Warriors on same level as AB's ?

http://xtramsn.co.nz/sport/0,,3816-2696295,00.html

It seems Mick Watson wants the warriors to be the national team, even more popular then the mighty All Blacks.

I dont like his chances.

Pretty optimistic thing to say really. The warriors have only been performing for a few years at club level and the Abs have a proud history of perfroming at the highest level.

hey'll never be on par with the AB's as there are a club team, plus the AB's have a 100 years of tradition & good results, where the warriors have had 3 years of being a good team on & off the field....


I can see the warriors being above super12 teams in levels of support

Yeah Fitzy but they need to win some titles first to match the likes of the mighty Crusaders and to a lesser extent the Blues.

The Warriors enjoy nationwide success because of the name change to New Zealand Warriors...most people outside of Auckland didn't give a toss about the Auckland Warriors..an Auckland based team with mostly Auckland players...you have the right to support whoever you want..the All Blacks are our national rugby team..the Kiwis are our national league team..the New Zealand Warriors are our team in the NRL.........it's yours GO THE WARRIORS!!!!!!!

I reread Mick Watsons comments in the Herald and I thought they conatained a certain amount of arrogance. The warriors haven't even won yet and he's trying to displace the Abs as the number one team in NZ. Mate concentrate on the task at hand. The abs get far larger crowds than the warriors do and I hope his comments were tongue in cheek although I doubt that they were.

The warriors are big right around the country, look at the crowds they get in wellington.

i think the comment that the all blacks never have to give away tickets says it all really
in saying that:

GO THE WARRIORS!

I remember hearing a little while ago that the All Blacks are the 2nd most well known national sports team in the world after the Brazilian soccer team. I don't think the Warriors are anywhere near that sort of status.

Saying that though, GO THE WARRIORS this weekend (and next hopefully).

The ABs have the best winning ratio of any team in international sport (something like 75%).

If the Warriors can match that over a long period of time (at least 20-30 years?) then they might have a claim to NZs #1 team.

I think these comments might have been taken out of context. Mick Watson has backed away from them now...

I don't know if they were taken out of context or not but I'm not surprised that Mick Watson has backed away from them because he was stupid to make them in the first place.

As much as I love the AB's there are at least 20 national teams playing football (you know the world's game) that are a lot more well known.

Yes I hardly think thats even close to accurate phil a, Jonos on the nose and thats just football teams

I dont think your 75% stat is relevant either Mutant, theres no Japan in the NRL for the Warriors to run over and Id be VERY surprised if any team in the NRL has a win record like that

Anyway...........with a growing Pacific Island community and the fact* that top NRL and State of Origin games are far more entertaining than any rugby test, I think the AB's should be looking over their shoulders


thats right fish_boy.............FACT

Warriors 28

Panthers 14

those basketball style passes have bought a new dimension to the game

True ampt, pity you didn't get some of them or your try tally would be the same

Go the NZ Warriors, gee they make your hair stand on end when they throw the ball around.

I think it's highly subjective to say either code is more enjoyable to watch Maestro. I think the most thrilling rugby (union or or league) match in recent memory was the Tri-Nations against the Wallabies in Aussie, we took a 23-0 lead inside 10 minutes then the wallbies came back and it seesawed like crazy until Lomu scored in the corner in the dying seconds to win it. Although the Raiders-Warriors was a heart racer too.

go the warriors!!!

Maybe Watson jinxed the warriors with his stupid comment.