Where Should the Warriors Play?

The battle to home the Warriors in the near future is on. With doubts over the future of Mount Smart Stadium from 2016 onwards, Eden Park, QBE Stadium and Westpac Stadium have emerged as contenders to be home of the Vodafone Warriors for the near future.

Of course, the Warriors are fighting to stay at their spiritual home in Penrose having been there since inception in 1995 but Regional Facilities Auckland (RFA) and Warriors ownership are at loggerheads over the value of renovating Mount Smart Stadium into the world-class facility for $70 million dollars that the NRL wants for the Warriors.

Indeed, the RFA are saying that that money would be better spent upgrading QBE Stadium (North Harbour Stadium) into a partially enclosed stadium and then moving the Warriors there. Of course, whether a move to the white collar suburbs of the North Shore is palatable for the predominantly blue collar Warriors fan base from South Auckland remains to be seen.

Hence, Eden Park remains quite possibly the Warriors' likely long-term home from 2016. Eden Park is still looking to cover the cost of the redevelopment of the stadium and having the Warriors might very well help that while Auckland and the Blues struggle to fill out Eden Park. Plus with Eden Park accessible to the train network via Kingsland station, South Auckland fans would probably prefer a move to Mount Eden rather than Albany where a change to the buses will be necessary.

Of course, the 4th and most unlikely option is a move to Wellington and Westpac Stadium - already host to the Hurricanes, Wellington rugby and the Wellington Phoenix. Wellington does have a strong rugby league base in Wainouimata but Westpac Stadium is not exactly the greatest of venues for code and while it will get good crowds for Warriors games, whether it can host a season of Warriors games remains to be seen - remember the crowds for that Bulldogs game in 2004?

Ideally, a stay at Mount Smart would be great but I reckon if they don't stay there, Eden Park could be the Warriors' future.