Round 25 of the NRL has been declared ‘Footy Country Round’.
Which makes it slightly odd that only one of this weekend’s eight games will actually take place in the ‘country’ and away from the NRL’s normal home grounds.
Friday night’s early game sees the Panthers host the Raiders at Glen Willow Stadium in Mudgee, around 200 kilometres north west of Penrith—but that’s it.
Rather than take matches further afield in a round-wide celebration of country footy, the rest of this weekend’s games will take place as per usual in Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle and the Gold Coast.
MORE: NRL team lists: Every side’s confirmed lineup for Round 25
The NRL began its own media release for Footy Country Round by stating: ‘Melbourne's AAMI Park (where the Storm will play the Bulldogs on Friday night) is a long way from the sportsgrounds of Dubbo.’
Indeed, it is.
It’s also a long way from Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Walgett, Moree, Singleton, Tamworth, Toowoomba, Lismore, Bundaberg, Mackay and any number of other rugby league mad communities that would love to have hosted an NRL match this weekend.
The Footy Country Round concept is being presented by NRL major sponsor, Telstra, and few would argue against the thinking behind it—establishing stronger links back to the grassroots community clubs that have supplied the NRL with so many of it’s biggest stars over the years.
It’s a great idea, but surely also a huge missed opportunity with just one game taken to regional fans?