I really don't get the angst against it. This league is a franchise league. Would other people be worried is someone applied for a franchise, recruited players from the U20s, and got Chris Milicich to coach them, but call them something other that the U20. Pretty much the same thing.
It's really not. It's a weak argument and you're supporting NZF's sad excuse to not pay for international competition for our best young players. The best U20's will already be playing in the ASBP bar a few in 2013/14 and 2014/15 in the lead up to the World Cup here so I really don't see the point. Also how many times have we seen a NZ youth side picked for a tourny in Oceania only for it to change radically by the actual Fifa tourney? And what happens if say 7-8 of the best U20's decide to play elsewhere (here or overseas) do they miss out? Or does Milicich bring them in and cut a whole bunch of guys he's been prepping for two years or does he simply ignore that talent at the behest of NZF. It's going to cause a lot of problems...
If Manawatu needed to be cut then fine but bring in an actual 'franchise' and not the NZU20 although I really feel for YM and I bet all those years feel wasted now.
You're putting words in my worth. I've said plenty of times that there need to be proper preparation before tournaments. The two aren't mutually exclusive. ASBP can (and in my opinion should) be in addition to a proper U20s programme.