Hayne fights in Auckland’s corner
The clock may be ticking on the Nines’ future in Auckland but one of rugby league’s biggest names has urged the NRL not to tinker with the tournament.
Eden Park will host he preseason event for the fourth time this weekend, although NRL boss Todd Greenberg has already indicated that it could be moved to Australia when the contract expires after next year’s edition.
The Nines was all-but sold out in 2014 but attendances have dropped each following year, with a crowd of around 30,000 predicted for the weekend.
But cross-code star Jarryd Hayne, who will skipper the Gold Coast Titans this weekend, says the City of Sails remains hugely popular venue among players. He sees the benefits of having all 16 NRL clubs in New Zealand to promote the game in a country dominated by rugby union.
"Three Nines weekends would be pretty cool. I don't know if the coaches are in for it but the players would have a lot of fun." Jarryd Hayne
‘‘I really feel it’s their [promoters Duco Events] concept. They started it so if it’s not broken why fix it,’’ Hayne said at the captain’s press conference.
‘‘We came here yesterday straight to see the fans at one of the local grounds and it’s great to see so many come out. We were there with the Broncos boys, the Tigers boys, and seeing different fans was awesome.
‘‘With New Zealand only having one team, to bring all the teams out here to celebrate the end of preseason, everyone loves playing Nines and it’s about having fun.’’
Hayne’s support for Auckland was was echoed by North Queensland captain Gavin Cooper, who hopes the addition of the former San Francisco 49er and his Cowboys team-mate Johnathan Thurston will help boost crowd numbers.
Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney have been mentioned as possible hosts but Cooper believes there is room for more than one Nines event. Although he would rather they be held in emerging league areas.
‘‘I’d like for it to travel around, maybe three weeks - one here, one in Darwin and one in Perth,’’ the back-rower said.
‘‘Three Nines weekends would be pretty cool. I don’t know if the coaches are in for it but the players would have a lot of fun.’’
Kiwi league legend Ruben Wiki is obviously partial to keeping the tournament in New Zealand.
But as he prepares to come out of retirement and lead the Warriors this weekend, the appeal of the tournament to young fans in particular has really hit home.
‘‘We did the club visits and the Kiwi kids to get rub shoulders with their heroes in the NRL,’’ Wiki said.
‘‘We’re trying to grow the game here in New Zealand and I think the Nines spectacle being here is the best thing for the game.’’
By far one of the biggest drawcards is Hayne, whose popularity skyrocketed off his move to the NFL in 2015.
The 28-year-old also had a brief stint with the Fijian rugby sevens team before signing with the Titans at the back-end of last season.
After a gruelling a off-season he’s hoping to reap the rewards at Eden Park.
‘‘It has been pretty tough, every pre-season is tough and not that enjoyable,’’ Hayne said. ‘‘The Nines celebrates the end of preseason and the start of business so I’m looking forward to having fun.’’
Hayne leads a Titans squad with a blend of youth and experience. But while tipping his former club Parramatta as a strong contender, he says the event is a lottery. ‘‘It’s nine minutes - if you get the bounce of the ball, anything can happen.
‘‘What I’ve been telling my guys is to go out there, play for each other and when it starts to hurt, try to stay up, because it’ll start to hurt early.’’