League: Seven things to know about potential new Warriors owner Paul Davys

Paul Davys, Kiwi entrepreneur who has been tipped to buy the Warriors rugby league team. Photo / Supplied

The New Zealand Warriors could have a new owner within the next week, with Auckland businessman Paul Davys close to a deal to take over from Eric Watson.

Davys has confirmed to the Herald that he and Watson "are in a negotiating process at the moment" and is "hopeful we could announce something within a week".

Davys' name came out of the blue as a potential Warriors owner, with many observers knowing little about the man likely to take over the club.

Here are seven things to know about Davys.

1 Davys is a co-director of ChoiceKids, a childcare company with four centres in South Auckland. He co-owns the company with former Kiwis league international and player agent Peter Brown, and describes his role as "to develop the growth of the business and to maintain the company values".

2 Self-labelled as an entrepreneur, Davys has a background in sales and marketing, as well as management and banking.

3 Davys has had a heavy involvement in league at the local level. He used to coach the Howick Hornets, and was also the head coach of the Te Atatu Roosters. At both clubs he was in contact with NRL teams, with several of his players making the jump from the Auckland Rugby League competition and earning NRL contracts.

4 Davys has long-running connections with the NRL, previously being a recruiter for the Brisbane Broncos, tasked with - among other things - discovering and signing young talent.

5 His connection with Brown means Davys has a link to several current and former Warriors and Kiwis stars. Shaun Johnson is one of Brown's clients, as is young half Ata Hingano. Brown's cliental of over 40 players includes former Warriors Manu Vatuvei, Thomas Leuluai, Sam Rapira and Charlie Gubb, while Warriors assistant coach Stacey Jones was also on Brown's books.

6 Davys also has a link to one of Vatuvei's former endeavours, a charity foundation called "I Am Unstoppable". Through ChoiceKids, Davys helped sponsor events in South Auckland in 2015, with Vatuvei lending his name to the cause to combat issues such as youth suicide, depression and alcohol and drug abuse.

7 Those connections have solidified Davys' love for the side. "I have a huge passion for rugby league and see the ownership of the Warriors as both a privilege and a duty of care to the game in New Zealand. The Warriors is not just a business, it's the heart and soul of rugby league in this country and when the Warriors have done well the rugby league community has a spring in their step."