I grew up playing (as an amateur) and watching Rugby League. The first game I recall watching live was an Amco Cup game at the SFS where Easts hosted Brisbane. Oh it was a spectacular contest and I went home loving rugby league even more. From that moment on, my younger Brother supported Easts. Me on the other hand was just happy to watch every team play. Played in the Balmain district but I’d struggle to want to associate myself with a side doing so poorly so I chose not to exclusively support the Balmain Tigers. I didn’t have the same emotional attachment to them as some of my mates had. I liked mostly watching the Raiders and the Bulldogs but wouldn’t lean to either of those two teams because my local team was still the Tigers. So I officially became a ‘whole of ARL supporter’ and not a supporter of any particular team.
Over the late 90s and the 2000s I would attend games Leichhardt, Parramatta Stadium, Campbelltown, ANZ but it wasn’t until about 2003- 2004 that I became a Wests Tigers supporter. Up until that year I’d casually tag along just enjoying the spectacle of rugby league. Rode the lows of the early seasons and experienced the greatest high of 2005. Watched 2006 and 2007 with great anticipation only to watch the team fail in the final quarter of the season. 2008 and 2009 started with some promise but a whole heap of inconsistency and in the case of 2009 finished with a real bag. 2010 and 2011 were great years, by that stage I’d moved out of home and moved West into Panthers territory. From then on Penrith became another interest of mine. I would attend the occasional Penrith game, but I still stayed true to the tigers. Funny in 2010 both sides were flying. Unfortunately for the Panther 2011 was as bad as many of their other common years and 2012 they hit rock bottom. So there was no harm in keeping tabs with the Local battler. But then that man Gus and his counter part Ivan changed everything in 2011 the Panthers had Enough. Sacked Elliot and quickly looked for a suitable replacement. In Ivan. 2012 Ivan started the season like Todd Payton at the Cowboys putting everyone on notice and moving on whoever didn’t want to confirm and the Panthers started to grow. Of course the Tigers weren’t doing as bad at that stage so I was never tempted to sway allegiances.
But the years went on, they improved we declined. We recruited Mick Potter, a hard nosed coach whom would put strong focus on our junior development and start to build our side from the ground up. I would watch 2013, 2014, cheering on our young Cubs in Sironen, Moses, Teddy and Brooks convinced that this is only growing into a very good future and would start to back them as our lifeblood. But then part way 2014 rumblings occurred, the young kids and old kids started to doubt the coaching strategy and shortly after the club believed them.
I personally feel that during 2011/2012 that Sheens plan and the playing group were hopeful that Todd Payton would be appointed our head coach. But instead Potter was appointed and following his sacking another coach with a reputation for enforcing change of culture was appointed.
Taylor and potter through those seasons had the youngest WT sides that have existed and persevered in their own way of kicking off we aren’t rebuilding, rebuild.
The last year of Taylor. After the players finally adapting to Taylor’s style and in turn Taylor loosening up his structure we had a much more promising end to a season in 2016. Once again it all came down to the final match and we were no match. But the boys were ready to shake that off and head into 2017 with confidence. 2017 started and talk that Tedesco was about to resign on a long term deal had everyone buzzing, the toxicity of RF had left the club and we came out round 1 firing. How quickly highs and smugness of the board convinced that Farah was the problem for all our wrong doings was turned around after 2 big defeats and then Round 4 that was it. Taylor was gone.
Talk of Ivan coming and I was ecstatic that He was recruited as I noted earlier, he was one of the key factors in Penrith now reversing their Fortunes and was one of the most relatable likeable coaches on the market.
Talk of his boy coming over started to get the tongue s wagging and any poor result on the field was offset by the promise of a much brighter future just around the corner.
But he couldn’t get his Son to leave his mates and nepotism happened thus him leaving us with a new bombshell. And we started again. A hard nosed coach with a determination to change the way we approach the game and build our systems from the ground up.
Now here we are, repeating 2012-2013, 2014-2015 and 2017-2018 again only 3 years on in 2021. The only difference is our young future is full of kids that have been recruited from other sides and have no emotional attachment to either Campbelltown and or Leichhardt.
It feels like 2017 but worse much worse.
