Getting Tamworth ready for the Warriors in just weeks shows the city has the "can do" attitude to bid for bigger sporting events in the future, Kevin Anderson said.
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The Member for Tamworth's texts helped convince the Kiwi NRL club to base themselves in the city. He described their arrival yesterday evening as a "coup" for the region.
Converting Wests Tamworth Leagues Club to be suitable for high-intensity training for the professional players has been a huge job.
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But completing the task in record time proves to the NRL the regional city has a "can do" attitude, Mr Anderson said.
"The can do attitude of our community and our community leaders I think sets us up for the future," he said.
"I think the NRL will not forget what this city has been able to do for this club, the Warriors, and also for the NRL generally.
"Who knows, I sincerely hope we'll see further games here. We might see the Warriors come back and play a game here; we've already got an association with the Wests Tigers, we've seen a number of clubs come here.
"We have the facilities, we have the capability to host large sporting events.
"And this will certainly be a feather in our cap when we do bid for other significant sporting events into the future."
Scully Park has been turned into a fortress to keep out COVID-19. Only support staff and club employees will be allowed into what Mr Anderson called a "secure compound". The players, too, will be kept in strict isolation.
Within its walls, keeping the Kiwi players in peak condition will be literally a round-the-clock effort for Leagues club staff. The kitchen will be open 24-hours-a-day.
Feeding the platoon of about 45 players and support staff, and conducting daily high-intensity training, will be a major boost for the region's economy, the MP said.
"I'm thinking about what's next, how do we reignite our community, how do we kickstart our economy. This is a really good way to start that," Mr Anderson said.
He said becoming the training base in the NRL's hour of need had put Tamworth on the back page of every newspaper, put the city at the centre of national attention and would continue to promote the region.
The NRL, and its Chief Executive Officer Peter V'Landys have for weeks plotted "Project Apollo", the safe return of the sport. Getting the Warriors into the country by Sunday was a vital element of the plan, which could see the sport on Australian TVs on May 28.
The local MP intervened to bring the New Zealand side to the city, texting Warriors CEO Cameron George and V'Landys to recommend the Scully Park compound.
The local airport yesterday became the Tamworth International Airport for one flight, with customs and border force staff traveling from Newcastle to ensure the Kiwis followed quarantine rules.
