LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
The real reason NRL and Channel 9 won't appease Warriors fans with an earlier kick-off is due to the influence of Joel Caine, Paul Gallen, Cameron Smith, Phil Gould, Billy Slater, and Paul Vautin.
While they may not have a direct role in scheduling, their involvement in Nine's coverage limits flexibility.
Despite pleas from the Kiwi club and its supporters, Nine refused to move the Broncos-Warriors preliminary final from its 7.50 pm (AEST) time slot.
This decision means that fans in New Zealand will have to stay up until almost midnight to watch the game.
Warriors CEO Cameron George expressed concern that "nearly every kid in New Zealand will be asleep" by kick-off, but this does not seem to worry Nine executives.