Like your thinking in many ways, but for competitive/marketing value the Cooks would be next to useless.
Approach the FFA, and try organise a home & away 2 game series of fixtures - A League Socceroos verus A League/domestic All Whites. Say in mid-late August before the A League pre season starts. Sept FIFA window is 30th Aug-7th Sept, when Socceroos will no doubt have AFC qualifying games (if they make it to next phase qualifying).
When is the last time any form of Socceroos team played in NZ? Close to 20 years ago? That alone should get a reasonable crowd to Albany or the ROF.
Have the Australian game in Darwin or Cairns to simulate the climate in the Islands, if that January OFC tourney ends up going somewhere in the Pacific. Definitely some value to Hay, and hopefully also to Arnold as he casts the net wide to prepare for his AFC WC qualifying campaign.
It does sound that Olywhites will play Olyroos in Japan, in a warmup pre Olympics starting. So that is some small good news.
Approach the FFA, and try organise a home & away 2 game series of fixtures - A League Socceroos verus A League/domestic All Whites. Say in mid-late August before the A League pre season starts. Sept FIFA window is 30th Aug-7th Sept, when Socceroos will no doubt have AFC qualifying games (if they make it to next phase qualifying).
When is the last time any form of Socceroos team played in NZ? Close to 20 years ago? That alone should get a reasonable crowd to Albany or the ROF.
Have the Australian game in Darwin or Cairns to simulate the climate in the Islands, if that January OFC tourney ends up going somewhere in the Pacific. Definitely some value to Hay, and hopefully also to Arnold as he casts the net wide to prepare for his AFC WC qualifying campaign.
It does sound that Olywhites will play Olyroos in Japan, in a warmup pre Olympics starting. So that is some small good news.