Let’s face it, no matter how much you love a sport there’s always going to be a bloke paid to play it who makes you want to spear-tackle the telly out the living room window.
Often this is with good reason. Maybe he’s the sort of bloke who changes into his Speedos and looks for the ten-metre tower if brushed nanoseconds after kicking the ball.
Maybe he’s the bloke who follows the ref around like a lost two year old at the Easter show permanently looking like he’s about to burst into tears.
Maybe he’s just an ugly menacing caveman who would be making threats to the metalwork teacher in Silverwater penitentiary if he wasn’t playing footy.
Or, maybe he’s just a successful young man quietly going about his business in the rough and tumble world of professional rugby league.
Come again?
Yes that’s right, despite the prevalence of a tonne of players more evil than Skeletor playing in the NRL, many fans choose to boo the game’s more vanilla players. This issue was again brought to the forefront this week with the sniping surrounding Braith ‘Most Over-rated’ Anasta’s signing with Wests Tigers.
While the issues of whether or not Anasta has passed his prime or even reached his potential have been well debated, it’s surprising that he induced that much bile. He can string a few words together, has managed to string more than a few glamours, and isn’t a particularly grubby player.
You could argue that this is just petty jealousy from angry under-fed fantasy footy trolls, but it’s not that simple.
If the saying is that perception is nine tenths of the truth, inject this saying with a bunch of ‘roids and feed it raw meat five times a day and you have the rugby league fan’s perception of players.
Fans get to freely choose who they want to champion and who they want to hate, sometimes for the most trivial of reasons. It doesn’t matter how many times the Daily Planet runs a photo of Braith handing out free spray tan vouchers to the Bondi homeless. If he milked a penalty against your team in the 28th minute of round 13, 2005, then there’s a good chance you’ve got this clip in your favourites list.
I’ve always found it fascinating some of the players people have grudges against. I have a mate who has an irrational hatred of Steve Menzies. Steve Menzies?! Most people wouldn’t brake if an octogenarian wearing a Manly jersey was crossing the road, yet Tom Raudonikis would give Beaver his last Winnie Red and first-born cattle dog. The bloke is 56 years old and still going round.
Another bloke I work with turns into a frothing madman at the very mention of Peter Wallace – and he’s a Broncos fan. Never quite got over that field goal he kicked in 2007 against Brisbane, and still can’t bring himself to read any Ginger Meggs comic strips.
Two seemingly agreeable, nice-guy players, yet despised to the point of stomach ulcers by two otherwise normal contributing members of society for trivial reasons.
Ridiculous? Yes. Irrational? Yes. But understandable? Absolutely. There’s no grudge like a footy fan’s grudge, and if the game is built on rivalries, why should it just be the players who have all the fun?
Unlike the pumped-up players who get to line up a bloke they don’t like, we’re forced to stew in the stands as some smug pretty boy goes over for a double against our team.
So as part of a community service today here at the Roar we’re going to give you the opportunity to clear your conscience. To vent. If you’ve got an irrational hatred of any particular player, please take the time to write down your feelings, get it off your chest.
You’ll feel better for doing it, and all are welcome to contribute.
That is except you, Matt Hilder from the Newcastle Knights. I don’t care for you very much at all.
Follow Chris on Twitter: Vic_Arious@twitter.com
Gazza
Guest
Jarryd Hayne and Marshall i dont hate them personally but the way the media has hyped them and when people idolise Benji as the best player in the game when Slater, Locky and JT are still playing
Mac
Guest
Sam Third man in Thaiday, Cameron Smith, Greg Inglis. I Can't stand Sam Thaiday because of his cheap shots in origin, Cam Smith becuase he is so damn good and beats every team I support and Greg Inglis get's up my nose because he turned his back on NSW and now carves us up every origin series...Isaac luke is a Thug and never been a fan of him either...
john
Guest
i agree i thought making him captain was just in hope they wouldnt penalise him as much.
GC Tiger
Guest
I suppose you will act the same when you find out the easter bunny isn't real either.
Dean - Surry Hills
Guest
What happens when the player you dislike the most just happens to be playing in the team that you'd wage a war for ? One word, and it angers me even to tap it out via a keyboard - let say his name aloud. Mundine. Picture me saying it as Homer would say.........................Flanders.
Andy Crapp
Guest
I know things are getting desperate up there on the Gold Coast, but please, lay off the glue !
