Forsyth Barr Stadium is keen to host any NRL team based in the South Island under the roof, but it appears chickens are being counted way too soon. Over the past few days, the Christchurch Orcas have been mentioned as a potential 20th team in the NRL, even going as far as club spokesman Sir Graham Lowe calling for discarded All Blacks coach Scott Robertson to be appointed as coach. It is expected the side would be based out of Christchurch’s new roofed stadium. With 12 home games, any franchise may look to spread a few games around and Forsyth Barr Stadium was more than willing to get on board. Dunedin Venues interim chief executive Rachael Jenkins said in a statement it was continually in discussion with a number of parties regarding a vast array of events. “We can confirm that rugby league is a sport we have a particular interest in bringing to Forsyth Barr Stadium,” she said. “We welcome the discussion around a 20th NRL franchise based out of the South Island. “Should this happen, we believe the only way that it could truly represent the entire South would be to host an agreed number of home matches at Forsyth Barr Stadium for the Otago region to truly embrace this new team.” It did not disclose whether it had been in direct conversations with the NRL or the Orcas. The Warriors have played two games at the stadium and was last at the venue in 2017, when the side lost to the Bulldogs in a NRL match. That match was a home game for the Bulldogs, transferring it to Dunedin to get a better crowd, with about 10,000 turning up. In 2013, the Warriors played the Brisbane Broncos in a preseason match at the stadium and won 16-10 in front of more than 15,000. If it did get a game, Forsyth Barr Stadium would be hopeful of a big crowd, buoyed by the big crowds the NZ Warriors have had in the past couple of seasons. The Christchurch City Council has been in discussion with the NRL, but nothing concrete has been decided. There are also two groups in Australia vying to become the the 20th team — Central Queensland and South-East Queensland. Media reports out of Australia said the 20th team would face an $A100 million ($NZ118 million) fee to enter the competition. No timeline has been given for a decision.
