NRL: Scurrah leads bold move to Eden Park

Wayne Scurrah. Photo / Getty Images

Chief executive Wayne Scurrah admitted he had put his "nuts on the line" by deciding to take the Warriors' opening match of the 2011 NRL season against Parramatta Eels to Eden Park.

Scurrah's comments were in regard to the financial risk and potential reward of staging a match away from the club's traditional Mt Smart home, but the poor crowd behaviour that marked the Four Nations double header was the major talking point at yesterday's announcement.

That event attracted a bumper crowd of 44,500, but was marred by fighting and bottle throwing. Scurrah was confident there would be no repeat of such behaviour despite a planned 7.30pm Saturday night kick-off time.

"I'm not overly concerned," Scurrah said. "I know it created a media storm and I know there were issues. I sat there and I watched stuff come down on people and that is just not good enough, but it doesn't mean we turn our back on the venue and we don't try to grow the Warriors.

"We need to cut the park and the people a bit of slack. They got carried away and they shouldn't have and it was disappointing. But the pluses far outweighed the negatives in that game."

Fans would be greeted by a significantly beefed up security presence and plans were in place to tackle drunkenness inside and outside the venue, Eden Park chief executive David Kennedy said.

Kennedy admitted a liquor ban outside the stadium for the Four Nations match had been "poorly communicated and not enforced".

"That won't happen again," he said.

Other measures would be put in place to prevent spectators "pre-loading" with alcohol on public transport and intoxicated people would be stopped at the gates. An increased security and police presence would be "more proactive in managing crowd behaviour".

In other words they would eject bottle throwers.

While Scurrah was keen to put the Four Nations misbehaviour down to "teething issues", it remains to be seen whether the crossover fans the code is courting will return.

The Eels match will be very much a test case, with other events such as NRL double headers, finals matches and even State of Origin matches touted for Eden Park.

While he emphasised that Mt Smart remained the Warriors' home, Scurrah said he remained open-minded about the club's long-term future.

Mt Smart required significant upgrades in many areas, he said.

"I've got to say the days of scaffolding seating and Portaloos for members and patrons are over."

Seven years remain on what was a 15-year agreement with Auckland Regional Council for the use of Mt Smart.

That agreement would transfer to the new Auckland Council, however Scurrah hinted the expiry of the club's NRL licence in two years could be used as leverage - either to negotiate upgrades to Mt Smart or to get out of the current agreement.

With operating expenses climbing to $17 million a season and average Warriors crowds of 13,000 in the bottom quarter of the NRL, Scurrah didn't rule out a permanent Eden Park move.

"We can't sustain the sort of gates that we have been getting," he said.

"We want to win comps and to do that takes money. We have got to grow our revenues. If Aucklanders want us to play all 12 [home] games in Auckland, then we need more people to come to our games."

A 25,000 crowd would be the likely breakeven point for the Eels' match.

"It's fair to say I've put my nuts on the line," Scurrah said. "If it doesn't work we are going to need a lot of people to come to the remaining 11 games."