I agree 100% that WWCC giving that much money to AFL is a kick in the guts to the NRL, the Raiders, and other sports. However, I think the Raiders could do more by having their NSW Cup team based in Wagga/Riverina instead of Souths Logan in Queensland Cup and Mounties in NSW Cup.
I know up to this point there have been financial restrictions as to why the Raiders do not have a locally based NSW Cup team, but this simply needs to be done and all parties - NRL, Raiders, and local leagues need to come up with a funding solution.
Look at St. George Illawarra - the Dragons, Steelers, and the local Illawarra League got together and all jointtly funded the Illawarra Cutters in the NSW Cup. They too had financial issues but they all got together and resolved it.
The Raiders are an ACT/Southern NSW team so there is no long-term future in basing your NSW Cup team in Brisbane or Sydney.
That $300,000 from WWCC could have gone a long way in subsidising the costs of basing the Raiders NSW Cup team in Wagga. Having a NSW Cup team in Wagga would have been awesome for the Riverina - NSW Cup is way above the local CRL group 9 comp and is just one rung below NRL level. It would be the highest standard of football they will ever see week-in-week out. This team would get massive publicity in the local Wagga/Riverina papers, Radio, and TV all year. Can you imagine how valuable this would be for Rugby League in the region? it would blow AFL out of the water because a NSW Cup team would be a semi-professional grassroots club representing the Riverina in a prestigious statewide competition against famous names such as Manly, Canterbury, Newtown, North Sydney, Balmain, Western Suburbs, etc.
And there is a precedent - Newcastle Knights NSW Cup team take various home games to places like Cessnock and Toronto. The team could be based in Wagga and take the odd game to Junee or Albury. This is real grassroots promotion. The Raiders have this ace up their sleeve and it seems they and the NRL dont even realise it.
With the NRL lining up a massive TV deal, there must be a way for finances to be found to fund a Riverina based NSW Cup feeder team for the Raiders with or without Wagga Council money.