See this is the problem with the whingers. There's nothing wrong with highlighting the negatives with the deal but sarcastically deriding the money as an irrelevance moves well past stupidity into the realms of geniusation.
It's f**king hugely important, and deserves to be put up there as a significant positive about the deal that will help the game at every level, not tacked on as an afterthought to mock the people who are providing reasoned debate on the issue.
Get a grip. Or don't. Whatever. You'll all probably cool down in a week and realize what complete idiots you've been about it anyway.
The only reason I say this is because this all people seem to be caring about. This deal does NOTHING to grow the game, it is a simple cash injection which will go to the clubs and players. But the problem is the money to the clubs is wasted when all it will do is increase their operating costs competing against each other - not make them profitable, or expand their reach.
The Broncos recorded a record half year profit this year, and the Broncos freely admit this is because of their coverage on FTA in increasing sponsorship and merchandise sales - NOT grants from the NRL.
You can spend as much money as you want on grassroots, but it doesn't mean the game grows. Over the last 5 years the AFL has spent billions on Grassroots and that has not translated into growth of the game at all.
We have accepted money to prevent expansion, prevent growth, prevent control, and prevent strengthening the existing clubs.
This outweighs any of the benefit from the deal.
