Exactly. Just because they're called Auckland doesn't mean that's only who they represent. It's more to do with that being where they come from in most cases. It's a bit of both though I'd say.

I would be disappointed if a team like Warrington werent targeting Cheshire and attempting to be the cheshire representatives in SL.

Though i would argue Les Catalans are a little different in that they are the Catalonia side, rather than the french side. But the principle holds that they place themselves as a Catalonian side rather than a perpignan side to tap into a wider area.

But it does in the case of Auckland NZ. Christchurch is on a different island, they have and would have very little connection to anything in Auckland. They are as far apart as Cornwall and Edinburgh

Expansion from NZ will likely come in the form of the 'Southern' Orcas covering Christchurch and the south island and the area around Wellington and the Warriors reverting to being the Auckland area side which would basically split the country in half with similar target markets for both.

The NZ Warriors reverting to the Auckland warriors prior to that doesnt seem to achieve much other than cut in half the area the warriors represent, cutting out half the country and not replacing it with anything better.

Christchurch are represented by South Island, aren't they? What you seem to be saying is that if it isn't NRL then NZ localities have no team. Like I said before, that's a bit like expecting Warrington to represent Cheshire for the benefit of people living in Widnes.

There are many teams who would claim to represent christchurch, at differing levels.

Im saying if the NZ Warriors place themselves as an Auckland side then there will be nobody in NZ outside Auckland represented in the NRL and I dont think that situation would be better. In fact I cant see an upside to that situation compared to what we have now.

And yes, I expect Warrington to place themselves as the cheshire team. Im not sure why they would want to place themselves as a purely Warrington side and exclude people from elsewhere in Cheshire. Im not sure of the relevance of Widnes. The Warriors place themselves as representatives of the whole of NZ for their benefit and secondarily the benefit of the game not the Orcas.

Are people in Widnes likely to support Warrington just because they are Cheshire's only SL side?

More so if Warrington placed themselves as a Cheshire side than a Warrington side. But you are asking a slightly different question.

Its more like 'if we had a pure franchise set up like the NRL would people from Widnes be more likely to support the Cheshire Wolves SL side or the Warrington Wolves SL side?'

What's wrong with them supporting Widnes Vikings?

nothing. They are free to do so. They could simply support Widnes vikings, or Widnes Vikings and Cheshire, or simply Cheshire. It would be their option and completely up to them, but we need to give them that option.

As we know, there are a sizeable proportion of fans who will only watch the game at the highest level. We also know there is a limited amount of clubs we can have in the top flight. Surely it is better (if Widnes were never to be promoted) that Warrington look at that fanbase which will only support the game at the highest level, and place themselves as a team which represents the whole of Cheshire (which includes the 2/3k fans who would support widnes in SL but not at lower league level) than them simply saying to the people in Cheshire but outside Warrington they have a choice between the lower leagues and nothing.

You haven't a clue how NZ works as regards support for sporting clubs , Christchurch would not be able to support an NRL club , any new Franchise will be in Wellington

Yes, thats what I said, the 'southern' Orcas, the club which is actually looking for an NRL franchise, the one based out of Wellington.

I havent anywhere said they should put an NRL club in Christchurch. I have simply said the people of Christchurch are more likely to support the NZ Warriors or the Southern Orcas than they are the Auckland Warriors or Wellington Orcas.

Was it when I said that you thought I said it should come out of Christchurch?

Sounds bonkers to me. If people in Widnes really didn't want to support Widnes Vikings they could support Warrington Wolves by virtue of them being a Cheshire SL. Re-branding them though?

Im not arguing Warrington should rebrand themselves as cheshire. They can certainly place themselves as a cheshire team. I would also say Warrington wasnt my example, and it isnt a particularly good example of what I was saying.

A closer example would be the difference between area represented by the New England Patriots if they rebranded as the Boston Patriots.

Fair enough I misread your post , however at the moment only people in Auckland follow the Warriors ( and RL in general ) , a new Franchise in Wellington could eventually work , but it would take a long time , they would not draw any support from Christchurch , or the South Island

Yes, I was using Warrington as they are closer to home and have a counterpart in a different competition which I thought might make it easier to see my point. What you were suggesting was that people in NZ have nobody to support, which isn't the case. They have teams to support, but if they are intent on supporting someone in the NRL then there is only one team, just like people in Cheshire have teams to support, but if they only want to support a SL club then it's Warrington Wolves. Personally if I wanted to watch NRL I'd just watch it as a neutral. I doubt I could support a club that I had no real affiliation with and weren't actually based in my locality just because they were the only NRL team in my country.

