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Browsing through Wikipedia the other night (when I should have been studying), I stumbled upon something that surprised me. It was a quote from a previous administrator of rugby league in Australia.
“There’s no doubt Parramatta have the biggest following in our game” the then General Manager of the NSWRL, John Quayle, told the Sydney Morning Herald in 1987.
I found it surprising on a number of fronts.
Firstly, how does one exactly determine how many supporters a club has? Roy Morgan attempt to do it and according to them the Melbourne Storm and the Sydney Swans are the two most supported clubs in their respective cities, which isn’t exactly the case.
How does one even determine who a fan is? I’m a ‘fan’ of Sydney FC, but that doesn’t mean I watch or go to any of their games, I didn’t even watch their final against Wellington, but I’m still a ‘fan’. If they had made the grand final, I might have watched. On the other hand if Parramatta was in a final, I would structure my day around ensuring I went to the game or at least watched it on the big screen. But according to statistics, I’m a ‘fan’ of both clubs.
I also found John’s comments about Parramatta’s supporter base a reminder of what the club used to be and the position it currently finds itself in. I suppose that a side’s position on the ladder isn’t an indication of how many supporters they have, but the club has certainly slipped down in the rugby league pecking order.
Parramatta still has a very sizeable supporter base. 30,000 on Friday night against the Bulldogs suggests they can always pull a crowd and attract television, ratings no matter what their position on the ladder is, but the most supported club in the competition? That claim can no longer be made.
The Broncos are clearly the most supported and have probably held that title at least since the early 90’s, perhaps from their inception.
What about in Sydney? Are the Eels the most supported Sydney rugby league team anymore or has their mantle been passed on to some of their opposition? Perhaps it’s been moved on to the famous St. George (Illawarra), or the revitalised and well run Canterbury-Bankstown. Perhaps it’s the joint venture of the Western Suburbs Magpies and Balmain Tigers.
Who is the number one Sydney rugby league club in terms of supporters?
Can you even determine that? What determines a fan?
If Parramatta wins a premiership, can they re-claim their title as rugby league’s number one club the way that Collingwood has in the AFL, or is it somebody else’s title now?
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