I have given the Kiwis not coming to the Warriors a lot of thought over the years.
I think the biggest problem is stigma and history.
I won't self flagellate about our history, because we all have PTSD and don't need a blow by blow recap....lemme just say.....there is a lasting stigma from our joke of a past and our reputation for being a destination where good players like
RTS go to die....
RTS said it himself this cycle "come on guys you said all this stuff before about doing things differently..." he was talking about Cappy and
Webby when they met up to ask if he would come back.
I would go a step further, when you look at players like Benji Marshall, they almost have a sneer when the Warriors are mentioned, it's like they are pissed off that the New Zealand identity is tied to a club that has been a model of embarrassment, laziness, instability, and that greatest of sins for perfectionists
underachievement.
I knew NAS wasn't gonna come here, not unless we took the Storms 800k deal, NAS is another that gets a scowl on when his name and the Warriors are in the same conversation.
There is this thing too where it is like a sibling rivalry between ex New Zealand based players and their Kiwi bros at the Warriors, and this is partly driven by the fact that every time a Kiwi plays us, it doubles as a Kiwis trial (the selectors are watching) so there is this thing about proving your "Kiwiness" over the Warrior flogs who claim to represent us.
This phenomena can keenly be observed when say Samoan players choose the Kiwis, then play against Samoa, you see this sibling rivalry this "I am still the real Samoan" attitude coming across from our Kiwi Samoan men (NAS and Leotoa, and Ronaldo are classic examples of stomping your own).
Then there are the rejection sensitive dysphoria types. Or in lay terms, players scorned by the Warriors, guys who had trials and were overlooked like Isaac Luke, Shaun Kenny Dowel, and others, that talk about how they like to rub it in when the played the Warriors.
And the most famous case, the one I will rest my case on?
Ruben Wiki, he admitted openly that he made it his mission in life to destroy the Warriors when he played them.
James Fisher Harris famously was ignored by
Stacey Jones at a tournament iirc where he carved up.
Those last two names, are blokes who where either bumbled by the Warriors or outright ignored, yet they prove there is still hope....they both came home, but we arguably missed their peaks (not even arguably in the case of Ruben) and we had to pay overs to get them here.
James F H, is a unique case though, his return to New Zealand was culturally driven. Which is a phenomena the Warriors could tap into, by targeting New Zealand
māori players via Kaupapa
māori programs. This is a selling point that other NRL clubs will not have the same resources that we have in Aoteroa.
This approach, having Te reo
māori and reconnecting with roots styled programs on offer at the Warriors is something the club should invest in.
I would begin with offering cultural teaching to
māori men and women in this club and anyone else that wishes to learn.
That is step one. Steps two and so forth are replication with other cultures.
It sounds like a lot to take on, and it is, but the Warriors are uniquely placed to make arrangements with existing cultural providers. For example (without thinking this through, just spit balling) the Warriors could make an arrangement with a provider like Wananga Aotearoa.
Wananga provide the cultural expertise to the players, the players in turn attend Wananga inspire our youth programs as a give something back/mutually beneficial to both organizations.
This then costs the Warriors nothing but time and the Wananga get inside access to the Warriors organization and AUTEX as part of their work ready and work training programs.
The new Logan City arragement is using the same model.
They wanted their Poly diaspora inspired and supported via sports. So they chose the Warriors as the vehicle to their aspirational program.
The Warriors need to do the same in their own back yard, but this time flip the paradigm, where the sports organization is the one doing the asking, and leading the plan.
What about our European Pakeha and other groups? How do we make the Warriors more attractive and sustaining to them using culture?
I am not Pakeha so I cannot say, what it may look like is in a Country like this, being inclusive with all programs, so welcoming them to join in any cultural opportunities....and given there is free and unlimited access to Pakeha culture in this country, it may be you take a different approach.....like winning on the sports field, making peace with the Union crowd, becoming friends with the All Blacks......then stealing all their pakeha players ......
New Zealand men of all strains have a warped view of Rugby League, they see it through an All Blacks lense.
They think that because the All Blacks are number one, the League lot should be too.
They missunderstand the night and day differences in the two codes and the history of oppression of League, the tiny tiny player pool, the chronic loss of talent to Union and so forth.
So they judge the Warriors (and all other sports by the way, think ridiculous expectations at Olympic level) by an unfair gaze.
Ergo....the cure....to attract more Pakeha...maybe that you do a Netflix documentary on the oppression of League in New Zealand via the State and the Schools. Make a Hoop dreams quality docco, follow the kids, show the sports fields and how shit they are, the gang patches on the sidelines (although the ban ruins that idea) then show the NRL as a stark contrast with all the hooplah....then you flp the script by using the story of a skinny white boy trying to make it in League.....
Off contract and free to sign elsewhere for 2027: Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Freddy Lussick, Te Maire Martin, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Will be off contract and free to sign elsewhere for 2028 from November 1st, 2026: Mitchell Barnett, Erin Clark, Jett Cleary, Wayde Egan, Kayliss Fatialofa, Jackson Ford, Sam Healey, Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, Ali Leiataua, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Motu Pasikala, Adam Pompey, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
