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Live sport on SN this weekendWarriors recruitment boss' warning over New Zealand NRL expansion team
Jaxin Daniels • August 27th, 2026 11:46 am
Andrew McFadden | Photo: Alan Lee / www.photosport.nz
Warriors head of recruitment and pathways Andrew McFadden says a second New Zealand NRL team would be a major boost for the game, but only if the country’s grassroots and development systems are strengthened first.
McFadden, who has been with the Warriors for a decade, told Sport Nation Mornings that the club’s recent success had been built on stronger leadership, investment and a clear focus on developing local talent.
He believes the same focus must be applied across New Zealand if a second NRL team is to succeed, with Christchurch-based ownership groups currently vying to earn an expansion licence from the NRL.
“I think it'd be great, but what's more important is building up the local game,” he told Sport Nation Mornings.
“Given that 30 percent of players in the NRL are born in New Zealand it seems to be a fairly fruitful place to come and find rugby league players.”
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However, he warned that the infrastructure supporting those players needs significant investment.
“At the grassroots, the game is still very basic and needs an injection of support,” McFadden said.
He is supportive of expansion, including the possibility of a South Island-based team, but says the costs involved in developing players and moving teams between New Zealand and Australia cannot be ignored.
“I’m pro having expansion and whatever's best for the game,” McFadden said. “We just all feel like they've got to work on the infrastructure underneath.”
The Warriors currently spend heavily taking their pathways teams to Australia, something McFadden says would also create challenges for a second New Zealand club.
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“It costs us a lot of money to take all our pathways teams to Australia every second week,” he said.
“That’s an expensive exercise, and not overly effective exercise if you ask me.”
McFadden said the Warriors were now developing into a club capable of producing its own NRL players, with local talent prioritised ahead of overseas recruitment.
“Our focus is primarily on developing local talent,” he said. “I look after our backyard first and then if there's holes in our system then that's when I have to go to Australia to recruit.”
That approach has helped several players transition from the Warriors’ pathways into the NRL, with McFadden crediting the character and work ethic of those coming through.
“These guys are super hard working, not just talented but they're real pros as well,” he said.
Listen to the full interview below:
