COMMENT
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The NRL missed a massive opportunity with the release of the 2015 draw.
This season, in trying to temper the backlash of slashing their home games from six to four, the Dragons - to their credit - worked behind the scenes to bring the Charity Shield and a Four Nations game to Wollongong.
It was an all too transparent trade-off, or compensation, for the hammer blows of taking two precious NRL fixtures away from the region.
Next year?
The Illawarra cops the leftovers, the goodwill evaporating under the weight of the flawed 'Right Game, Right Venue' blueprint.
Of course, the NRL will defend their plans by pointing to the lift in attendances in Sydney.
In Sydney, being the key words.
It's hard to argue with the Dragons' business case of taking the extra games to Sydney, given the financial incentives on offer.
But announcing Manly, North Queensland and Canberra as three of the four home games next year is a stunning backhander to Wollongong.
The Raiders fans travel better than most teams, but the fixturing has set Wollongong up to fail when it comes to crowd numbers - and then we'll be told we only have ourselves to blame for not packing out WIN Stadium.
The Dragons' fourth Wollongong home game is against Penrith, a great result for attracting a big crowd, considering the westies already spend enough time at our beaches during summer.
However, the game is not until round 24, when the size of the crowd on the seaside hill will be determined by whether both teams are in finals contention.
Think this cynical sports editor is merely airing his grievances on the eve of festivus?
Well then, why are the Dragons playing Newcastle at Kogarah in round 21?
It's the old steel town rivalry between the two great working-class rugby league nurseries, but instead it's being played in Sydney.
If the NRL is serious about developing a strategy for playing the right games at the best venues, then it should be tapping into the old rivalry as a marquee fixture on the Wollongong calendar.
Perhaps the Dragons don't want any reminders of the old Steelers sentiment.
The point, though, is the Illawarra deserves the right games as much as any Sydney club.
The Illawarra loves nothing more than beating Newcastle.
The region has won the past three NSW Country Championships finals against the Novocastrians, as if there need be any reminder.
From the age of 11, everyone who pulls on an Illawarra representative jersey is instilled with the spirit of the Newcastle rivalry.
Sadly, though, Wollongong has to instead put up with North Queensland bringing their 12 travelling supporters with them from Townsville.
In the next 12 months, the A-League will make important strategic decisions about expansion and co-ordinating the 2017 television rights deal.
Adding two more teams creates another fixture for Fox Sports to telecast every week, making it more lucrative for the Football Federation Australia bottom line.
Sensing which way the wind is blowing, Football South Coast has hitched its wagon to Cronulla, led by former Western Sydney Wanderers boss Lyall Gorman.
The prospect of bringing four A-League games a year to Wollongong may not fulfil the perfect, romantic ideal of bringing South Coast Wolves back to the top table. It would, however, see football muscle in on the market when the Dragons are struggling to cope financially and to retain membership in the Illawarra.
That's why it was so important for the NRL and the Dragons to get it right when it came to the 2015 NRL draw.
The Australia-Samoa Test was a fantastic coup for the region, but now the Illawarra needs a successful and sustainable strategy of its own, rather than just be expected to be happy with whatever it's given.