Lewis Brown, pictured fending off a Sharks defender, could be playing for the Panthers in Christchurch.

The Penrith Panthers National Rugby League club are poised to play the New Zealand Warriors in Christchurch next year and could forge a long-term association with Canterbury.

Moves were afoot to have the top-of-the-table Panthers play the Canberra Raiders at AMI Stadium this July, but those plans were scuttled on Thursday due to broadcast scheduling commitments.

The Christchurch game was set to be part of an NRL New Zealand tripleheader, with the Warriors playing the Manly Sea Eagles in Auckland on Saturday July 25, followed by the Melbourne Storm hosting the St George Illawarra Dragons in Napier the same night.

Penrith, whose squad includes Christchurch-born Kiwis utility Lewis Brown, were hoping to host the Raiders in Christchurch at 4pm on Sunday July 26, according to Christchurch events promoter, and former Canterbury rugby league representative, Justin Wallace.

Wallace, whose events company Enth Degree are behind the Fight for Christchurch charity boxing promotion, said he had been working with the Panthers, the Christchurch City Council, Christchurch International Airport and Canterbury Tourism, to bring the NRL club to Christchurch on a regular basis.

"We are going to have to put the 2015 game on hold, unfortunately," he said. "It all came down to a scheduling problem with the broadcasters. It was just going to be too hard [that weekend].

"But plans are in place for 2016. We are going to continue working with Penrith. We've got the momentum now, and got people behind us."

Panthers officials were unavailable for comment, however, Wallace was confident Penrith would play the Warriors at AMI Stadium next season. I It would be the first NRL game in Christchurch since 2010 when the Warriors beat the Roosters 20-18.

Wests Tigers played three successive matches in Christchurch between 2004 and 2006, but Wallace said those were "one-off games".

"The Panthers want Christchurch to become their home away from home and establish some roots here," he added.

Wallace said he was talking with the Canterbury Rugby Football League about ways to promote "grassroots engagement" between the Panthers and the Canterbury league community. Penrith had an association with Canterbury rugby league in the 1980s and early 1990s, said Wallace, who recalled playing for a Canterbury schools XIII against the Panthers' under-17 squad at Denton Oval in 1985.

He hoped there could be similar exchanges.

The Panthers - NRL champions in 1991 - would be a popular drawcard in Christchurch.

Brown, who grew up in Belfast and played for Marist-Western Suburbs as a junior, the Riccarton Knights and the Canterbury Bulls, is part of a strong Kiwi contingent at Penrith, along with Sika Manu, Elijah Taylor, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Dean Whare, Tupou Sopoaga and ex-Warrior Jeremy Latimore.

Panthers coach Ivan Cleary also has a strong association with New Zealand after playing and coaching the Warriors, who he took to the NRL grand final in 2011, and later served as a technical adviser to the Kiwis.

The club's director of coaching is former New South Wales State of Origin mentor Phil Gould.