The ACT government could use the windfall from imposing a penalty on the Canberra Raiders to secure more sporting content for the capital, defending the decision to enforce the terms of a stadium contract.
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The Raiders were hit with a $150,000 fee last week for moving one of their home games from Canberra Stadium to Wagga as part of the NRL's regional campaign in 2019.
The ruling has sparked debate between fans and across the border given many view the clash against Penrith in Wagga on May 4 as a chance to grow the Raiders' fan base.
But Chief Minister Andrew Barr backed the move to enforce the financial penalty clause, which has been in the performance agreement for 10 years, and hinted it could turn into a bonus for Canberra sports fans.
Rugby league could still benefit if the $150,000 fine is used to lure the women's State of Origin to the capital, while bidding for Test match rights could also be an option.
"We pay the money to get sporting content in Canberra," Barr said on Twitter when replying to Raiders fans.
"The $150k will now be spent on Canberra sporting content. The terms of the agreement with the Raiders are crystal clear."
He added in a separate reply: "Here is the agreement. Pretty clear. For the record the ACT Government put $5m into the new Raiders HQ and we provide $2.3m annually to the Raiders to play games at Canberra Stadium."
Canberra will already host two golf tournaments, a historic first cricket Test and is bidding for an A-League expansion team outside of regular rugby league, rugby union, AFL, soccer, baseball and basketball content.
The government has been approached by the NRL about the potential of hosting the women's State of Origin fixture in the coming years.
The government said the budget was too tight to bid for the game for 2019, but the unexpected money from the Raiders could put it back on the radar and it would be a chance to reinvest in rugby league.
Sport minister Yvette Berry signed a $125,000 deal to host one NBL game at the AIS Arena in January, but it is unclear if the women's State of Origin would cost more than the available $150,000. The NRL says there has been strong interest in the match from different regions.
The NRL has opted to stay out of the government's decision to impose the penalty on the Raiders, saying it was a matter for the two parties to sort out.
Wagga Mayor Greg Conkey also weighed into the debate, saying the council was aware of the Raiders' situation and that the match is set to be a major economic boost for the city.
"There’s the suggestion that the return could be up to $2 million or more," Conkey told The Daily Advertiser.
"We have 2500 tickets already sold for a game that’s coming up in May next year, so that shows you the extent and interest in this game."
The Raiders will also play a game in Wagga in 2020 as per their two-year deal. Raiders officials will meet with the government early next year to discuss a new contract to play at Canberra Stadium from 2020 and beyond.
The new arrangement could involve removing the financial penalty clause if the Raiders move a game to a regional are as long as home matches aren't sold to overseas destinations or major cities.
"So hopefully the game in 2020 would be far cheaper to host than next year’s," he said.
"We’d love to gain more games. We are a feeder base for the Raiders – there’s a number of people from this region who play for them, so it makes sense for us to host games."
