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Judging by the poor crowds and empty stadiums it seems NRL fans have taken the privilege of having a team to support for granted.
The embarrassing Campbelltown crowd from last weekend is a prime example of taking a team for granted. The Wests Tigers are in West Sydney ‘heartland’ and have been quite successful this season, yet the fans are a no show.
One of the excuses is the opposition. It’s no secret that the Cowboys are the lowest drawing team in the competition no matter where they go. However, it has Queensland representatives such as Johnathan Thurston, Brent Tate and Matt Scott on the team. The opportunity to see high-calibre talent on display in an area which gets very few games should see the supporters jumping at the very opportunity to be there.
There are also other excuses as to why fans do not turn up to games but it has been covered ad nauseam. It just shows that rugby league fans need perspective considering there are areas that don’t have a team at all to support.
These areas do contain rugby league communities that want a team to support, yet all they hear non-stop is the constant excuse-making that current NRL fans have of their team.
Think about West Australia, which is the third largest state playing rugby league in spite of having no team since 1998. I’m confident that if Western Australia was given a team it could be successful in the long run. The foundation is there and it has the potential.
There are other areas such as Central Queensland, the Central Coast, Wellington and Adelaide which would love to have what the current 16 NRL teams have at the moment. Even a second Brisbane team would create a Brisbane derby that would benefit the game greatly and create positive competition with the Broncos.
How would rugby league fans feel if they had their team kicked out of the competition like the Western Australia Reds, South Australian Rams, South Queensland Crushers or North Sydney Bears? Perhaps if they were kicked out of the competition it would put all their complaining in perspective, as they would no longer have a team to support.
For example, if the Cronulla Sharks were to be removed from the competition there would be a quick realisation that having a team to support is something to cherish as a sports fan.
So next time rugby league fans complain about the transport or the ticket prices, think about those who don’t even have a team to support in the first place. They don’t have the opportunity to see their team at home 12 times a year or get to watch them on TV when they’re away.
So could people complaining, please use a little bit of perspective for once.
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