Moana Pasifika Super Rugby - Red flag for any NRL Pasifika team

[Bradman Better]

Pasifika team is a very dumb idea. The different Pacific islands each have their own identity. And Samoa and Tonga have no financial base that I can see. The Samoa and Tonga World Cup teams are 100% heritage teams. The same is true for the Cook Islands, which given its meagre population of 19.000 should never even have a team in the World Cup.

The best move for the 18th team, which the NRL wants to enter the NRL soon, would be a second NZ team. That would be great for the game in New Zealand because of the local derby aspect. To do that would be to learn from the success of the Dolphins in Brisbane in attracting new fans to games.

Roosters Chairman and influential NRL voice Nick Politis has urged moving to a 20 team NRL by 2032. I agree. But the logical choices for teams would be first a second NZ team, then Perth, and then Adelaide.

After that separate teams from PNG and Fiji would make sense. Neither Samoa nor Tonga have the population nor the economy to sustain any teams in the NRL.

[Keith989]

39 minutes ago, Damien said:

It was the same crowd who had previously failed to buy the Warriors wasn't it? There didn't seem much substance to any of it.

I think that's right yes. They seemed to be all talk. If I remember correctly they never even consulted anybody in Hawaii about using the stadium when they launched their bids. The group isn't trustworthy. 

[Yakstorm]

10 hours ago, Mr Frisky said:

To be fair I think the Aussie NRL clubs put up with 1 NZ team, because they have to - NZ Warriors just don't bring anything to the value of the comp as NZ doesn't have the money the Aussies have and its a long way to go as well for the Aussies. No chance they would support a 2nd NZ team.

The Sky NZ deal for the NRL, which is dependent on the Warriors existing, is worth AUD32m per year.

The Fox & Nine deal is AUD240m + AUD115, which equates to 22.2m across the 16 Australian clubs.

Naturally you could argue that the Australian clubs contribute to the value of the Sky deal, but you could argue the Warriors also drive up the value of the Australian deals.

Warriors are also one of the top 5 clubs in terms of merchandise sales and the club attracts significant corporate investment.  They also can draw some significant crowds when they have a little bit of success. 

They bring plenty to the game, especially financially, hence why they are in the competition. They're not there out of pity.

[Oxford]

1 hour ago, Bradman Better said:

Pasifika team is a very dumb idea. The different Pacific islands each have their own identity.

I couldn't agree more, it smacks of merger and we all know how that worked out.

[Pulga]

11 hours ago, Mr Frisky said:

To be fair I think the Aussie NRL clubs put up with 1 NZ team, because they have to - NZ Warriors just don't bring anything to the value of the comp as NZ doesn't have the money the Aussies have and its a long way to go as well for the Aussies. No chance they would support a 2nd NZ team.

Quite the opposite. Their TV deal is really good, viewing figures are really good, so much talent comes from NZ that all clubs have talent scouts there and the Warriors sell more branded merch than any NRL club.

[Pulga]

40 minutes ago, Yakstorm said:

The Sky NZ deal for the NRL, which is dependent on the Warriors existing, is worth AUD32m per year.

The Fox & Nine deal is AUD240m + AUD115, which equates to 22.2m across the 16 Australian clubs.

Naturally you could argue that the Australian clubs contribute to the value of the Sky deal, but you could argue the Warriors also drive up the value of the Australian deals.

Warriors are also one of the top 5 clubs in terms of merchandise sales and the club attracts significant corporate investment.  They also can draw some significant crowds when they have a little bit of success. 

They bring plenty to the game, especially financially, hence why they are in the competition. They're not there out of pity.

You've beaten me to it.

[eal]

Does rugby league even have infrastructure in Samoa and Tonga? Rugby Union actually has infrastructure in these countries. Having an Australian Pasifika team in the NRL isn't going to change any of the realities on the ground in Samoa and Tonga.

Edited April 6, 2023 by eal

[Davo5]

5 hours ago, Yakstorm said:

The Sky NZ deal for the NRL, which is dependent on the Warriors existing, is worth AUD32m per year.

The Fox & Nine deal is AUD240m + AUD115, which equates to 22.2m across the 16 Australian clubs.

Naturally you could argue that the Australian clubs contribute to the value of the Sky deal, but you could argue the Warriors also drive up the value of the Australian deals.

