Auckland is a step closer to hosting a State of Origin rugby league match within the next three years after a "serious bid" to Australian officials.
Members of the Eden Park Trust attended the second Origin match in Brisbane and sent an email last week to Australian Rugby League (ARL) chief executive Geoff Carr in which they expressed a strong desire to host an Origin game at the refurbished Eden Park.
"Eden Park officials have sent an email. They came to Origin II and were really impressed. It would be great to market our showpiece overseas," Carr told Sydney's Daily Telegraph.
The Auckland match, which could happen as early as 2012 but was more likely to be staged in 2013, was forecast to reap as much as $5 million and could be at the expense of Sydney because of lukewarm support for Origin III on Wednesday night at ANZ Stadium, the report said.
Carr said Eden Park chief executive David Kennedy wanted to "talk seriously".
But while former Kiwis Gary Freeman and Daryl Halligan hailed the idea, a New South Wales veteran was less enthused.
Said Nathan Hindmarsh: "I'm a strong believer that Origin should be played in NSW and Queensland. I'm a fan of expanding the game but when it comes to Origin, NSW and Queensland should hold it."
Only once before has an Origin game been played overseas - the fourth match of the 1987 series in Los Angeles.
