Aussie legend comes out of retiremant to play in NZ Nines

Looking forward to the Nines next month...the Kiwis are onto a winner here to rival the Wellington Sevens...

 

Pity the Aussies did'nt think of it first as it's touted to be bigger than Origin...Big prizemoney on offer and the tournament sold out months ago...

 

They're saying that Origin is getting stale being so one sided with Queensland winning it all the time so the Auckland Nines is getting big raps as something new and fresh...a great innovation ....just what the sport needs to grow it's fanbase...

 

....the Auckland Nines will connect NRL clubs with the grassroots of rugby league like never before.

Each of the 15 teams will visit a local club in a ground-breaking initiative that will see players mix and mingle with children and diehard fans...

 

Aussies must agree that this is the future as they have canned their All Stars game in favour of the NZ tournament... and stars like former Rooster NSW rep and Kangaroo Brad Fittler are also adding interest by coming out of retirement ...Fittler one of the games greats...

....good for Roosters fans as no doubt SBW (voted 2013 International player of the year and Dally M award recipient 2013)will also be in the mix of players participating...

 

 

There is also talk of teams eventually being introduced from England, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga in future and maybe even South Africa will have a competitive team that will make it into the comp...

 

No doubt that the Kiwis are on to a winner here and kudos for a great concept that should give league a great boost in the popularity stakes....

 

@brycy,

9s IMO is leagues weak attempt to have something to combat the rising popularity of sevens.

i cant see this being a success, even with legends like freddy coming back into it and all.

origin might be getting stale, but it went through same patches when NSW were the dominant team and i dont think anything will surpass origin in terms of popularity, i mean its two aussie states yet its an internationally watched fixture.

will eventually die out like it did back when they first tried to bring in the 9s or whatever that that format was a few years back.
i would much rather watch the all stars vs indigenous game they had at the start of the year.

Ticket sales for day one -- 47000
Ticket sales for day two-- 47000

I'll hold back on the criticism .

 Sas...my sympathies...i can see how someone having to live in Oz is unable to share the same enthusiasm as someone living here where we can watch the Nines all live on our home grounds,...easy to be negative but i'd reserve my judgement about how good it is til after the event ...not sure how anyone can't be excited by 31 action packed games though...

 

...not everyday that the NRL comes to the home parks of grass roots league to inspire and mix with the young fans and future Kiwi league reps of tomorrow...helpful if we're to compete with the World Champs ...

 

...questionable i know to say it could be better than Origin but from a financial perspective it's projected to be bigger.... and also it does'nt drag out over two months like Origin...it all happens over one weekend like the Sevens adding to the appeal and demands of a modern society bent on instant gratification....only Queenslanders that are interested in a one sided Origin these days anyway is'nt it?...

 

Dunno wether Fittler is even wise to risk putting his body on the line at his age ...more of a novelty than a drawcard and many are saying he should make way for someone younger but i hear he;s played the odd charity match so not totally washed up as yet...

 

...and you can still watch that All Stars vs Indigenous game - it's just been postponed til a later date...

 

 

 

@brycy,

didnt know that the all stars had been postponed til a later date, but im a little suspicious it will happen at all, cos i havent heard anything regarding a date.

once the NRL starts, there wont be any time until middle of september, and thats when the four nations wont be too far away from starting.
hope it does happen though, All stars game has been one of my favourite league events the past 4 years and 2013 in particular was a real beauty.

im not too sure why im against the 9s so much, losing the all stars game was a big reason, but seeing the 9s come before in the past and fail is prob the biggest reason.

IMO league should have done more to help the 13 man code expand, cos outside of england, oz and NZ, league is non existent and 9s isnt going to do anything to change that.

any idea where i can get the teams squad list??? would like to check out some of the participants.

 Sas...as stated above the Nines will eventually be looking to expand to include other international teams so plenty of potential there for advancing the game on a global scale... what better way to showcase the sport???

 

... and no better place to start than here in the Pacific with the exciting brand of league our PI neighbours are capable of...

 

...especially given the number of Fijians, Samoan and Tongan players currently playing in the NRL...

 

Some of the best league players on the planet like Hayne (Fijian), Folau (Tongan) and SBW (Samoan) are examples of players that are of those heritages...Remember Kevin Iro ?? (Cook Islands)...

 

...but you have to learn to walk before learning to run and hopefully this little acorn of a comp can grow into a mighty oak... and all those cliches lol..

 

...hoping anyway that once it kicks off , other countries will be lining up to be involved and it will snowball from there and there'll be spin off effects benefiting the 13 man code...

 

...don't think the teams have been named yet but there is a requirement for the 16 clubs to provide some of there best players...what better preseason training could there be with the added incentive of a big fat cheque at the end of it...?

 

...mate get excited ...it's gunna be BIG!

 

 

@brycy,

still not sold on the idea, but ur posts make me a lot more excited about it.

i still doubt its ability to grow into something more, for many many reasons that i havent even begun to name, but que sera sera i guess.

will it include international teams??? or clubs from around the wolrd??? clubs would make a lote more sense IMO, a kind of revised version of the FA cup, but i will be interested to see how this pans out

and go the dragons and the warriors, :o)