Why should the fans show loyalty?

Good old Zorba hit the nail on the head a while back when he was asked about the criticism that was posted on social media about The Eagles by a lot of their fans. ''Cowards and dummies who don't know the game " is the crux of his response. To me this is the most annoying feature of these fans and it is the lack of insight into the club coupled with nonsensical abuse rather than the fair weather aspect. The aggressive and wrong declarations which are defended with ferocity and self importance are just hopeless. They would be incredibly interesting if they had any substance. My main point to the fans who make all sorts of dire predictions about a club and offer all sorts of abusive advice is -What is your track record of your abusive and detailed declarations to the club actually proving to be accurate? Plenty of posters to the Silvertails forum were saying last year that they were going to cancel their memberships because the club was heading down the gurgler. Trouble is this was all based on stupid predictions by silly fans. If you are a silly fan take a wander into the house of mirrors and have a look at yourself before unleashing nonsense.

Thankfully I read through the whole article because whenever I see the red bandana wearing dhead name attached to anything I usually tune out. Have to agree with The Barry and others. To be a die hard supporter you can only support one team. Through the good and the bad. 2010 was the best feeling ever, being the first premiership I remember for the dragons since I was born in 76. Player/coach loyalty is a thing of the past, and understandably so, it s all about the$$. I'm still dirty on Mark Gasnier to this day for going to France and taking money out of the cap so we couldn't sign Josh Morris and he went to the dogs, but unfortunately they all have to look after # 1 first!!! Still filthy on him though!!!

I think being a fair weather fan is reasonable. You give your team a little bit of grace, but you want them playing finals and you want them showing spirit you can relate to. Who exactly is signing up to be a fan of watching a team fail year in year out? Some teams are about being determined (rabbits, knights). Other teams are about winning. And teams like melbourne and the broncs are pretty good at making finals football and that has some relationship to high expectations. IF nothing else, success breeds expectation.

I used to be a wests magpies fan but when the NRL shafted them I switched to broncos only because of some friendships with fathers of broncos player's. This led to meeting the great man and have admired their style of football ever since and also the professional in the way they run their club.

Your not a fair weather supporter ,just a frustrated supporter. Every team goes through good and bad years and at least you are still sticking with the bulldogs.

I like it when bulldog's play at belmore. More atmosphere than at ANZ. Des's future doesn't look promising but in saying that I think your board should be held to some sort of account. In fact all board's when you look at titans problems and past infighting at tigers, manly. This would not have happened when Peter Moore was alive. I am not a dogs supporter but if they do pay des out some one should be held accountable.

Fair comment Big Daddy but I don't think that applies only to Souths and Canterbury fans or only to rugby league fans. Everyone gets better crowds when they're winning. Swans and Waratahs tickets are the hottest in town when they're winning. Not so much when they fall away. Look at the way the Raiders crowds picked up last year. I'll admit I'm less likely to go to a Bulldogs game at the moment. That doesn't mean I support the team any less from an emotional point of view, it's just I'm not wasting the 4-5 hours and hundred bucks it costs to go to games. I don't have unlimited funds for entertainment expenses for me or my family and I want value for money. I still watch every game. I still ride the roller coaster. I guess in the eyes of the diehard that sits in the rain and watches them week in week out that would make me a fair weather supporter. But I won't switch teams or pick up another team on the side.

At Work I am a massive fan of U.S Sports and they trade players all the time. Also Look at what Bennett did with Wally Lewis when he was sacked by the Broncos.

I'm with you there KingCowboy, I support a team and whoever is playing for them. I like it when there's some long standing guys but don't lose too much sleep with player movements. Players come and go but your club will always remain.

Trouble is the true fans will support their teams during the hard times. Truth is NRL fans are very fickle and once their teams are having a bad run or don't look like making semi's they drop off like flies and South's and Canterbury ( sorry the Barry) are a prime example evident by crowd last week. NRL continue to tell us membership is growing - that's true but that doesn't necessarily turn into getting people to games.

I don't support Players or coaches, I support a team, the Cowboys. I have found this year as enjoyable if not more enjoyable as despite our injuries, the boys are giving it everything. I think a lot of people these days are soft, when something goes wrong or get tough, they want to quit and make excuses!

Have to agree with this. At the moment with the injury crisis the Cowboys have, you really dig deep behind the team. Its a really fustrating but character building time. There is no way I could be having the sort of fustrating emotions if I followed the Cowboys and another team (particularly if that other team is winning). By supporting the one team you are strapped to the emotional roller coaster in times of turmoil and really only experience true elation in the success of your team. The 2014, 2015 and 2016 GF wins for example, you cant tell me someone who supports more than 1 team had the elation that Rabbitohs, Cowboys and Sharks only fans had.

Boycotting membership =/= Not supporting their team. Thats just a very direct way for The Kennel to let the board know they aren't happy.

If any of us in our employment had a competitor of a current employer offering more money or better conditions to switch jobs; we'd do it. We'd be mad not to. You can't blame players for wanting a better job or taking a better offer. But it is strange that Will Genia is having no input into the process. For supporters, it's not a job. We don't get paid; we pay. Those who support the club in hard times do it for a deeper loyalty than an employment contract. But what do we expect of our club in return? The bottom line is you pay and keep paying because you want to be there. But if you become disillusioned or unhappy, no-one can force you to stick around. And if you believe that your unhappiness is making others unhappy, it is best that you walk away.

If the Sharks miss out I usually find another team to get behind, but sometimes it's like choosing between cat poo and dog poo, either way poo is going to be the winner. I try to avoid backing anyone in the poo games.

Agree there.tb. For what its worth I'm picking Canberra to pull off the impossible.

I know what you mean Birdy. I might or might not, it depends on the storylines going into the semis. But there's a difference between following a team in the semis to make it interesting and actively following multiple teams or switching between teams.

The Barry and Conan, Conan your story is a photocopy of mine. I admit i struggle, even now with the tigers merger but have to admit I'll be a black and gold fan from the cradle to the grave. Right now I'm doing the sums on how to avoid the spoon. At the same time I'm looking for my underdog team to support and win the GF. That to me is normal . Surely you both do the same.

Great comment Conan.

Both of my grandfathers supported the Sharks when they became a team in the Shire, and this was passed down to both of my parents, who met in the Shire - I was born in the Shire. There has never, ever been an option of who to support, I have always been a Sharks supporter; I was born that way. I have left the Shire and had a family of my own, and all three of my lads are die-hard Sharks supporters. After many, many years of pain the Black, White and Blue were last year able to hoist the trophy and it was worth every minute of waiting. If I have to wait another 50 years to see it happen again it will be 50 years well spent. I don't understand bandwagon fans, and I don't want to. I like the way I do it :)