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Raiders furious about GWS grant

Dresden Dan

Juniors
Messages
2,366
Their trials are televised nationally as a pre season comp so the promotion bit is slightly higher and the deal includes a number of community events and indigenous carnivals. That is how they will be trying to justify it I am sure. If the community don't like it they can have their say in September. Given they spent $90k on a town sign they may not consider $100k on a AFL game plus community engagement that bad a deal! Fiscal judgement doesn't seem a strong point of their council I'd suggest.

That's not correct. Some games were shown but most weren't.
 

El Diablo

Post Whore
Messages
94,107
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 don’t 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.

they use Mounties now http://fairfield-advance.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/mounties-celebrate-link-with-raiders/
 

Springs

First Grade
Messages
5,682
I don't see it being unethical. It's a business decision. And as I and others have said both parties agreed to it

If you see it that way then it is an unethical business decision made by both parties. This is a country city council. It ain't Sydney. I am as disappointed in Wagga as I am in that ridiculous GWS thing they call a football club. This is money that hould be spent improving the lives and services of the citizens living in Wagga and surrounds. If they are going to use their money to help sport, give it to their own damn clubs, not to a stupid excuse for a club that is already reportedly rich.

It isn't as much of a kick to the guts to the NRL or professional sports, it's more a kick to the guts to every Wagga resident, business, club or service who sees their money go to a god damn AFL club in Sydney!

Altruism won't buy you a Ferrari

So is that your attitude is it? No altruism might not buy me a f**king ferrari but it might buy food for people who are f**king starving. If that is the kind of attitude you want for business/everyone then f**k off.

f**k me, taking $300,000 off Riverina citizens and putting it into a club nobody likes for useless reasons is f**king disgraceful.
Raiders = respectable, good on them for the work they have done in this region.
GWS = disgraceful, f**k off.

Now if we want to go down that road it has a price to pay and that price is high in terms of community ideals and social worth, if we don't then I do not believe we will compete and AFL will become THE main footy code in decades to come. Its the joy of living in a capatilist culture!

So be it. If AFL wants to act that way and piss everybody off so they can be rich then let them. True league followers will always follow Rugby League, we don't need to sell our soul to win over non-league fans. Rugby league's goal shouldn't be to conquer the world like AFL wants to. Our goal should be to provide a good service to our fans and players, through local comps and the NRL.

AFL deals to take games "on the road"
Tasmanian Govt $1mill a year
NT Govt 10 matches $8milion
ACT Govt $23.5mill (Wagga $300k)
plus the millions NSW and Q'land Govts are spending on the Suns and Giants

NRL - SFA

But at least we can sleep at night, hey?

Yep. Would much rather sleep at night then know we are taking $300,000 off riverina ratepayers for no f**king reason.

Earlier this year Canterbury paid all the bills when the Bulldogs played Canberra in an NRL trial at Equex Centre – and Wagga Rugby League made money from the bar and canteen.

I would have thought this was the way it was supposed to be.

The NRL wanted to promote its product in the Riverina and the Bulldogs did the right and proper thing by footing the costs.

I think it’s ridiculous that GWS wants to make money from playing a pre-season game in Wagga that is primarily aimed at fostering the sport in the Riverina.

It’s too strange for words, if not a little bit greedy.

Why should an AFL club get paid $300,000 to play a game that is more or less a promotional tool for the richest sporting organisation in Australia?

It is the way it's supposed to be. Well done Bulldogs.
 

unforgiven

Bench
Messages
3,138
If you see it that way then it is an unethical business decision made by both parties. This is a country city council. It ain't Sydney. I am as disappointed in Wagga as I am in that ridiculous GWS thing they call a football club. This is money that hould be spent improving the lives and services of the citizens living in Wagga and surrounds. If they are going to use their money to help sport, give it to their own damn clubs, not to a stupid excuse for a club that is already reportedly rich.

It isn't as much of a kick to the guts to the NRL or professional sports, it's more a kick to the guts to every Wagga resident, business, club or service who sees their money go to a god damn AFL club in Sydney!



So is that your attitude is it? No altruism might not buy me a f**king ferrari but it might buy food for people who are f**king starving. If that is the kind of attitude you want for business/everyone then f**k off.

f**k me, taking $300,000 off Riverina citizens and putting it into a club nobody likes for useless reasons is f**king disgraceful.
Raiders = respectable, good on them for the work they have done in this region.
GWS = disgraceful, f**k off.



So be it. If AFL wants to act that way and piss everybody off so they can be rich then let them. True league followers will always follow Rugby League, we don't need to sell our soul to win over non-league fans. Rugby league's goal shouldn't be to conquer the world like AFL wants to. Our goal should be to provide a good service to our fans and players, through local comps and the NRL.



Yep. Would much rather sleep at night then know we are taking $300,000 off riverina ratepayers for no f**king reason.



