NRL: Warriors earn year-long reprieve over stadium stoush

The Warriors have earned a 12-month reprieve over the Auckland stadium stoush after the Auckland Council decided to review their controversial stadium policy. Photo Getty Images.

The Warriors have earned a 12-month reprieve over the Auckland stadium stoush after the Auckland Council decided to review their controversial stadium policy.

The Warriors had been facing being kicked out of Mt Smart Stadium and being forced to relocate to North Harbour - a move they vehemently opposed - and they asked the council to reconsider their policy.

Auckland councillors yesterday voted for Regional Facilities Auckland to meet with all the sporting codes and stakeholders affected by the stadium strategy to consider all options and report back to council within 12 months.

The effective review of the strategy will be overseen by new Regional Facilities chief executive Chris Brooks.

Councillor John Watson, a longtime critic of the strategy, welcomed the review and fellow councillor, Alf Filipaina, said he hoped the club's fans would be consulted.

The Mad Butcher had said said the Council were "idiots" to suggest the Warriors should move from Mt Smart.

Other sports were also affected by the proposal, with speedway due to relocate from Western Springs to Mt Smart and Western Springs to be turned into a cricket venue.
The Warriors were the biggest critics, and wanted to stay at their base at Mt Smart where they have been based since their inception in 1995. They have no interest in playing home games at North Harbour Stadium and have threatened to take a large number of home games to venues throughout the country including Hamilton, Rotorua and New Plymouth.
All councillors were sent a letter earlier in the week in which Warriors chairman Bill Wavish and managing director Jim Doyle implored councillors to postpone any decision on the RFA strategy to clear the way for a full review.
"We have made it clear through our own submission to the council in March and also in our letter sent to all councillors that the proposal to move us out of Mt Smart Stadium makes no sense at all," Doyle said in the letter.
"The RFA has a new CEO, I'm also new to my role and neither of us has been involved in the plans for the RFA's proposed use of the stadiums. "The Warriors, therefore, suggest this isn't the time to be going ahead with a major strategy on which there has been such limited consultation.
"Indeed, we believe it would be prudent to put the proposal to one side and for all parties involved (Auckland Council, RFA, ATEED, Warriors, speedway, rugby union and cricket) to reconvene and reconsider the best possible use of the city's stadiums.
"If the matter of our long-term future at Mt Smart isn't resolved satisfactorily, we would have no option but to consider venues outside Auckland.
"We will not be forced to leave Mt Smart at any point during our current lease which expires at the end of 2018. Furthermore, if the proposed RFA stadium strategy is supported, then we will actively encourage the incoming council to overturn the ill-conceived strategy prior to our lease expiring."