RIVERINA Football Netball League (RFNL) president Rob Ash is keen to see its grand final stay at Narrandera Sportsground.

Ash on Tuesday threw his support behind Narrandera Sportsground as the venue for the premiership decider amid some criticism after this year's grand final gate was down more than $4000.

Ash reaffirmed that it is the clubs that choose the grand final venue and this year's vote was 8-1 in favour of Narrandera Sportsground over Wagga's Robertson Oval.

Ash admits a Wagga grand final would draw a bigger crowd but explained there is a lot more than money behind these decisions.

"At the RFNL we have a little philosophy to do the best by the entire footy community," Ash said.

"Narrandera is smack in the middle geographically.

"If you have a grand final in Wagga then you're putting out the Narrandera, Griffith and Leeton communities, which is a big part of the RFNL.

"I've got no doubt the gate would be about $8000 bigger in Wagga but money and income is not everything.

"You need to look after the communities.

"I think keeping it in the middle is fair by everyone."

The Farrer League proved the big winner out of this year's grand final as it topped Group Nine, RFNL, Southern Inland Rugby Union (SIRU) and Football Wagga with a gate of $31,955 at Maher Oval.

Ash put RFL's smaller gate down to the teams involved.

"It's pretty simple, Mango had three teams and Wagga Tigers had two," he said.

"If you get a Coolamon or Ganmain team and their crowd there, it would have been just as big as usual."

Ash also pointed out that Griffith's under 17 and C grade teams had to leave at 6.30am to compete in the preliminary final at Robertson Oval, something the club did without any fuss.

"I think it's our responsibility to be thinking of the entire RFNL community," he said.

"A loud minority is what's leading this (discussion) to happen."

Only one grand final has been taken away from Narrandera and it was held at Robertson Oval in 1998 when Wagga Tigers defeated Turvey Park.

The 1998 gate figure of $14,184 was well down on the years around it.

Meantime on unrelated football matter, Ash said as RFNL president he supports Barellan's push to the Farrer League.