Eden Park could host a State of Origin game as early as next year, if administrators on this side of the ditch can convince their Australian counterparts, and dwindling crowd numbers for rugby may be the key to getting it over the line.
"Fans deserve the opportunity to see the best players performing on the world stage," says Eden Park chief executive Nick Sautner.
NZ hosting a match or series has been discussed for years, but without any tangible progress.
Former union and league consultant Trevor McKeown believes now is the time for rugby league to invest in the NZ market, as rugby union ticket sales continue to slump.
"Look at the first two All Blacks tests - 15,000 to each of them," McKeown tells Newshub. "That would've been noted back at HQ."
Sautner has been in discussions with the Australia Rugby League Commission, trying to convince them that Eden Park has the ability to host the event.
There are plenty of benefits for New Zealand if the bid were successful, from growing the game at the grassroots level to economic profit.
"We would draw people from other codes, who aren't normally ticket buyers for rugby league games to come along and see a spectacle of that nature," says NZ Rugby League chief executive Greg Peters.
There are several hurdles, the biggest of which is the time zone difference, where adhering to the television slots in Australia would pose problems.
"I really can't see [ARL] agreeing to a start earlier than 9:30pm, which is 7:30pm in Queensland and New South Wales," notes McKeown.
But is it time for Australian rugby league to find a solution and grab the opportunity to tap into a new market?
"I'd be surprised if they don't, because if they don't they will be missing an opportunity in this country," McKeown adds.
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