Sorry the question is am I a bad supporter because every game I attend and support the Tigers I’m one game closer to giving away following this losing organisation and jumping on the Panthers bandwagon. I’m pretty sure my Brother made the right decision all those years ago when he told me I want to follow a successful team that’s why I chose the Roosters.
As Paul Kent quoted that one bloke on the hill that shouted out during the cowboys match. “Do you know how hard it is to follow youse “
Over the late 90s and the 2000s I would attend games Leichhardt, Parramatta Stadium, Campbelltown, ANZ but it wasn’t until about 2003- 2004 that I became a Wests Tigers supporter. Up until that year I’d casually tag along just enjoying the spectacle of rugby league. Rode the lows of the early seasons and experienced the greatest high of 2005. Watched 2006 and 2007 with great anticipation only to watch the team fail in the final quarter of the season. 2008 and 2009 started with some promise but a whole heap of inconsistency and in the case of 2009 finished with a real bag. 2010 and 2011 were great years, by that stage I’d moved out of home and moved West into Panthers territory. From then on Penrith became another interest of mine. I would attend the occasional Penrith game, but I still stayed true to the tigers. Funny in 2010 both sides were flying. Unfortunately for the Panther 2011 was as bad as many of their other common years and 2012 they hit rock bottom. So there was no harm in keeping tabs with the Local battler. But then that man Gus and his counter part Ivan changed everything in 2011 the Panthers had Enough. Sacked Elliot and quickly looked for a suitable replacement. In Ivan. 2012 Ivan started the season like Todd Payton at the Cowboys putting everyone on notice and moving on whoever didn’t want to confirm and the Panthers started to grow. Of course the Tigers weren’t doing as bad at that stage so I was never tempted to sway allegiances.
But the years went on, they improved we declined. We recruited Mick Potter, a hard nosed coach whom would put strong focus on our junior development and start to build our side from the ground up. I would watch 2013, 2014, cheering on our young Cubs in Sironen, Moses, Teddy and Brooks convinced that this is only growing into a very good future and would start to back them as our lifeblood. But then part way 2014 rumblings occurred, the young kids and old kids started to doubt the coaching strategy and shortly after the club believed them.
I personally feel that during 2011/2012 that Sheens plan and the playing group were hopeful that Todd Payton would be appointed our head coach. But instead Potter was appointed and following his sacking another coach with a reputation for enforcing change of culture was appointed.
Taylor and potter through those seasons had the youngest WT sides that have existed and persevered in their own way of kicking off we aren’t rebuilding, rebuild.
The last year of Taylor. After the players finally adapting to Taylor’s style and in turn Taylor loosening up his structure we had a much more promising end to a season in 2016. Once again it all came down to the final match and we were no match. But the boys were ready to shake that off and head into 2017 with confidence. 2017 started and talk that Tedesco was about to resign on a long term deal had everyone buzzing, the toxicity of RF had left the club and we came out round 1 firing. How quickly highs and smugness of the board convinced that Farah was the problem for all our wrong doings was turned around after 2 big defeats and then Round 4 that was it. Taylor was gone.
Talk of Ivan coming and I was ecstatic that He was recruited as I noted earlier, he was one of the key factors in Penrith now reversing their Fortunes and was one of the most relatable likeable coaches on the market.
Talk of his boy coming over started to get the tongue s wagging and any poor result on the field was offset by the promise of a much brighter future just around the corner.
But he couldn’t get his Son to leave his mates and nepotism happened thus him leaving us with a new bombshell. And we started again. A hard nosed coach with a determination to change the way we approach the game and build our systems from the ground up.
Now here we are, repeating 2012-2013, 2014-2015 and 2017-2018 again only 3 years on in 2021. The only difference is our young future is full of kids that have been recruited from other sides and have no emotional attachment to either Campbelltown and or Leichhardt.
It feels like 2017 but worse much worse.
Sorry the question is am I a bad supporter because every game I attend and support the Tigers I’m one game closer to giving away following this losing organisation and jumping on the Panthers bandwagon. I’m pretty sure my Brother made the right decision all those years ago when he told me I want to follow a successful team that’s why I chose the Roosters.
As Paul Kent quoted that one bloke on the hill that shouted out during the cowboys match. “Do you know how hard it is to follow youse “