It is the way it's supposed to be. Well done Bulldogs.


Extremly well put. I couldnt agree more, I dont want Rugby League to become an oranisation that takes money and gives nothing back. Many of the top companies and business people around the world give back to people and places that are less fortunate.
 

Bluebags1908

Juniors
Messages
1,258

Yes I know, but ideally they should have a NSW Cup feeder team based in ACT or Riverina. Provided the financial costings issue can be resovled, that's where if will be of greatest benefit their future the most - promoting the game in their own backyard (not that the Raiders don't do that alrady - but with a NSW Cup team in their area they can do even more). Having a NSW Cup team permanently based in Wagga (for example) will be worth a hell of a lot more than $300,000 the Gafl is getting.
 

CC_Roosters

First Grade
Messages
5,221
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 don’t 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.

That is an outstanding post. They are bound to have thought of this at some point and i wonder why they haven't done it.
 

Loudstrat

Coach
Messages
15,224
I'll be in awe of them if they pay me to be in awe of them too.
Mate you are going soft. I would have thought that if they paid you to be in awe of them you'd take the money, tell them to f*ck off and put it all through the pokies at Wests Leagues! ;-)

Can anybody point to any federal or state grants that have gone to RL in the couple of years? How are we stacking up in this regard?

Soccer $8mill for Western Sydney
AFL $squillions for Tassie, ACT, Western Sydney and Gold Coast
RU?
RL?

I see the Q'land Govt has just put the halt on any chance of a new RL stadium for CQ or Townsville.
And guess why that is dimwit. Because some clubs a few years ago decided it was better to go with the money and f*ck off the ethics. As a result, a giant privately owned company ran the code and became it's biggest financial drain. Governments could hardly justify handing an arm of News Ltd cash and pretend it's community funding!

Because they are unethical! But they are also very wealthy. It is interesting this debate because I think it shows some naievity and wishing for a by gone era by us RL fans. Take a look at any of the major sports competitions in the world, EPL, NFL, NBA etc and they are first and foremost a business, they are about making money and as much of it as possible. They will say that they are not for profit and reinvest that money into the greater good but in reality their only importnat bottom line is revenue.

Now if we want to go down that road it has a price to pay and that price is high in terms of community ideals and social worth, if we don't then I do not believe we will compete and AFL will become THE main footy code in decades to come. Its the joy of living in a capatilist culture!

Maybe I will be proved wrong and we can keep our grass roots ethical frameworks and still be a $400mill a year business but I have my doubts.
So no one will watch Rugby League because it is ethical??????

No use you wearing your foil hat today. The aliens have already f*cked your brain.

Money? You know that stuff most on here think the game doesn't need.
No one has said that.

But you ignore the biggest lesson from the Super League war: Money cannot buy Rugby League. Looks like it can buy AFL though.

If you like businesses so much, f*ck off to a stockbrokers forum.
 

CC_Roosters

First Grade
Messages
5,221
Red If it costs $400-500k to field a NSW cup side then what is the financial difference in Canberra paying Mounties (a percentage with the mounties group i would imagine) and canberra doing it in tandem with the country groups in the region. Canberra can keep their talent close and provide another pathway for local players to stay in the game
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
Because I imagine mounties are paying the majority of the bill. Most nrl clubs abandoned reserve grade because of costs, many now link with league club set ups to fund their reserve grade side. If their is a club in wagga with $400k a year to spend I am sure raiders would bite their hands off but I doubt there is. Maybe some of the arlc's new found wealth will help out or maybe they could ask the act govt and local council ;)
 

unforgiven

Bench
Messages
3,138
Money? You know that stuff most on here think the game doesn't need.

Rugby League needs money. It should not get money from country councils to play games in those areas. Rugby League should be playing in those areas to develop them, not to make money.

There has been alot of talk about how each team should take games to the country to support the game in the country. Under your reasoning we should only takes these games to areas who pay us to go there.

This whole situation is arse up, the afl should be pumping money into the the area, not taking it out.
 

typicalfan

Coach
Messages
15,430
The Raiders were kicked out of the QLD cup weren't they? I don't know if Mounties is a long term option and all of this is well beside the point.

I am happy Rugby League puts its time and effort into country towns, but if a place like Wagga is to then give funds to rivals afterwards maybe teams like the Raiders in the future should get to choose where the money gets developed.
 

skeepe

Immortal
Messages
45,582
The Raiders were kicked out of the QLD cup weren't they? I don't know if Mounties is a long term option and all of this is well beside the point.

I am happy Rugby League puts its time and effort into country towns, but if a place like Wagga is to then give funds to rivals afterwards maybe teams like the Raiders in the future should get to choose where the money gets developed.

