New Zealand conflict emerges over expansion battle

Conflict has erupted in New Zealand over the island nation's suitability to house an NRL expansion outfit.

The NRL are preparing to expand the competition, first to 18 teams in 2028, and then onwards to at least 19, and potentially 20 teams in the following seasons.

It comes after the Dolphins were added to the NRL ahead of 2023. They were the first expansion team to join in over a decade and a half after the Gold Coast Titans made it a 16-team competition.

A Papua New Guinea-based team are expected to be Team 18, with the NRL likely to make that announcement on this side of the New Year.

Perth, Queensland bids, and a second New Zealand team are the other teams reported to be in the mix for Team 19 when it is eventually looked at by the NRL, although the competition are unlikely to bring in two teams at the same time.

Despite that, Warriors' CEO Cameron George recently told News Corp that the nation simply wasn't ready for a second team, and that the notion of it could be still more than a decade away, with a local domestic competition the key before the NRL can look at another New Zealand-based team.

“My challenge to the NRL and for those that have got bids in is, we're trying to get more money invested in the game in New Zealand," George told the publication.

“At the moment, we've got five teams (NRLW, NSW Cup, Jersey Flegg, SG Ball and Harold Matthews) that sit underneath the NRL. For all five of those teams to compete in top line competition they have to travel to Australia. You can't play them locally because the level of competition isn't there.

“So our message to the NRL is if you're looking at New Zealand as an expansion opportunity, absolutely it's an opportunity.

“But it's going to take at least five to 10-years for the local game to be equal to Queensland Cup or NSW Cup (standard) because there's no use putting another team here, in Christchurch next week, next year or the year after and flying five teams over (to Australia) because that's 10 teams going over and back every week.

“It just can't be sustainable.

“So they're better off to say, in 2035 there's a second team in New Zealand, but between now and then we are investing and growing the game and taking over that country."

But it's not a view shared by all interested parties in New Zealand.

The three bids, as they stand, are the Southern Orcas out of Christchurch, and two separate South Island bids.

Former Kiwis coach Graham Lowe is the head of the Chirstchurch-based bid, and told Wide World of Sports' The Mole that it was 'ridiculous' to suggest the nation was ten years away from another team.

"It's ridiculous for them to say that New Zealand isn't ready for a second team for at least 10 years," Lowe said.

"I don't even know why they would say that - they have to realise it would be a massive boost for the game in this country.

"For years we got the rough end of the pineapple compared to rugby union but now things have changed. League is making huge inroads here. It's like having two supermarkets in town instead of one - the consumers benefit.

"Maybe the Warriors are scared."

Lowe also confirmed he held talks with NRL boss Andrew Abdo last week.

Perth were viewed as the favourite to be Team 19, or even Team 18 before Papua New Guinea became the clear front runner, but that has fallen by the wayside in recent times over financial issues in Western Australia surrounding the bid.