Are the Warriors Off to the Garden of Eden?

It has emerged in recent days that the Warriors may not be based at Mount Smart in the near future. The Auckland Council is currently reviewing its sports venues in the city and is looking to try and consolidate its facilities so that they can make a profit out of them.

Sources: http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-sport/6933935/Warriors-could-clash-with-speedway-at-Mt-Smart

In fact one of the options mooted for the Warriors' current home is the construction of a speedway track at Mount Smart Stadium, the Warriors' only home ground in their history not including one-off games taken nationwide. This speedway would in effect replace Western Springs Speedway.

That would require quite a bit of work as the current layout of the stadium doesn't allow  for a speedway track. However, would the Warriors allow a speedway to be built at Mount Smart? Or rather would the Auckland Council want the Warriors based at Mount Smart, and have them based at the city's premier football stadium in Mount Eden - in effect making it a trade with speedway as Mount Eden is pretty close to Western Springs.

I have to admit though that Auckland currently has far too many stadiums that are a bit underused in the area: currently there's Eden Park, Mount Smart Stadium, North Harbour Stadium, Waitakere Trusts Stadium, Growers Stadium in Pukekohe, etc.

Given the size of Auckland and the historical regions, North Harbour, Waitakere Trusts and Growers are unlikely to be scrapped and are ideal really for their purposes. Furthermore, we can't really expect North Harbour and Counties Manukau to play at Eden Park.

However, given the massive turnout for the Warriors at Eden Park, is it not a bad idea to maximise the Warriors' massive standing amongst the New Zealand sporting public by basing them at a proper rugby ground? Maybe the Blues and Auckland rugby might protest and say that by having rugby week in week out in winter, the pitch would be absolutely destroyed.

However, let's be honest, Mount Smart Stadium is a bit of a dump, an aging relic from a different time and a bit of a sham compared to the new grounds popping up in the NRL, i.e. Skilled Stadium on the Gold Coast, AAMI Park in Melbourne. It was built for the 1990 Commonwealth Games, then converted for the Warriors and was great in the club's infancy. But with the Warriors looking to take itself to the next level, it might be time to get a new brand spanking home. And unless they develop Mount Smart to take it to the next half century - which I can't really see the Auckland Council doing - Eden Park has got to be the next best option.

Mind you, the Broncos share Suncorp Stadium with the Reds, heaps of Sydney based NRL clubs share the SFS with the Waratahs & the Storm share AAMI Park with the Rebels.

Why can't the Warriors share Eden Park with the Blues?

Granted, Mount Eden isn't traditionally a league stronghold in Auckland; that's Penrose & South Auckland where Mount Smart is. But times have changed and Auckland's sport is fairly homogenous now - heck, soccer is now being played in Ponsonby, a traditional union stronghold. Plus it's not the Penrose Warriors, nor is it the Auckland or New Zealand Warriors. The Warriors have become a brand on its own in New Zealand and it matters squat where they play - just as long as they win.