What does it really mean to be a true and loyal sports fan?

Nice piece Jess, thanks.

If anybody wants the read and digest The Sporting & Rugby League’s equivalent of the “Rocky Movies” support my boyhood club in the UK. The once Mighty Bradford Bulls. We’ve had more than our share of Great High’s and dramatic Low’s. Bankrupted and down in the Sixties. Top of the tree for couple of years in 80’s. On the arrival of Super League in the late 90’s we were ones to push and pioneer the sport. Great times were had. We we’re one top sides in the World. A match on our day for anybody in RL. Then our chairman over speculated on a player (I.Harris) we all thought we didn’t need and “bingo the wheels fell off”. Our sky fell in well and truely. The beginning of the end Or NOT? My beloved Bradford Northern has always produced great players. The best of all “ The Majestic one” The one and only“- “Ellery Hanley”. The greatest player, I’ve ever seen. 55 tries in one season in a relatively poor side at the time. His record speaks for itself. Two seasons in Oz and Terry Lamb had to break his jaw to stop him? The guy could still” kill it in NRL”. During the Bradford Bulls era we’ve gone Bang (bankrupt ) more times than “Soft Mick”. But still the Club will rise again. It always does, “ I believe that will happen, sooner than later? Well that’s what makes a true fan!! The plus’s for me. Our product line. NRL variety:- Sam Burgress George Burgess Tom Burgess Elliot Whitehead Joe Wardle & John Bateman After watching Bradford since,I was eight years old home and away from 1978 till, I moved to Perth in 2012, I think I’m a good judge of being a true supporter. Keep the faith Jess. PS. Please all support in our aim & desire for a Perth team. NRL needs one here to make it a truely National game.

My Collingwood friend once said to me "Being a Sydney boy I thought you'd now follow the Swans". I replied that I'm a St.George boy and I rate all Sydney teams as the enemy, some greater than others" or something like that. StG backwards means Greater than Sydney.

Manly were always a strong club after their first year which was a success because they avoided the spoon by one point. They played in their first grand final a few years later. Apart from having trouble with Balmain and Souths they were always good and when they got Bob Fulton they became contenders. One of the most exciting games I have seen was in 1966 against Saints. Manly spent 20 minutes or so of constant possession being repelled by Saints brick wall defence. Then Saints got the ball and raced up field looking try bound when Kevin Ryan threw a loose pass, while being tackled, and the ball was picked up by Nick or Fred Yakich who raced away to score the winning try. Manly were also unlucky in the 1968 grand final when Bill Bradstreet was knocked out by Ron Coote after playing the ball. Coote should've been sent off but as Col Pearce was a Souths fan he cautioned and penalised him.

Yeeep. I was introduced to RL in the early 90's, so I'm pushing 30 years as a Parra supporter. I've watched (replays) of some of our premierships, but am yet to see one live. I'm really enjoying this year, and we're definitely a top 4 side on form to date. Amongst the Roosters, Panthers, Storm. Ive already suspended the use of our unofficial saying (yeah, but next year) and maybe, just maybe, we can brake our draught. GO THE EELS.

100% with you there. It's one of the reasons I'm enjoying this season so much. It's the first time in my 15 years of following league where the Eels have been one of the dominant teams. After 2010-2013, the salary cap scandal of '16, and the spoon in '18, this has been a welcome change of pace.

Exactly, even when my Roosters collected the spoon I still enjoyed the odd outing at the footy watching my team. They would get beaten up but they were my footy team wearing my colours.

Same with football. Small tip for all the kiddies out there, don't buy a jersey with a players number on it from your favourite team until they retire.

Try sitting in the stands almost every home game for three years watching the Knights collect wooden spoon after wooden spoon.

A very well written article, Jess; and an opinion that more people need to share. To be quite frank, I look upon “fans” of the Broncos that have decided to abandon the club with disgust. You don’t stop supporting your club when things turn sour; that shows you to be nothing more than a fair-weather fan. You support your club through everything, good or bad. Besides that, since the turn of the millennium the Broncos have won two premierships, only missed the finals twice (three as of this year barring a miracle), and won exactly zero wooden spoons. With the greatest of respect, Brisbane fans, you have bugger all to complain about. If you’re ditching your club because of one bad season, then frankly the club is better off without you.

When they kicked my team Glebe Dirty Reds out of the comp in 1929 Because Souths and Balmain wanted our district and juniors I was Filthy. Not long after as a 10yr old or so my family moved to Paddington and it wasn't long that I started following the Eastern Suburbs Tri Colours, better known these days as the Sydney Roosters. We really clicked in the mid 30's with Dave Brown winning 3 comps and two during the war. Many lean years were had until the 70's but those early years gave us hope for a revival. I will die a beloved Rooster.

Hope you can feel for us poor Doggie fans lol, but like you, I am in for the long haul, good luck today to both our teams.

the first year I followed Easts (The Tricolours as they were known then) they lost every game then Master Coach Gibson took over & took them to the semis the following season. I have a theory. If you become a supporter during the dark times you fully appreciate any future successes.Conversely if you enjoy success from the outset your expectations are higher & failures are harder to accept as you psychologically compare the team with "the good old days". Thoughts.

Sadly rings true, but brightened up at the mighty Magpies. Original club of the awesome Mal Meninga, Gary Belcher, Peter Jackson and Bruce Astill. Who wouldn't be proud. And wasn't it ex-Magpie Chris Phelan who (when he went to Parra) started the NRL trend of stockings/skins to help him with chafing? And even though it looked ridiculous to the eyes of the time, no-one was game to say a word about it to him, he had such a fearsome reputation. Misty eyed nostalgia. Maybe that's a sort of loyalty too.

I personally dont think anyone should be having passionate support for a modern franchise. They are different entities than the old clubs we used to support, even when the Broncs started. Back then these teams represented where you came from with many local juniors in your team. Double so for rep teams. Now it is a business, a corporate investment. The franchises, and the sporting bodies even talk about supporters as cosumers. Modern professional sport only serves society in two ways that I can see, as entertainment (as seen when missing during the pandemic) and as a small insperation to kids to excercise. The community building and social aspect isn't really there anymore and as a representation of your local area, that ceased a long time ago. For these reasons I am only passive in my support of the Broncs now, I am more passionate about South Brisbane and far more passionate about one of the last true rep teams left, the QLD maroons. Society has changed, sport is a business and a more souless one for that change.

It means its your team until death.