South Island deserves team in NRL

OPINION: Isn't it high time the New Zealand Rugby League made a case for a second NRL franchise in New Zealand?

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing five of Canterbury's most famous Kiwis for an oral archive being set up at the NZRL's Auckland museum.

Lory Blanchard, John Bond, Mel Cooke, Jim Bond and Jim Fisher wore the famous black and white-vee jersey between the 50s to early 70s when players were paid 9 a week on tour.

They still follow the modern game and would love to see the Warriors win the NRL.

Jim Bond captained the Kiwis at the World Cup in 1968. He is adamant it's high time for a Southern Zone NRL team, based in Christchurch, with dairy giant Fonterra as its major sponsor.

His observation coincided with the naming of the Kiwis' 43-man train-on squad for the Four Nations tournament.

Stephen Kearney has the luxury of choosing 31 men from clubs involved in the NRL playoffs.

Almost every NRL side has a clutch of Kiwis-eligible players in their first grade or Toyota Cup under-20 squads.

Cast your eye over the Kiwis squad and you'll see a slew with South Island connections. Warrior Lewis Brown is a former Canterbury Bull, South Sydney's Eddy Pettybourne and St George-Illawarra's Jeremy Smith were born in Canterbury.

Warriors captain Simon Mannering grew up in Nelson. Canberra utility Bronson Harrison hails from Southland. See, the Mainland NRL side has a home grown forward pack already.

Other mainland young guns are progressing. Wing Matt Duffie joined the Storm from Auckland but played under Brendon and Russell Tuuta's tutelage at the Northern Bulldogs.

The Halswell Hornets have hooker Matt McIlwrick at the Canberra Raiders and backrower Fraser Alcock with the Cronulla Sharks.

Hornby product Rulon Nutira is also on the brink of stepping up to the Storm's first-grade forward pack.

Then there's West Coast centre Slade Griffin who's earned rave notices in Melbourne's age-group teams.

Every year a group of wide-eyed Canterbury hopefuls leave for NRL clubs. Would they have a better shot at glory if they didn't have to leave home?

No-one wants to undermine the Warriors but there are 15 Australian sides in the NRL now. Enough's enough. Consortia from Central Queensland and New South Wales' Central Coast are knocking on the door for expansion spots in 2013.

Yet Christchurch has a bigger catchment than Canberra or Townsville, let alone Rockhampton, Central Queensland's proposed base.

There is an appetite for top-level rugby league in Canterbury or 20,000 souls wouldn't have turned out in the freezing rain for the recent Warriors-Roosters' NRL game.

- © Fairfax NZ News