I AM an "Old Magpie"!!
I started following them and going to just about every Campbelltown, Lidcombe Oval, the odd "Return to Pratten Park", the mid week & pre season games at Leichhardt & most away games in Sydney + Newcastle & Canberra away games when they joined the comp plus one or two away games at Lang Park since 1972.
I helped raise money for the Magpies (under Rick Wayde's direction) at Burwood & Strathfield Rail Stations & Shopping Malls, I helped out at the mega money raising concert at Lidcombe & marched in the protest march when the powers that be tried to kick us out.I even had a pet Magpie called Russell (whom I named after Russel Wyer after finding him "rustling" in the shrubs of my garden).
BUT, despite my ongoing love of the Magpies I have now embraced the joint venture fully, even after having rows with former Balmain fans and getting (unfairly in my opinion ) kicked off this very forum when I was just Tigerdazz (hence my new tag Tigerdazz2).
After 25 years I feel the joint venture can be and should be one of the premier franchises in the NRL, with one of the biggest fan bases.
As I said in my post you quoted, there's now two generations of Wests Tigers fans who have never been fans of either of the foundation clubs and have only known & followed the Wests Tigers.
Sure the Magpie side of the JV holds the purse strings, but they should fully embrace the joint venture, it's full very real potential for greatness and reap the benefits of what a united, successful club (both on field & financially) provides.