Oh Wollongong, you rugby league punching bag, you.

The finest, most successful rugby league 'nursery' in Australia took another whack on the chin this week.

Two, actually.

Firstly, what could be a blockbuster top-four clash against North Queensland on Saturday night, is effectively a battle between the Illawarra Cutters and whoever the Cowboys can muster to board the plane.

Blinded by the immense glow of State of Origin, the NRL leaves Wollongong to endure a second-rate showdown minus any real star power.

On the same day the teams were named for round 17, the NRL released the draw, determined by the television rights holders, for the final six rounds of the season.

In a stunning development, the Dragons have been drawn to play Penrith at WIN Stadium in round 24 on a Thursday night.

It will rob the game of about 2000-3000 fans through the gates, simply because fewer Kogarah and Penrith fans will travel to Wollongong on a week night.

It's an appalling reflection of the low esteem in which the Illawarra is held.

Of course, as this columnist has mentioned more than once, the attitude is clear.

The Illawarra doesn't make money, when the Dragons can take the cash and run to ANZ Stadium or Allianz Stadium.

The NRL certainly hasn't shown any willingness to improve the situation.

In recent years the Illawarra has been stripped of the opportunity to host a finals game and then had two NRL games per year taken away from the region.

The short-term trade-off last year was the Australia-Samoa Four Nations Test, a huge success, but a politically driven one-off to ease the pain.

Of course, there's other factors at play, including the exorbitant costs of playing games at WIN Stadium, as NSW Premier League club the South Coast Wolves have found out the hard way.

Adding to the region's pain, the A-League failed to announce a game in Wollongong when the draw for the 2015-16 season was released this week.

It only continues to reflect the short-sightedness of those in positions of power.

There's discussion in NRL circles about using Monday night to trial playing games in country areas, or returning to suburban grounds.

They are also yet to find the right balance between punters in the grandstand and eyeballs on the television screen.

The strategy of taking more games to the two major Sydney stadiums hasn't worked, because the NRL is yet to reach critical mass in terms of crowd numbers.

The NRL will need to make key decisions around the next television deal.

The prospect of a draft sits at the top of the agenda.

It would make clubs franchises at the top of the rugby league tree - merely waiting on talent - rather than nurture the next superstar from their own backyard.

But how will it benefit the regions themselves?

The other great question is what to do with the National Youth Cup under-20 competition?

The NRL should end the vast drain on resources as its value as a 'feeder' league continues to diminish.

There will always been a junior pathway which could still remain a curtain-raiser to NRL games.

But clubs are already sending their better players to play in the NSW Cup as it is, so invest in it properly as the second-tier league.

It could be the beginning of a state-wide competition, where NRL-contracted players train during the week, then travel as Penrith take their games to Bathurst, Canberra or Wagga and the Storm to Albury or country Victoria.

Regional Australia has been dudded for too long.

Amid recent reports BlueScope needs to save $130 million per year with a "game-changing" approach to keep Port Kembla viable, the region's long-term elite sporting future is concerning.

This columnist is all for NRL expansion into Perth and a second team in Brisbane or New Zealand.

Why? Because it provides new revenue streams for the game.

But the great heartlands should not be forgotten in the process.