The Warriors are being lined up to play an NRL game in Napier. Photo / Getty Images
The Warriors are being lined up to play an NRL game in Napier. Photo / Getty Images
New Zealand rugby league side the Warriors could be playing in Napier next year as the city council moves to capitalise on the links made with the NRL last year.
Mayor Bill Dalton and council events manager Kevin Murphy both confirmed yesterday negotiations are taking place to secure another NRLmatch for McLean Park, where the Melbourne Storm played the St George Illawarra Dragons in July last year.
Mr Murphy said the feedback since that match has been that Hawke's Bay wants a match involving the Warriors, and that feeling would be the same now, after the Warriors three wins in a row, as it was four weeks ago.
To secure such a match, the council has as a first option negotiation the Warriors in the hope of having them play one of their home games outside Auckland, as was the case when the Warriors played Canberra Raiders in New Plymouth last month.
The second option is negotiating with an Australian club which may be prepared to play their home game against the Warriors in New Zealand, as happened when the Warriors played Canterbury Bulldogs in April.
The match at McLean Park last year was a "home" game for the Melbourne Storm, including Kiwis international and former Hastings Boys' High School rugby player Tohu Harris.
According to official NRL figures, the match attracted 14,532 spectators, the fifth-biggest crowd among the eight matches played that weekend.
Mr Murphy said there is an "appetite" for the Warriors to play in Napier, and added: "We are dealing with two three angles to achieve a game."
