I’m not going to lie – seeing the Tigers fans give it to Ivan Cleary on Friday night was great to watch.
So much anger towards the man who left them back in 2018.
So much resentment towards the man who blew those infamous kisses when they met again.
They were ready. Locked and loaded with insults and hand gestures, desperate to give it back to Cleary. Thankfully for the Tigers’ faithful, they got the win and gave him everything they had.
Over the top? Maybe.
Deserved? You be the judge.
But did it confirm the importance of enemies and grudge matches in rugby league? Absolutely.
The game is fueled by feuds. It feeds on bitter rivalries. And we, the fans, soak it up and love every minute of it.
Many friendships have been made and broken over who goes for which team. Engagements called off and families torn apart over club loyalties. Okay, slight exaggeration, but I don’t think I’m too far off the mark.
Your team needs a mortal enemy. Players need to have an opponent that brings out something in them like no other. Fans need a team that, no matter who they are playing, they refuse to tip just out of spite.
Remember the old saying: “I support (insert team here) and whoever is playing Manly”?
Classic.
There have been some legendary rivalries that have lasted the test of time, and newer ones that are proving just as timeless.
Roosters and Rabbitohs
The oldest and still the best. The war between them started back in 1908. Money, boundaries, players jumping ship and loyal fans with long memories will ensure the bad blood will never die.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Paul ‘The Chief’ Harragon and Mark ‘Spud’ Carroll
Hatred. Just pure hatred between the two front-rowers. Always an explosive battle when they came together. And this paved the way for the rivalry between Newcastle and Manly that still stands today. The pinnacle, of course, being the epic 1997 grand final, won in the final seconds by the Knights.
Manly and Melbourne
These teams played back-to-back grand finals in 2007 and 2008, with each side claiming one. This should be enough to flair a rivalry, but they will forever be bitter rivals due to the infamous Battle of Brookevale in 2011.
The animosity between the teams had been bubbling away under the surface for the first half, and then it finally exploded into an all-in brawl. Players, trainers and officials found themselves caught up in the notorious fight. That game will go down in history, and that rivalry will live on forever.
Wests Tigers and James Tedesco
It always hurts when a beloved player leaves a club to join another. It is so much more painful when it is a local junior who has come through the ranks, who you just know is going to be a star and lead your team to a premiership, for them to turn around and sign with an enemy.
Tigers fans will never forgive Tedesco for moving across to the Roosters.
Parramatta and Canterbury
These two teams were strong rivals back in the ’80s, with many classic battles between them. Their rivalry ramped up again during the Super League War.
With the Bulldogs signing on with the new venture, the Eels stayed with the ARL. In doing so, they signed four legends from the Bulldogs – Jason Smith, Dean Pay, Jim Dymock and Jarrod McCracken. When all teams came back to one competition the following year, it started a whole new hatred between the sides.
Brisbane and North Queensland
For eight years, these two were the only teams in Queensland. With Brisbane being the older club, when the Cowboys joined the competition, a ‘big brother-little brother’ battle emerged.
The Broncos were always victorious at the start, but as the years went on, the matches began to even up. In the 2015 grand final, the Cowboys took out the ultimate bragging rights over their older sibling – winning one of the best deciders ever with a Johnathan Thurston field goal in golden point.
There are so many classic rugby league rivalries, I could keep you here all day.
Des Hasler and the Bulldogs, Wendell Sailor and Adam MacDougall, the Storm and the Sharks, Darius Boyd and pretty much everyone, the Sharks and the Dragons, Manly and Western Suburbs, and, of course, as we will see again this week: New South Wales and Queensland.
It is safe to say that the Tigers and Ivan Cleary have joined that list of bitter enemies.
And this ever-growing list is so important for the game. For as long as there are classic rivalries, the game will never die.
You will always hate the team that beat you in the grand final. You will always loath the player that broke your heart when they left your club. And you will always despise the coach who blew you kisses after he came back with his new team and won.
When you get one up on your arch nemesis, you let them know with everything you have.
Like the Tigers did. And it feels so good.
Roarers: what is your favourite rivalry of all time?
criag
Roar Rookie
When I was a kid and Souths were the top team, there may have been some rivalry, but I never experienced any real hatred between Souths and Easts. In the 60s Souths they were just this top team who were unbeatable. Phil Gould and Russell Crowe seemed to have helped foster the hatred (and Easts fans will tell you Crowe grew up in the Eastern Suburbs, but that's another argument). A lot of the reasons since for the hatred don't really cut it. Souths will accuse Roosters of stealing a player, Roosters will say they would've been a Roosters junior if Souths hadn't have stolen their junior area in the 50s etc, etc. But when it came to it, there were plenty of Roosters fans who marched in the streets when Souths were excluded from the comp and one (maybe it was me) marched up the front door of the NRL offices and left a little somthing of themselves on the glass.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
There are many fans from the other clubs that agree with you.
