stigma. Younger NZers may not feel this way, but my parents generation certainly do.

[B rad]

4 hours ago, Damien said:

I'd love to see the NRL fund a domestic national semi-professional Rugby League competition in New Zealand. It would be small change to them but could provide another source of players to the NRL whilst simultaneously boosting the game in New Zealand. The NRL and Australia take far more from New Zealand than they give back imo and they should do a lot more to help the NZRL, both in funding and resources, to develop the game in New Zealand.

The thing is you would only need 8 teams, they could play each other 3 times in a season and get 21 rounds. The cream of the local crop and not only would it boost NZ, it would also boost other Pacific Islands. Juniors would be important. Apparently Australian schools teach a very strategic version of RL to their kids while New Zealand tend to rely on bash and barge. 

[kiwis 13 6]

On 11/25/2017 at 11:51 AM, eal said:

None. Domestic Rugby League is a non-entity in New Zealand and always will be. A second NZ team in the NRL or NSW Cup is the best thing to aim for. To be honest the cursed Warriors have done a lot of damage to the code in NZ, and the Kiwis now being ###### and mismanaged isn't going help.

Rugby League in NZ will always have the stigma that it is the game for thick Maoris and Islanders who couldn't hack Union, and the Warriors haven't exactly helped eradicate this stigma. Younger NZers may not feel this way, but my parents generation certainly do.

Always is a long time... domestic rugby league in NZ has had crowd support in the past with club grand finals drawing 10,000 in Wellington, Christchurch & even more in Auckland, Provincial Games drawn good crowds in the past as well.

[deluded pom?]

6 hours ago, kiwis 13 6 said:

Always is a long time... domestic rugby league in NZ has had crowd support in the past with club grand finals drawing 10,000 in Wellington, Christchurch & even more in Auckland, Provincial Games drawn good crowds in the past as well.

Do you think those kind of attendances could be achieved again if a national domestic league were to happen? 

[deluded pom?]

When Hull signed Kemble, Leuluai and O’Hara after the 1980 Kiwi tour I remember  reading about teams like Ellerslie Eagles, Mount Albert Lions, Manukau Magpies, Glenora Bears, Otahuhu Leopards etc. Are these clubs still around in any way , shape or form?

[kier]

1 hour ago, deluded pom? said:

When Hull signed Kemble, Leuluai and O’Hara after the 1980 Kiwi tour I remember  reading about teams like Ellerslie Eagles, Mount Albert Lions, Manukau Magpies, Glenora Bears, Otahuhu Leopards etc. Are these clubs still around in any way , shape or form?

They're all still going. There are local leagues all over the country so to say "non entity" is a  bit harsh.

The sports scene in NZ is incredibly diverse and it has to be remembered that a country of 4.5 million play A LOT of sports. No sport dominates the country in the way that football dominates in GB. In order to play at a high enough standard almost all sports play outside of NZ in Australian comps - and in every case this "super club" diminishes the local competition. Even RU isn't immune; the Super Rugby franchises have pushed the regional provincial sides firmly to the sidelines.

 

[deluded pom?]

Thanks kier.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I don't watch much rugby union but I caught the start of the Scotland v Australia game yesterday. Looking at the faces in the line up if you took the Pacific island players and players with that heritage out the Aussies wouldn't have a team at all.

[Guest]

51 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I don't watch much rugby union but I caught the start of the Scotland v Australia game yesterday. Looking at the faces in the line up if you took the Pacific island players and players with that heritage out the Aussies wouldn't have a team at all.

Or you could look at it the other way and say how good could Fiji, Tonga and Samoa actually be if they could keep hold of their players.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, walter sobchak said:

Or you could look at it the other way and say how good could Fiji, Tonga and Samoa actually be if they could keep hold of their players.

Very true, but obviously they have to go where the money is unfortunately.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Very true, but obviously they have to go where the money is unfortunately.

Exactly. Don’t some top14 sides have academies setup in Fiji to poach the best talent? Won’t be long until we see a France RU side stocked full of Fijians.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, walter sobchak said:

Exactly. Don’t some top14 sides have academies setup in Fiji to poach the best talent? Won’t be long until we see a France RU side stocked full of Fijians.

Maybe. I remember the French football team having a guy playing called Christian Karembeu from Polynesia. A really top class footballer.

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Maybe. I remember the French football team having a guy playing called Christian Karembeu from Polynesia. A really top class footballer.

Yep. World Cup winner born in New Caledonia which is a French territory I believe.

[deluded pom?]

21 minutes ago, walter sobchak said:

Exactly. Don’t some top14 sides have academies setup in Fiji to poach the best talent? Won’t be long until we see a France RU side stocked full of Fijians.

Not sure if it's genuine but don't they also have to make themselves available for France?

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, deluded pom? said:

Not sure if it's genuine but don't they also have to make themselves available for France?

I can’t honestly see that being a problem for these Fijians. Money talks.

[deluded pom?]

4 minutes ago, walter sobchak said:

I can’t honestly see that being a problem for these Fijians. Money talks.

Of course it does but it's still blackmail.

[Guest]

Just now, deluded pom? said:

Of course it does but it's still blackmail.

I know this is Union we are talking about but the way the top tier nations are treating the South Pacific nations is utterly disgusting. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, walter sobchak said:

I know this is Union we are talking about but the way the top tier nations are treating the South Pacific nations is utterly disgusting. 

I agree with you.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I agree with you.

The worrying thing for me is that if RL can start producing superstars from PNG and Fiji that the same thing can happen on a larger scale than it already does in RL.

[kiwis 13 6]

On 11/26/2017 at 8:43 PM, deluded pom? said:

Do you think those kind of attendances could be achieved again if a national domestic league were to happen? 

No. Not in the immediate future but you never know what can happen in the future though. These days local club grand finals get crowds of around 2,000 in the 3 main NZ cities. Provincial games at end of season get crowds of maybe 200 - 300 people. I think an NZ Semi Pro Comp could be set up but would be looking at crowds of couple hundred at games and Grand Final crowd with couple thousand. Still worth setting up to provide semi pro level for NZ based talent to play in...

[Damien]

22 hours ago, walter sobchak said:

I know this is Union we are talking about but the way the top tier nations are treating the South Pacific nations is utterly disgusting. 

This is a very interesting article about the Pacific Island nations and the contrast between how Rugby League and RU are going about things. It is very complimentary to Rugby League and its approach:

http://theniche-cache.com/nrl/2017/10/25/27fm-long-yarn-rugby-leagues-making-pacific-islands-moves