Well, I'm very pleased to read Cameron George intends to fight for the Warriors' right to play at Mount Smart if they make this season's NRL finals.
Now, I don't know if you're aware of this but that is not a given. The NRL bosses control where the finals are played and they may actually be inclined to shift the game, or potentially games, to Eden Park because Eden Park has a larger capacity and would therefore generate more revenue.
The difference is actually quite significant. Mount Smart holds 26,000 people. If you add the extra seating, maybe you can squeeze in another 8000 or 9000 and take it to around 35,000. I'm not entirely sure what the final number would be but it's still well short of Eden Park's capacity of 55,000.
And Eden Park would almost certainly come close to selling out, if not sell out completely, if the Warriors made it through to a semifinal or grand final. The difference in takings could be as much as A$1.5 million a game.
The NRL does have form here. A couple of years ago, it forced the Cronulla Sharks to move to a larger venue. But Cameron George, I'm very pleased to say, has indicated he'll argue against any move because Mount Smart is the Warriors' home ground.
And there's logic to that. We know that teams have fortresses, right? That's what Eden Park is for the All Blacks. It's the familiarity of the venue. It's in their minds. It's the voodoo, whatever you want to call it, but it gives players and teams an edge when they're at home in familiar surroundings.
And when you go to Mount Smart for a Warriors game, you can feel it. You don't have to pick favourites here. I'm not saying Eden Park is better or Mount Smart is better, but you have to admit there's a different vibe at Mount Smart and it's one that belongs uniquely to the Warriors and their fans.
I'm a firm believer, and I've said this a million times, that sport needs to make money to survive. As a result, the commercial imperative matters. You have to think about the dollars.
But money can't come ahead of giving a team the best chance to win. And surely the best commercial decision is to win the game. If that is more likely to happen at Mount Smart, then that's where the Warriors should play.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
