Raiders fullback Jack Wighton has hit out at the decision to axe the annual City v Country representative fixture from the rugby league calendar.
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Under the new broadcast deal, an international window has been created at the end of the season and the Anzac Test between Australia and New Zealand will be cancelled.
The City v Country game has been held on the same weekend as the Anzac Test, taking the best up and coming NSW players to a regional area for a week of festivities and interaction with a local community.
Wighton hails from the central western NSW town of Orange and has represented Country the past three years.
"I love the City, Country set-up and I wish it wasn't getting scrapped," the 22-year-old said.
"It keeps the dream alive for all the country kids.
"I remember when I was little and City, Country came to Orange and I was sitting on the hill eating meat pies and loving life.
"That's just where the league is going with things I guess."
The Raiders have traditionally had a strong representation in the Country team with a number of their players recruited from country NSW and Canberra.
Wighton, prop Paul Vaughan and captain Jarrod Croker played for Country this year, while front-rower Shannon Boyd was 18th man.
"I think it's great for all the Country kids and it gives everyone involved so much joy," Wighton said.
"You play with quality players every week and then you get to play with the best on the paddock when you play with the Country game.
"For a young fella like me, the experience was great and really helped my confidence."
Raiders five-eighth Blake Austin also voiced his disapproval at the move to scrap the game.
Austin made his representative debut for City this year, scoring three tries in an outstanding performance to push his case for selection in the NSW State of Origin team.
"I think it's a great concept and it would be a real shame to do away with it," Austin said.
"I'm a real purist of the game and I think the City v Country game is great.
"For the young kids that get their first taste, not only myself, but we had a lot of players who it was their first taste of representative football and we got to spend a week with some quality players."
The NRL is trying to play more premiership games in regional areas.
Manly took their home match against the Raiders to Albury this year, while the Penrith Panthers also moved a home game to Bathurst.
"There's some great people in the country and they deserve to see some NRL footy," Austin said.
"A lot of our talent in the NRL comes from country areas and it's really important we pay back to them."
