We all have favourite players we love and revere.
These bonds are unbreakable and are forged within single moments that stay with us forever.
It could be a last gasp field goal to win a match, an against the odds chip and charge that sets up a try and opens the floodgates for an historical comeback, an out of nowhere intercept in the last, dying seconds.
The flipside of the coin is that we also have players we downright hate and, likewise, once we form an opinion of these players, we rarely change our minds.
These players are usually identified as ‘grubs’. It’s a pretty general term, but one that’s clearly understood among fans.
The world of the grub is by no means cut and dried. It’s a layered hierarchy with subtle, interwoven intricacies worthy of a David Attenborough doco. Within this world, we can broadly identify three main categories of ‘grub.’
Level 1
Illegal, physical play type grub
(well known practitioners – Les Boyd, John Hopoate)
Level 2
Legal but cheap shot play type grub
(well known practitioners – Rod Reddy, Josh McGuire)
Level 3
Legal, but carries on like a pork chop type grub
(well known practitioners – Michael Hancock, Michael Ennis).
Regardless of which strata the grub inhabits, these guys just really get under our skin and piss us off.
Of course one supporter’s ‘grub’ is another supporter’s champion. That’s why you find yourself sitting on the couch railing at every low act you see Josh McGuire perpetrate and why your friend sitting next to you, and an avid Broncos fan, hails Josh McGuire as a pusher of boundaries who you want next to you in the trenches fighting for your life.
I recall being mortified when in 2002 Justin Hodges joined the Roosters, the team I support. I hated Hodges with a passion and for the next three years I changed.
Slowly but surely I started subtly softening my view on Hodges. It was quite scary. I knew it was happening, but there’s was nothing I could do about it.
He went from being an irascible prick to a cheeky larrikin. I’d see him slip in a quick uppercut in a tackle and rationalise that the guy on the receiving end must have said something about Hodges’ mother and had it coming.
For every grubby act I witnessed, I started giving him the benefit of the doubt, looking the other way, and pretending that I didn’t see what I knew I saw.
As soon as he went back to the Broncos in 2005, I reverted quicker than the wink of a Greg Bird eye.
So what do you do when a player you’ve always considered to be a part of the ‘grub’ club joins your team?
Do you suddenly wipe the slate clean, go into denial, seek counselling, or stick to your opinion and continue to berate them even though they’re now part of your team?
kimboinbrisbane
Roar Rookie
You should be careful of the comments you make. This one should lead to defamation action. Show the "evidence " instead of attempting to ruin a person's reputation
Rob
Guest
Without the roids and peptides I don't think Gallen would have lasted 12 months before 1990? He would have been bashed out of the game. A sook with little football brains. Hodges, B.Ellias, Fafita and Blair would stop my support. Reynolds walks a fine line but he's a pest trying his best more than a Grub.
madmax
Guest
Ennis & Gallen would have to be the 2 biggest grubs to lace on a boot closely followed by J Reynolds. I wish both Ennis & Gallen played in the Les Boyd era..........they'd be spending most of their time in casualty lolol.
Sideline Comm.
Guest
I feel like putting Maloney and Fifita in the same sentence is a bit rough. Jimmy is just a scamp, whereas Fifita seems like a proper moral loose cannon.
Doogs
Guest
that is true. we all do it and cannot see it from our own team. However as much as I am a massive QLD fan I was amazed at how much Cameron Smith annoyed the hell out of Paul Gallen in the first origin. Niggly stuff. The ref did nothing which was odd.
Doogs
Guest
That being said I admire their skill even if I am not fond of them
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
Poor Form... poor form......
Doogs
Guest
I felt Cronulla has the grub market covered with Ennis, Maloney, Fifita and Gallen. However, the Roar does not have much to say about them. In fact, they generally come out in support of them. I wonder why that is. I'll brace myself for the backlash for even suggesting it.
Zedman
Roar Rookie
The Dragons have been relatively free of the grubby types, Jeremy Smith did a few unsavoury things and i think Jason Ryles was just plain good old stoopid. Most fans go into denial about the grubbiness if their team is winning.
Craig
Guest
Never liked Ennis when he came to the Broncos. Was happy to see him go to be honest.
Squidward
Roar Rookie
I still abuse them from the stand. I don't really care. Will cheer a try but that's a far as it goes. As a shark I actually liked Ennis as a bulldog as I do now with Josh Reynolds. I find their play throughly entertaining to watch. Disliked Ferguson at Cronulla at the time. Always trying to fight ppl after fair hard tackles. Dislike him even more now since he has disgraced himself
Squidward
Roar Rookie
generally unpleasant stuff for a long time that's not really news worthy
Remo Shankar
Roar Pro
The main angle of my article is more about how we as supporters have to respond when a player we don't like joins the team we support...
Remo Shankar
Roar Pro
Andrew, with Cameron Smith, it's mainly facials, but because he's one of the few players to use Nivea face cream when he gives a facial, many players actually look forward to receiving them.
Tigranes
Guest
Look at Terry Lamb - Bulldogs legend, but if you ask most Tigers fans, he would easily fall into a Category 1 grub. And yet...guess who was appointed as the inaugural coach for the Wests Tigers....
P.Marlowe
Guest
Is that Corey Parker? What off field incidents has he been in?
Squidward
Roar Rookie
Don't forget the off-field grubs Eg. James Roberts, Blake Ferguson, Carney, Parker, Dylan Walker, Fifita
Roarsome
Guest
Still banging that drum? Don't let emotion and some manipulative journalism cloud what the players knew then and knew now. The hatchet was buried a while a go.
Cugel
Roar Rookie
Whilst no grubby connotations, it was always a slightly bitter pill to swallow when an ex-Eel joined the Eagles, and now had to be liked.
Cugel
Roar Rookie
Rocket was a niggle merchant, and along with Sir Constable Craig Young first picked in Pest XIII