Andrew Webster, coach of the Warriors, has cautioned the NRL against implementing a second team from New Zealand into the league.
There's been talk about the potential introduction of a second Kiwi team, possibly centred in Christchurch.
With the Warriors enjoying significant success lately, drawing large crowds at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium, Coach Webster fears that adding another New Zealand team could dampen the current excitement surrounding the Warriors.
"I really do hope that we keep one team in New Zealand for a lot longer, just keep making this product even better," Webster said via Nine Media.
"People would say I'm being biased and that I'm holding back the rest of the country, but I think it doesn't matter where you are in New Zealand right now, they want to go home and watch the Warriors.
"I think the community, from the top of the country down to the bottom, is behind the Warriors, so I don't know why we need to ruin that.โ
Super Rugby director Matt Barlow has arranged the semi-final between the Chiefs and Hurricanes in Wellington for Saturday afternoon, aiming to prevent a scheduling conflict with the Warriors-Storm match in Auckland.
"The finals schedule has some flexibility around time slots, so we looked at all sporting action taking place across the weekend to ensure we're giving fans the opportunity to enjoy as much sport as possible," Matt Barlow said.