Paul
Roar Guru
You may well be right about Cook, but I was at that game and there's no way Reddy shouldn't have been marched. And that's coming from a Dragons fan
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
That was the 1977 grand final replay. Many believe Reddy should've been sent off that day as he was cautioned and penalised four times for slapping Price around the head. I've always argued that the referee, Gary Cook, showed leniency because he missed Ray Price dropping his knees onto Saints halfback Mark Shulman in the grand final the week before. Shulman's back was broken and he never played again.
Tony
Roar Guru
He certainly wouldn't be on the field too long under today's rules
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Yes. Rod - The Rockhampton Rocket - Reddy. I was in the Noble/Bradman stand and saw a Canterbury player go so close to scoring his head was on the tryline. Rocket was in position quickly but he couldn't help himself and stomped on his head. He was sent off.
Danielle Smith
Editor
That's good! Don't forget! Keep the rivalry going! That's what started it in the first place - your coach making sure the Tigers never forget. Sorry, you will get no sympathy from me. It seems the Panthers don't know how to make friends wherever they go - I don't think they will be getting a warm welcome from Canberra the way they behaved earlier in the year. You can't act poorly and then not like it when it comes back at you.
Fred
Guest
You've got no idea, the lone fan who was ejected by police at Leichhardt was a PAMFERS fan, and a woman at that. If you can't handle a bit of banter at a coach who did a canine act towards the Tigers club, you are pretty soft. And every Tigers v Panthers match I've ever been to in Penrith has had as many Tigers fans as Penrith fans, it's almost a home game for us, so I doubt we'll be concerned about your 'warm welcome'. Unlike Panthers fans, Tigers fans actually attend away matches.
Paul
Roar Guru
hated the Wombat. Gee he was a good player
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
They had to contend with the gold plated Graham Eadie.
He who laughs last !
Guest
There’s rivalry’s, then there’s ridiculous behaviour. Yelling abuse at players ( even those on the sideline ), Penrith supporters, threatening players, throwing cans at Penrith supporters. The constant verbal abuse of Penrith staff, coaches . Plus the regular hand signals. After they’d already done the verbal abuse & hand signals last season. This is what your Tiger supporters have become. Then those reporting on it laughing & thinking this was just a joke. No one from Penrith is going to forget & neither are the supporters. A warm welcome to Penrith is assured, for all The Tigers , staff & supporters. :thumbdown: Come The last round!
Succhi
Roar Rookie
Wally Lewis and the whole of NSW
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Yeah I’d remembered that abit after I’d sent. Good old Brian smith. It can almost come from nothing, then fade away a few years latter. I’ve read the Harigan and spud one wasn’t all hate and sort of come out of no where. I think they even bunked together tours. I was at that big ‘collision’, one or both laying on ground, I think it knocked spud hard.
Paul
Roar Guru
"They were possibly lacking one champion player." Never really had a gold standard fullback in that era.
matth
Roar Guru
It was really Brian Smith vs the Broncos, after the Broncs vs. St George grand finals. Once Smith left, it died down. Broncos main rivalries are Melbourne, Cowboys and St George.
Paul
Roar Guru
I was only a young fella when he was starting up and he used to scare the s**t out of me. Remember seeing him in the old Brewongle Stand at the SCG, screaming & yelling, veins popping - and the Dragons were winning!
Tony
Roar Guru
The skull. Now there's a blast from the past.
Paul
Roar Guru
If we go back a bit further, the rivalry after the 1963 Grand Final between Wests and St George was legendary for a time. Of course everyone wanted to beat the Dragons in those days and Wests thought they had in that game. Or maybe the rivalry was between Wests and Darcy Lawlor.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi Forty Twenty. Manly vs Parra a pretty big one. Became a version of one of the most successful advertisements ever, what’s bigger in Australia then a beer ad, which only needs the opening words for many of a certain age to recognise. I still use it today. ‘Here we go again…’. Some rivalries also sort of fade. The eels had a big one against the Bronco’s late 90’s/00’s, the eels not really up to bronco’s level but did ok with an ok level. Now days I don’t think it talked about on tele really.
Paul
Roar Guru
I went to one of the last games the North Sydney played at Bear Park against the mighty Dragons. They put a cricket score on us, with Florimo leading the way. I was watching Skull and the Dragons fans cohort leaving, thinking "it's going to be on", but they marched out singing "we scored the last try! we scored the last try", which the Dragons did. Even the Bears fans had to laugh.