Warriors coach Andrew Webster has expressed reluctance about a potential NRL expansion team in Christchurch, saying he values the nationwide support the club currently enjoys.
The comments came after the Warriors defeated North Queensland Cowboys 38-20 in front of a sold-out crowd of 25,365 at Te Kaha stadium, where the club played all three of its teams – first grade, reserves and women's.
"It's honestly the best I've seen," Webster said of the atmosphere. "I just struggle personally, because I really enjoy the fact that the top of the [country] to the bottom of the [country] are Warriors fans and they love their team."
The Warriors were known as Auckland Warriors for their first six years and that regional perception has been slow to change. The club's connection with fans across the country developed further after the team's Covid exile across the Tasman left supporters without home fixtures for almost two years.
Webster acknowledged the question ultimately belongs to Christchurch itself. "I suppose you have to ask Christchurch do they want to keep following the Warriors or do they want their own team?" he said. "There's no point putting the team in there, if everyone's still supporting the Warriors."
Warriors chief executive Cam George said the NRL would need to invest in New Zealand's domestic game to sustain a second team, noting "to underpin two teams, that would mean you're flying 12 teams to Australia every week".
Penrith Panthers coach Ivan Cleary, a former Warriors player and coach, warned a second team may undermine the Warriors' recent progress, saying "I definitely think we need to make sure the Warriors continue to get the support they need".
The Warriors finished second on the table and reached the semifinals in their best-ever 2023/24 campaign, winning 15 games. Webster said he feels the club has momentum: "We're making rugby league great in this country, and to clip our wings and halve what we're trying to achieve, I wouldn't be a fan of it."