League: Stephen Kearney would get three years to prove his worth, says prospective owner

Warriors head coach Stephen Kearney during Warriors training at Mount Smart. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Prospective Warriors owner Richard Fale says he'll give coach Stephen Kearney and chief executive Cameron George three years to continue their work if his Tongan-US consortium take over the NRL club.

Fale's group are close to clinching a deal in the coming days, although the Auckland Rugby League are due to submit their own revised bid early next week, with a third group of Waikato-based businessmen backed by Chinese investors, and a fourth mystery party also in the running.

Earlier this month, Fale was threatening to sue the ARL for stealing his group's ideas, after the two parties initially explored a potential partnership. He is yet to formally extend an olive branch but insists he's open to reconnecting with the ARL.

"Of course. We love friends," Fale said. "I don't know what the issue is. It's like 'come on guys, just get on board'. It's that simple. This little turf stuff, it's like being in the sandbox when you're six-years-old.

"If they were able to put forward a plan that would carry the Warriors into the future, we would be the first ones on board with them saying 'you lead, we'll follow'."

However, the Herald on Sunday understands the main stumbling block to a partnership is the fact both parties want a controlling share, with neither side open to anything less.

Fale insists he is prepared to provide the ARL with whatever funds they require and would happily cover the costs of Auckland's junior rugby league development systems.

"We told them 'what you guys want, we'll fund it'. If you're struggling financially with the resources that you have, put it down, we'll take care of it."

That's all news to ARL chairman Cameron McGregor, who remains adamant they are in a strong position to buy the club outright.

"I'm sure that we're their preferred buyer, that's for sure," said McGregor.

"Richard Fale has never offered to pay anything for the Auckland Rugby League and do any player development. None of that was ever discussed, and as far as we're concerned, they weren't interested in Auckland Rugby League at all.

"Of course we'd never say never [to a partnership] and any person that buys the Warriors, if they don't have a plan to develop grassroots rugby league, they'll have to answer some hard questions at the NRL."

Meanwhile, Fale denied the club would undergo great upheaval if his bid is successful, reiterating his support for Kearney and George to continue, while Jim Doyle's presence in an advisory capacity is required.

"Steve Kearney, similar with Cameron George, we're going to place the organisation in their hands and empower them to carry forward with where they want to take the team.

"Then when the data comes back, we'll make decisions from there, but you have to give them time and in the US, standard time is about three-years. We see [Jim] as a key guy. As part of the deal, it's required he has to stay on for at least 18 months to bridge us over the gap."