In NZ the only ' real ' support for any RL is in Auckland , outside of the immediate area of that City , nobody is too bothered , this has always been the case

You're locality is relative though. If there is a club in every parish then people will support their local parish. If there is a team in every city then you will support your local city, if there is a team in every county then you support your county, if there is a team in every country you support your county.

It seems an odd, deliberate decision to make not support anyone rather than support the club which represents you because its too far away from where you live.

20k watched England V NZ at the Westpac in Wellington last year, 20k watched NZ warriors play the roosters at the AMI in Christchurch last year, 10k for a trial match in Hamilton in 2009. Im not sure what we gain by doing the game down.

For an individual event , or an International then yes you will draw a crowd , but Union is king in NZ , you won't change that for decades , the main interest in League in NZ is from the Island community , only where those communities are large have you a chance of growing RL in NZ as a spectator sport , I'm not ' doing the game down ' , I'm just telling you how it is

There are only 12 home games a season, every home game is an 'Event'. Union is king in NZ, nobody denies that. Doesnt mean there isnt space for 2 pro RL sides.

Without doubt if they can find enough sponsorship in Wellington it could work eventually , but it would take a long time IMO

Should the Broncos have been branded "Southern" and not "London" then to capture all the southern regions of the country?
The Dragons "France/French" and not "Catalans"?
Welsh Crusaders?
East Riding Rovers?
South Yorkshire Eagles?

It's good to have a wide area to draw support from, yes. But sometimes if you try and draw a big area, the central market place (in the immediate locality of the club) feel less of a connection to the club. Then again, if you draw it too small, you struggle to get people outside of the locality to be connected. It's a balancing act. It's what stops teams being called "St Michael's Lane Rhinos" or "Earth Rhinos" (although I know there was an Earth Titans, but that was a sponsor!).

I really don't think that that many people from Christchurch have an attachment to the Warriors, and I don't think of the ones that do, them being called Auckland would have affected the decision of many.

On the contrary, I'd say it would be odd for Widnes residents to support Warrington Wolves over Widnes Vikings simply because they play at a higher level or in a competition with more prestige and happen also to play in Cheshire. Of the 2 sides, Widnes Vikings certainly represent Widnes more than Warrington do and a decision to support Widnes could hardly be construed as deciding to not "support the club which represents you because its too far away from where you live".

They are 'Harlequins' Im not sure where you think 'harlequin' is. And i would hope our plans for the entire southern region stretch further than a single token team.
You mean like they are Les Catalans Dragons rather than Perpignan Dragons?
Crusaders and Celtic Crusaders rather than Bridgend or Wrexham Crusaders? Placing themselves as the Welsh team rather than the Wrexham team?
Well no, simply because there are about 5 people in East Yorkshire outside of Hull.
Maybe.

Earth Rhinos wouldnt make sense because they would play other clubs also based on Earth. Leeds Rhinos represent a very large area but as soon as you step out of Leeds there are competition like Bradford, Wakefield, Castleford, Huddersfield. Thats why they are 'Leeds' and not Headingley or St Johns Parish sides anymore. This is why the whole of Wales is available to Crusaders, The whole of Catalonia is available to Les Catalans and the Whole of NZ is available to the Warriors.

So why do you think they changed? and why do you think if nobody in Christchurch has an attachment to the Warriors the Warriors play games there and get about 20k watching them?

But this is your statement, yours to justify. What benefit would there be to changing the one NRL side NZ has to one which only represents Auckland and not the rest of NZ?

you are confusing the question again. Its not about getting Widnes fans to support Warrington. In fact, my argument was that Widnes fans (read Wellington and Christchurch RL fans) would be less likely to support a Warrington (read Auckland) SL side than they would a Cheshire (read NZ) side.

The decision they would need to make is whether to watch Widnes in the lower leagues with no P+R and a franchise system like the NRL, or watch 'Cheshire' in SL. Why would you expect them to choose Widnes rather than Cheshire? Do you expect people from Scholes to support St Pats instead of the Warriors?