Which NRL team are you following most?

[Dunbar]

On 04/06/2020 at 13:52, 17 stone giant said:

I rarely watch RL unless it's England/GB or the Grand Final (or old matches on YouTube). I do plan to watch Origin this year though. My affinity with Melbourne Storm is also pretty weak. I like your positivity though, so I might try and catch the odd game.

So you've watched about 10 games in the last 2 years?

[17 stone giant]

4 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

So you've watched about 10 games in the last 2 years?

I'd say about 15 to 20 live matches on TV/Internet. Plus I re-watch old matches and other games from the past that I didn't see at the time.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

On 04/06/2020 at 21:45, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

Lived in Manly for 3 years, 2nd best place on earth after East Hull, member at the Sea Eagles during the first Hasler era so nobody else for me.
 

Nowt better than a beer on the hill in the sunshine at Brookie watching Steve Matai smash someone up - rugby league heaven 

If Manly is the second best place on earth after East Hull then surely there is something better than watching Matai in the sunshine on the hill at Brookie. 

Surely sipping a flat lemonade in the p***ing rain watching Matty Gee handling errors from the West Stand trumps it every time? 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

On 04/06/2020 at 13:28, Eddie said:

The Warriors are (and always have been) my favourite NRL team because they’re an expansion club. Terrible jersey though. 

Interestly I was thinking the exact opposite yesterday when I caught the game.... I really like it! 

I assume you think it should be black? 

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Interestly I was thinking the exact opposite yesterday when I caught the game.... I really like it! 

I assume you think it should be black? 

I wouldn’t say I think it should be black but it would be better if it was (the away shirt). But there’s too much detail on it and the Vodafone sponsor is rubbish too (front and back). 

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

13 hours ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

If Manly is the second best place on earth after East Hull then surely there is something better than watching Matai in the sunshine on the hill at Brookie. 

Surely sipping a flat lemonade in the p***ing rain watching Matty Gee handling errors from the West Stand trumps it every time? 

Good point. On reflection, a few pints of lager in the Crown followed by eating fish n’ chips from JJ’s as you walk up Preston Rerd in the rain to see the mighty Kingston Rovers is better than the hill at Brookie in the sunshine. Lost myself for a minute there, was getting all global and poncy and that. RRTR, RTID..! 

 

[Marauder]

On 04/06/2020 at 09:27, Manfred Mann said:

I wonder why so many Englishmen are supporting the Parramatta Eels?

And why is nobody who has voted following the heroic New Zealand Warriors?

Supported them since Kenny, Sterling, Price  and all the rest of that great team graced the rugby field.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

40 minutes ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

Good point. On reflection, a few pints of lager in the Crown followed by eating fish n’ chips from JJ’s as you walk up Preston Rerd in the rain to see the mighty Kingston Rovers is better than the hill at Brookie in the sunshine. Lost myself for a minute there, was getting all global and poncy and that. RRTR, RTID..! 

 

Ha ha

Feel bad about the Matty Gee handling errors comment now .. he was one of my favourite players last year for us

Dont suppose you've seen Jordan Abdull at that fish and chips you mentioned? Loads of potential but was too fat for a half last year

 

[DeadShotKeen]

I watch NRL as a neutral just because I love the sport and it's the highest level as well as being the kind of sporting league I like best (expansionist, salary-capped, no P&R etc.) so I've deliberately never picked a favourite team. I tend to root against the best-supported sides and for the smaller ones though, which means I'm generally anti-Broncos and Roosters and pro-Titans and Tigers. I like to see the expansion sides going well, although the Storm have been so good for so long they've sort of moved from the "expansion" to the "royalty" part of my brain so I'm more likely to root against them.

I have a bit of a soft spot for the Knights as they're in an interesting location geographically (just outside of the Sydney diaspora) and it seems a very blue collar area with passionate fans where the sport is ingrained within the culture. Having just seen them for the 1st time this season in a cracker vs the Raiders and with Kalyn Ponga putting in the best individual performance I've seen in quite some time I'll admit I'm a little on the Knights bandwagon just now.

The Raiders I love as well because of the English boys and also their exciting brand of "footy".

Basically it's a brilliant league and I just wish we would be brave enough over here to contract and expand in the way they did in the late 90s. Within the NRL journey of the last 30-40 years is the blueprint to a similar elite league over here but we sadly choose to hold ourselves back by maintaining too many teams in the same areas and making little to no expansion efforts out of small-minded parochial self-interest.

[Manfred Mann]

In the light of the brilliant performances of the Sydney Roosters in the past two games, I am surprised that there aren’t more people following the Roosters. They are absolutely sensational in both attack and  defence. They also possess the world’s best player, James Tedesco. The team has no weak link.

Next Saturday’s clash between the Sydney Roosters and the table topping Parramatta a Eels (10.30 am UK time) will be a game not to be missed.

[Dunbar]

24 minutes ago, Manfred Mann said:

In the light of the brilliant performances of the Sydney Roosters in the past two games, I am surprised that there aren’t more people following the Roosters. They are absolutely sensational in both attack and  defence. They also possess the world’s best player, James Tedesco. The team has no weak link.

Next Saturday’s clash between the Sydney Roosters and the table topping Parramatta a Eels (10.30 am UK time) will be a game not to be missed.

I enjoy watching the Roosters play but this thread has shown that people follow teams for various reasons and it isn't particularly because they happen to be the best at any given time.