Warriors are also one of the top 5 clubs in terms of merchandise sales and the club attracts significant corporate investment.  They also can draw some significant crowds when they have a little bit of success. 

They bring plenty to the game, especially financially, hence why they are in the competition. They're not there out of pity.

He obviously meant apart from all those positives,they bring very little to the table

[Davo5]

16 hours ago, Mr Frisky said:

To be fair I think the Aussie NRL clubs put up with 1 NZ team, because they have to - NZ Warriors just don't bring anything to the value of the comp as NZ doesn't have the money the Aussies have and its a long way to go as well for the Aussies. No chance they would support a 2nd NZ team.

A long way to go has Auckland moved ?

[Mr Frisky]

15 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

A long way to go has Auckland moved ?

Your correct as ever Davy, its only a 3 and a half hour flight so with waiting time and connections its only a day each way - about the same time as it takes to drive from Barra to Workington

[Davo5]

Just now, Mr Frisky said:

Your correct as ever Davy, its only a 3 and a half hour flight so with waiting time and connections its only a day each way - about the same time as it takes to drive from Barra to Workington

3 hrs actually,20 mins longer than Sydney to Townsville,maybe the NRL should kick the Cowboys out of the comp as it’s also too far.

That must be the other Workington your referring to,the one with the thriving steel industry you keep mentioning.

[Mr Frisky]

36 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

3 hrs actually,20 mins longer than Sydney to Townsville,maybe the NRL should kick the Cowboys out of the comp as it’s also too far.

That must be the other Workington your referring to,the one with the thriving steel industry you keep mentioning.

So has Chappel Bank- the old British Steel works ever closed down or got rid of its workforce? - sorry lad though it had never closed and was infact expanding again at the moment.

It was always 3 and a half hours when I used to fly that route - you do realise it takes longer flying one way than the other don't you - i know your intense Wikipedia investigation doesn't take that into account though....

[JonM]

1 hour ago, eal said:

Does rugby league even have infrastructure in Samoa and Tonga? Rugby Union actually has infrastructure in these countries. Having an Australian Pasifika team in the NRL isn't going to change any of the realities on the ground in Samoa and Tonga.

Depends what you mean by infrastructure - they certainly have clubs, leagues, coaches, referees etc. The main stadium used by rugby union in Samoa (Apia Park) was mostly paid for by the Chinese government, and doesn't actually belong to the Samoan Rugby Union. I assume the stadium in Tonga is also a government facility rather than one by the local rugby union.

[Davo5]

39 minutes ago, Mr Frisky said:

So has Chappel Bank- the old British Steel works ever closed down or got rid of its workforce? - sorry lad though it had never closed and was infact expanding again at the moment.

It was always 3 and a half hours when I used to fly that route - you do realise it takes longer flying one way than the other don't you - i know your intense Wikipedia investigation doesn't take that into account though....

They don’t use Sunderland flying boats these days lad and it’s still not a long way to travel for a professional sports team.

Edited April 6, 2023 by Davo5

[Sports Prophet]

I think a Pacifica NRL team is a terrible idea and the only thing worse than that idea is basing any such team in Aus or NZ.

A Pacific league has tremendous value and would be reasonably cheap basing it out of each nation. You could probably make it fully professional in each of PNG, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and Cooks and still do it on the cheap. Include the Warriors U/19s and a second NZ ancademy and you have real development pathway on the ground in each of those nations. I reckon the Aus and US governments would buy into it as well, because it will be delivering positive social outcomes in each country.

[The Daddy]

1 hour ago, Sports Prophet said:

I think a Pacifica NRL team is a terrible idea and the only thing worse than that idea is basing any such team in Aus or NZ.

A Pacific league has tremendous value and would be reasonably cheap basing it out of each nation. You could probably make it fully professional in each of PNG, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and Cooks and still do it on the cheap. Include the Warriors U/19s and a second NZ ancademy and you have real development pathway on the ground in each of those nations. I reckon the Aus and US governments would buy into it as well, because it will be delivering positive social outcomes in each country.

I agree with this mostly, the government funding that would be put into a Pasifika team should go into a Pasifika or Pacific League which someone suggested earlier. 

I wouldn't include a Warriors U19 or second string team in the league though.