@Telltails said in [Balmain Leagues Club](/post/1055717) said:
@diedpretty said in [Balmain Leagues Club](/post/1055682) said:
@jirskyr " Plenty of pundits call us Wests as well as “the Tigers”." You could count the number of times that has happened in the last 20 years on one hand. Its either Tigers or Wests Tigers very rarely just Wests. But that is not really the point. You say Balmain are virtually left with nothing and in reality that is right but in the perception of other fans and a lot of the media its all Balmain. You have morons like Roach who continually call the team Balmain - and no one pulls him up. And he is not the only one who does it. And that's what upsets most ex magpie supporters. Its the same with the spiritual home ground rubbish. Leichhardt is not Wests Tigers spiritual home ground. We have so many home grounds how can one be a spiritual one. It was Balmains spiritual home ground - and yet this rubbish keeps getting trotted out every time we play there.
I don't really care if the magpie is on the jersey or not, We are Wests Tigers and its a great brand. This whole proposal is about strengthening that brand and also as a business decision by WA to increase their assets. But to make this a great brand this bs of a rebadged Balmain has to stop - and I will continually call people out on it.
I havnt heard Roach refer to the team as Balmain recently, but understand that would be irritating if he did, for not only WTs supporters but also old Magpie supporters. Equally I have found Roy Masters articles to be divisive and very anti the Balmain side of the JV. Old habits die hard I guess.
Yeah I haven't heard anyone call us Balmain for at least 15 years I reckon. They did used to do it a lot in the first 5 years or so.
And I reckon @diedpretty is pretty off the mark, especially in assuming to understand or summarise the perception of other fans and media. Everyone knows the team is Wests Tigers, everyone knows it's a JV of Magpies and Balmain, but apart from that you can't assume to speak on behalf of what "other fans" think. Balmain is a relic and anyone under 20 years of age wasn't even alive when the Balmain Tigers existed as a first-grade club.
I agree with Geo that I notice some commentators intentionally call us "Wests" and that is cool, because we are. But also, the tendency is to call most teams by their mascot and not their geography, so I would submit that "Tigers" is more commonly used than Wests, but no more so than "the Bulldogs" vs "Canterbury" or "the Raiders" vs "Canberra" or "the Sharks" vs "Cronulla-Sutherland".
Like others have said, you can understand the sentimentality of Leichhardt Oval amongst general rugby league supporters, due to it's long history not just associated with Balmain and Wests Tigers, but all the other matches played there like Panasonic Cups, the original NSW-QLD interstate matches and the fact that it is an old-style boutique ground, that doesn't really exist any more. LO has hosted the most professional rugby league matches of any active ground in Australia.
Lastly towards @diedpretty I don't think it's a rebadged Balmain at all. I was just saying to @MAGPIES1963 that as much as I understand some folks miss their old Magpie, I miss Balmain too, but I don't regret any decision the merger has taken and I support a full merger of the clubs and junior leagues. Yes it's a Tiger but there is as much, if not more, Wests blood in the club now and that can't really ever change, because after this Balmain will essentially cease to exist.