Stability and long-term vision were the two main themes to come out of today's official announcement confirming the Carlaw Heritage Trust and Autex Industries as the new owners of the Auckland-based NRL club.
As reported by the New Zealand Herald yesterday, the joint partnership was successful in purchasing the Warriors from long-time owner Eric Watson for a cut-price rate of less than $18 million.
News of the deal was first reported by the Herald on Sunday and today's formal announcement confirmed Autex will take a 33% ownership stake in the partnership to run the Penrose-based franchise.
"Today is a very happy day for us obviously but the emphasis is that we're here for the long term," said Carlaw Heritage Trust and Auckland Rugby League chair Cameron McGregor.
"It has been a long hard process but we've persevered and we always believed in our position.
"We want to bring stability to the club and I'm sure that with Autex and ourselves we will provide that."
Throughout a drawn out sale process that began last August, Watson was reportedly seeking $24 million for the Warriors from a rival Tongan-US consortium. It's believed Watson eventually agreed to sell to the trust and Autex, as they made the highest cash offer and offered the brightest future for the club.
Preventing the loss of talented juniors to other codes and rival NRL clubs and improving development pathways are both high on McGregor's agenda, along with reconnecting the Warriors with local Auckland clubs.
"We've been losing a lot of our youngsters and we see this as an opportunity long-term to re-establish the pathways in the game so that the under 6s playing out there have a vision to play right through to the professional sport in the NRL," he said.
"Having the club scene in Auckland on board with the Warriors, has not been the best – those are the areas that we would like to come in and help."
Watson acknowledged the decision to sell the club he first bought in 2000 was difficult, but believes the ownership change will benefit both the Warriors and New Zealand rugby league.
"The decision to sell was not an easy one and although I will always be a passionate supporter of the club, I believe the time is right to hand the club over to a new owner," said Watson.
"It is particularly pleasing to see the club formally become part of rugby league's local governing body and administrator. The new owner is certainly passionate about the game and, with the addition of the club, it is now genuinely placed to support and grow rugby league from its grassroots through to what is the pinnacle of the sport's international club competition."
The new owners are now working to establish a seven-person board consisting of four members from the Carlaw Heritage Trust, two members from Autex, and one independent appointee.
McGregor is expected to fill the chair seat vacated by departing executive chair and former Warriors managing director Jim Doyle, who has sold his 10% stake in the club.
Autex owner Mark Robinson and managing director Robert Croot will fill the board positions allocated to the Avondale-based manufacturing group, while Warriors CEO Cameron George is a contender to become the independent appointee.
That's where the major changes will end apparently – for now at least - with McGregor and Robinson both voicing strong support for both George and Warriors coach Stephen Kearney to continue in their jobs.
"I hope so because they're doing a really good job at the moment and there's a bit of stability there," said Robinson.
"You've got to give a coach a little bit of time and we've seen that with other clubs that keep swapping coaches and it doesn't really work."
McGregor echoed that sentiment and made it clear he won't be looking to micro-manage or interfere with George's handling of the club's business.
"The running of the day-to-day operations is certainly going to be with Cameron," he said.
"We have no desire to come in and make any immediate changes. We're here to support Cameron and his team in what they're doing now and we certainly wouldn't envisage [changes]."
The pair also downplayed the prospect of former Warriors CEO Wayne Scurrah and former Kiwis coach Graham Lowe – who previously part-owned the club during the Tainui era (1999-2000) – re-entering the organisation despite both having being involved in the bid an advisory capacity.
"It will be up to the new board what happens from here in and certainly there have been no promises made at this point in time," said McGregor.
Warriors players and club staff were briefed about the change in ownership by Robinson and Groot before the news was confirmed publicly, ahead of Saturday's home game against Wests Tigers at Mt Smart Stadium.
Kearney maintained the issue had not been an distraction for his players and is optimistic about where the new owners can lead the club.
"It hasn't really bothered me and if it's not a distraction for me it hasn't been for them," said Kearney.
"(The new owners) are people that know our game, and are in our game, and they see what we're trying to do and that's a real positive."