PLANKO
Guest
I agree he has been a tool. But I challenge anyone to go off the drink for 6 months. Surrond yourself with alcohol and not drink. Have all of your mates around you drinking and keep saying no. The raiders had every right to can him. What did he do wrong at the Roosters not much that was public ... He blew 0.05 big deal. I know he was on his P's but shit to say he has not drastically improved since the days at the Raiders is utter crap.
Mel
Guest
Nice article, gave me a giggle
Paul
Guest
Todd Carney, After what he said about being at a club that treats him as a human being, I have no respect for that bloke. The roosters bent over backward to get him back in the game, The raiders tried but he wouldnt accept their terms, This bloke is a Sook who wants to blame everybody else for his problems. If a blokes gettin paid like he was/is then surely you can follow the guidelines becuase your employer is under scrutin, and your upsetting the sponsors. Its prob why the sharks dont have a sponsor becuase this idiot is a trainwreck waiting to happen.
apaway
Guest
Great laugh, Chris, excellent stuff. Time for some spleen-venting: Used to hate and detest Billy Slater for all the reasons already mentioned but he redeemed himself last year in the Battle of Brookvale by taking care of a seriously injured David Williams. Ray Price: dirty, hair-pulling, eye gougiing cat (Note, I have no evidence that he EVER did those things but this is an IRRATIONAL rant, is it not?) And he was very very good and played for the arch-enemy Eels Michael Crocker: Overrated thug. Craig Field: What, you have to ASK why?
Pete75
Guest
Ah! Chris Flannery. Otherwise known as Mr. Rent-a-Crap.
GC Tiger
Guest
I could name 10 players with similar stats or better, Big mal, Brad Fittler, Laurie Daily, wally lewis, Alan langer and the list goes on. maybe you should take your head out of your brother arse (assuming I'm talking to Matt Johns) and look around. He was not crap for NSW or OZ like I said but certainly wasn't the best or even close.
Rusty
Guest
Cheers big John, I think my anger had warped it over time.
phillbrett68
Roar Rookie
if they had any sense they would get rid of the drug tainted johns but the only reason they keep him is because he said i used drugs he is anything but a champion anyone who uses or used drugs to gain an enhancement in sport is a 3 times loser and a real coward if you cant do it without using drugs you must not be very good
the womp
Guest
Chris Flannery. What an absolute plank. Played 5 positions all equally as rubbishly. How he ever got a start in Origin is a mystery worthy of an x-files episode.
phillbrett68
Roar Rookie
biggest whinger in the game use to be geoff toohvey i ao glad that little upstart is off the field which is great it is awesome i am so happy he is off the field
Mickyt
Guest
Won a premiership koncking out Hanley. I am a Manly fan and it was sickening.
Hillbilly
Guest
Any player with the last name Stewart,Hancock,Wally after the golly,Thurston,Toovey,Wizz,Bella,Hunt,Muscat,Greg Chapell.
jamesb
Guest
I think it comes down to the players you hate the most are often very good players. Sportsman like Allan Langer, Curtly Ambrose, Michael Schumacher (in his prime), Charles Barkley, Martin Bella, Arjuna Ranatunga, Alvaro Recoba, Eric Cantona, Carlos Spencer, Danny Morrison, used to hate 'em all with a passion. But I miss them!
Big john
Guest
Spreading my hatred wide here, but here goes. Phil Gould , hatred is not a strong enough word. Thank you ABC radio, so i do not have to listen to that idiot. David Gallop and whoever else at the NRL decided to allow feeding the ball to the lock. Craig Bellamy, ease up mate, you'll have a heart attack Peter FitzSimons, yes I know he is Union, but middle aged men who wear bandanas deserve to be hated. Anthony Watmough, because he throws the ball away when tackled, and the refs fall for it nearly every time. Cheat. Johns , both of them. For every reason mentioned by other contributors. Ben Ikin , ordinary player and makes Lockyer sound good as a sideline commentator. Peter Wallace. Most players have 5 shocking games a season. Wallace has 5 reasonable games, the rest are shockers. Why Brisbane signed him up again, when they had the opportunity to flick him, is a mystery to me. Jonathon Thurston. Arrogant , thoroughly unpleasant lowlife. Gets paid a fortune and dresses worse than a bloke on $1 an hour. I used to live in Townsville, and plenty of people up there feel the same way. Re Rustys comment about Thurston, I think the match you recall, ended with him throwing a forward pass to a support player, when he could easily have run in himself and scored, and won the game.