NZ Warriors chief executive Cam George has warned Saturday's pitch invader debacle at Napier could have far-reaching implications for the future of NRL games in New Zealand.
George is among the many rugby league fans across the country cringing at the actions of miscreants, who attempted to run onto McLean Park during the latter stages of the Warriors clash with Brisbane Broncos.
Police arrested 12 people, but dozens of others escaped punishment, staining the Warriors' long-awaited debut in the Hawke's Bay.
"I'm really embarrassed on behalf of all of the good people that put so much work into the event and all the fans that turned up to watch a great game of footy be ruined by these idiots," George told Newshub.
"It's embarrassing for the game and it's embarrassing for the Kiwi fans who love this sport."
The persistent stoppages stifled the Warriors' onfield momentum, allowing the tiring Broncos to catch a much-needed breather, as they clung to their lead in the face of a comeback that eventually fell short in a 26-22 defeat.
Captain Tohu Harris described the interruptions as "really annoying", admitting they had disrupted his team's rhythm.
Opportunities for the Warriors to host games in New Zealand outside the major venues have been few and far between, and Saturday's indiscretions will impact their ability to bring more games to the regions, says George.
"I've been trying to get more and more footy games in New Zealand, and the NRL are trying to work with us, but this won't help us at all," he added. "The NRL will be hounding us about it, for sure, because they'll be embarrassed about it."
Under New Zealand's Major Events Management act, which covers the likes of the Rugby World Cup and the upcoming FIFA Women's World Cup, pitch invaders can be fined $5000 and potentially face three days of imprisonment.
Those penalties don't extend to NRL and Super Rugby. Those taken into police custody at Napier will simply be served a trespass notice.
Those sanctions need to become severe to limit an unwanted trend, according to George. The Warriors' season-opener against Newcastle Knights at Wellington was also blighted by pitch invaders, with 12 people arrested at Sky Stadium.
"If we decide to go anywhere else now, we'll make sure that we need some very good comfort around what security measures are in place," he added.
"We need to understand what ramifications are in place if anyone does choose to do that and promote those ramifications, because they need to be severe and act as a big deterrent."
Napier City Council event manager Kevin Murphy echoes George's sentiments.
The Warriors' Napier visit was a product of eight years of work by Murphy and his team, a process that essentially began after the 2015 Storm v Dragons match at the same venue.
"It was just so frustrating," Murphy told AM. "We're gutted to see this chaos that happened in the last 10 minutes of the game.
"It's been a long journey from our point of view. We've put in a lot of work to get the game played here, and to see that last 10 minutes go the way they did and to have to be talking about it now was the last thing we wanted to do."
The event has provided a timely financial injection for a region still recovering from the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle. More than 6000 of the 16,000 sold-out crowd travelled from outside of the Hawke's Bay region to attend.
Murphy has called for penalties on the level seen in Australia, where pitch invaders are stung with an instant $10,000 fine.
"We need something to give us more grunt," he said. "The alternative we've got is wrapping our stadiums in high fences and I don't think anyone wants to see that in New Zealand.
"We've just got to get through to people that it's just not on and they can't keep doing this. Around the country, stadium owners and managers are all wanting to actually see some change, so we can continue hosting the events we want to."
George says he will need some frank discussions with both the NRL and those running the event for Napier to have any chance of hosting another game.
"For us to make a decision to go back there again, I'd need to sit down with the organisers to see what they can do to ensure it doesn't happen again," he noted. "It's safety for the players and it also impacts the game.
"Just stay away. Get on the drink at home and do what you want to do there, and let us enjoy the occasion, because it was special for us to be there and support the region."
Join Newshub at 5pm Saturday for live updates of the Warriors v Dolphins NRL clash
