NRL: The success of the NZ Warriors could stop the South Island talent drain across the Tasman.

The purpose of NZ Warriors’ frequent trips to the South Island is to foster the growth of rugby league there and foster a relationship with the club.

While schoolboy success and grassroots numbers are currently increasing in the game on the Mainland, former Warriors coach Frank Endacott cautions that the best players in the south have long had their sights set on Australia rather than Auckland.

This year, after 23 years of Auckland supremacy, St. Thomas of Canterbury defeated St. Paul’s College, a longtime rival, to win the NZ secondary schools championship.a