They weren't kicked out, that dinosaur Geoff Carr said that the NSWRL would refuse to register any Raiders players who played in the Queensland Cup. For some reason, this would mean they wouldn't be able to play NRL.

Now why players need to be registered with the NSWRL to play NRL I don't know, but apparently you do, and according to Carr it was unacceptable that the Raiders were helping out an area of Queensland as well as doing all the work they do in NSW, because Queensland are the enemy.

The old fool needs to be put out to pasture ASAP, he's nothing but an old, out of touch fossil.
 

DC_fan

Coach
Messages
11,980
Can someone tell me what the difference is between the Victorian government wanting to spend millions of dollars to get the State of Origin down in Melbourne for the next few years and the Wagga council wanting to spend a few hundred thousand dollars to get GWS down in to the area?

In my opinion their is no difference.

So if you want to complain about what Wagga council is doing then you need to do also about the Victorian government. Tell me that ARLC would not accept the right amount of money from the Victorian governemnt to play a game down there each year.

Some on here would complain if an origin game per year was moved down there. But that would generate from the fact that Brisbane and Sydney would only have one game per year. Not because we would be robbing the poor people of Victoria of their hard earned tax dollars.

We have some hypocrits on here.
 

Bluebags1908

Juniors
Messages
1,258
Can someone tell me what the difference is between the Victorian government wanting to spend millions of dollars to get the State of Origin down in Melbourne for the next few years and the Wagga council wanting to spend a few hundred thousand dollars to get GWS down in to the area?

In my opinion their is no difference.

So if you want to complain about what Wagga council is doing then you need to do also about the Victorian government. Tell me that ARLC would not accept the right amount of money from the Victorian governemnt to play a game down there each year.

Some on here would complain if an origin game per year was moved down there. But that would generate from the fact that Brisbane and Sydney would only have one game per year. Not because we would be robbing the poor people of Victoria of their hard earned tax dollars.

We have some hypocrits on here.

There is a HUGE difference. Chalk and cheese. The Victorian Goverrnment is a state body whereby attracting SOO to Melbourne will bring $$$ in tourism and they will make a tidy investment from.

Wagga is a small rural council that has recently been hit by floods. They are effectively begging/bribing a rich sporting body that is not short of a quid to play games in the town when it should be in reverse - the rich sports body should be spending their own cash (which they have plenty of) into the town, just like the Raiders do! Wagga will get very little in return out of this arrangement.
 

Springs

First Grade
Messages
5,682
Can someone tell me what the difference is between the Victorian government wanting to spend millions of dollars to get the State of Origin down in Melbourne for the next few years and the Wagga council wanting to spend a few hundred thousand dollars to get GWS down in to the area?

In my opinion their is no difference.

So if you want to complain about what Wagga council is doing then you need to do also about the Victorian government. Tell me that ARLC would not accept the right amount of money from the Victorian governemnt to play a game down there each year.

Some on here would complain if an origin game per year was moved down there. But that would generate from the fact that Brisbane and Sydney would only have one game per year. Not because we would be robbing the poor people of Victoria of their hard earned tax dollars.

We have some hypocrits on here.

What a ridiculous post.

And by the way it's spelt 'hypocrites'.
 

Bluebags1908

Juniors
Messages
1,258
They weren't kicked out, that dinosaur Geoff Carr said that the NSWRL would refuse to register any Raiders players who played in the Queensland Cup. For some reason, this would mean they wouldn't be able to play NRL.

Now why players need to be registered with the NSWRL to play NRL I don't know, but apparently you do, and according to Carr it was unacceptable that the Raiders were helping out an area of Queensland as well as doing all the work they do in NSW, because Queensland are the enemy.

The old fool needs to be put out to pasture ASAP, he's nothing but an old, out of touch fossil.

Setting aside you grievances about Geoff Carr, if it was affordable and in an ideal world would you not agree that the Raiders should have a team based locally in ACT or Southern NSW?

I understand that currently finance wise there's no choice. Hopefully a solution can be found with the NRL and the local leagues similar to what St. George Illawarra have done with the Steeles and the local Illawarra comp.
 

Zigwaa

Bench
Messages
2,744
Can someone tell me what the difference is between the Victorian government wanting to spend millions of dollars to get the State of Origin down in Melbourne for the next few years and the Wagga council wanting to spend a few hundred thousand dollars to get GWS down in to the area?

In my opinion their is no difference.

So if you want to complain about what Wagga council is doing then you need to do also about the Victorian government. Tell me that ARLC would not accept the right amount of money from the Victorian governemnt to play a game down there each year.

Some on here would complain if an origin game per year was moved down there. But that would generate from the fact that Brisbane and Sydney would only have one game per year. Not because we would be robbing the poor people of Victoria of their hard earned tax dollars.

We have some hypocrits on here.

Massive, massive MASSIVE difference mate. Have a think about it then post again.
 

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