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Have you ever switched support to another team?

Hello, I'm The Doctor

First Grade
Messages
9,124
I was an Illawarra kid so i was a Steelers fan until the merge...

I didnt understand it at the time (primary school age) but i totally support the decision now; i doubt the Steelers would have survived alone and the Dragons have been great for the area.

Having said that, i can and will never support the Dragon!!!

(So i started following Newcastle, because Lord Of The Rings had just come out and Knights were cool:D)
 

captainwarrior

Juniors
Messages
876
I was a Dogs fan up until the age of 7 then became a Warriors supporter.

In saying that though I did swap to the Cowboys for a couple of seasons as a kid when my favourite player of the time (Sione Faumuina) went there from the Warriors in 07-08. Didn't last long though and haven't had anything like that happen since.
 
Messages
13,942
Most of my extended family, along with my late Father and Grand Father are die hard Souths supporters. My Mother supports the Wests Tigers (she used to support Wests as when she moved to her current residence near Ashfield, Wests played out of Pratten Park so they were the local team).

Me? I support the Roosters. We had a relative living with us when I was growing up who was a dyed in the wool Easts supporter (he grew up in Paddington), and he was the one who started taking me to games. Hence I'm a staunch Roosters supporter as a consequence. Always have been, always will be.
 

Packy

Bench
Messages
4,243
Not in League. Dogs from birth. Luckily it has been a pretty good, if turbulent run. If the Dogs died I would probably go for Titans.

I did change teams in NFL when I was in high school. I picked my first team on the mascot and then I changed to Cowboys cos Emmitt Smith was the f**kin man.
 

Lambretta

First Grade
Messages
8,679
In League I started supporting the Sydney City Roosters, but I changed to the Sydney Roosters. I really want to support Eastern Sydney, but they won't play ball.


I grew up in Milton Keynes, a town in England which didn't have a team and had no history as a town. It was a modern City and an expansion area, so most people brought their teams with them from where they came from (mainly London). Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham are very well supported. Many people just supported who was successful - teams such as Liverpool. That's exactly what I did. From 1977 to 1985 Liverpool was my team.

Then in 1986 I went to see West Ham v Liverpool at Upton Park with a lad from East London who lived in my street. I still maintained I was a Liverpool fan, but who was I kidding. Week in week out, all over the Country we went to watch the Hammers. After a season I just had to admit I was West Ham and have been ever since.

I always try and go and see the Hammers when I'm in the UK and they're who I watch on TV and who I look for in the results.

However, I always said if Milton Keynes had a team I'd have supported them. Now they do, so if I'm back home I will try and catch an MK Dons game too. I even have a scarf! But they're definitely 2nd team status behind West Ham and always will be.
 

madunit

Super Moderator
Staff member
Messages
62,358
I grew up in a tiny rural village. The first game I saw was when i was 5, Cronulla played Norths. I went for the Sharks because they had a player who had the same first name as me.

When i was 8 I saw Tim Brasher play and wanted to be just like him, so i supported the Tigers from then. Since the merger I've supported both WT and Sharks.
 
Messages
14,796
Was a Balmain fan from birth, did watch the WT with casual interest after the merger for the first couple of years and then got right back into it right in time for the golden time being coached by Terry Lamb. Being abhorrently shithouse prior to the merger, it only felt right to emotionally reinvest again since they were just as bad after it.

If Wests Tigers fall over, the game is lost to me. I couldn't support a different club.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,849
I go for the storm, mainly because they picked up half the Reds club and when we arrived in '99 they were in the GF and we had to pick someone to cheer on. Could easily have ended up a Dragons fan lol. If we ever get a team they will of course become my Aussie number 1 side but Storm will always be my second team. My lifelong club I have supported for over 40 years and could never imagine switching from them to another SL club.
 

madunit

Super Moderator
Staff member
Messages
62,358
I go for the storm, mainly because they picked up half the Reds club and when we arrived in '99 they were in the GF and we had to pick someone to cheer on. Could easily have ended up a Dragons fan lol. If we ever get a team they will of course become my Aussie number 1 side but Storm will always be my second team. My lifelong club I have supported for over 40 years and could never imagine switching from them to another SL club.
Okay, I'm certain I have corrected you on this before.

Melbourne did not get half the reds club. Not even close.

of the 54 players who played at least 1 first grade game for the Reds from 1995 til the day they folded, only 7 went to the Storm.
Paul Bell - who played for the Storm from 1998-99 - 39 games
Tristan Brady-Smith - who played for the Storm in 1998 - 3 games
Wayne Evans - who played for the Storm from 1998-2000 - 32 games
Matt Geyer - who played for the Storm from 1998-2008 - 262 games
Rodney Howe - who played for the Storm from 1998-2004 - 106 games
Robbie Kearns - who played for the Storm from 1998-2005 - 169 games
John Wilshere - who played for the Storm in 1998 - 1 game

The Reds used 33 players in 1997 - 7 of them went to the Storm.

The Storm were created from the Hunter Mariners club.

of their 33 players from 1997;
11 never played again
5 went to the UK
1 didn't play a game in 1998
7 went to Melbourne
2 went to North Queensland
1 went to Adelaide
1 went to Canterbury
1 went to Penrith
1 went to Illawarra
1 went to Souths
1 went to St George
1 went to Newcastle

So half the players (16 of 33, so pretty damn close anyways) never actually played in Australia again.

29 of them never played in Australia again after 2001.
 

Dragon_psa

First Grade
Messages
7,058
The only time this ever happens is when Saints get knocked out of or don't make the finals. That being said, I do barrack for the Warriors when they're not playing us, and have a soft spot for Parra (In-laws are all Parra fans) and Raiders. But Saints always have been and always will be number 1 for me.
 

ZEROMISSTACKLES

First Grade
Messages
8,673
Use to love the Broncos back in the Allan Langer, Paul Hauff, Michael Hancock days and never thought I'd like any other League team. However when the Auckland Warriors came around (I was still 100% Broncos who happened to be the Warriors first game) they stopped showing any of the other teams here in NZ free TV. The only league game was the Warriors and that's how I changed to a Warriors fan, pretty much by process of elimination.
 

ed-grimley

Bench
Messages
2,552
I grew up in a tiny rural village. The first game I saw was when i was 5, Cronulla played Norths. I went for the Sharks because they had a player who had the same first name as me.

When i was 8 I saw Tim Brasher play and wanted to be just like him, so i supported the Tigers from then. Since the merger I've supported both WT and Sharks.
Kurt Sorensen?
 
Messages
1,850
Yes.

I was a die hard Dogs supporter until I was about 12. I even cried when they lost the GF in 86. My Dad was a big supporter and passed it on to me.

Then I lost interest in Footy for a while altogether and when I was about 15 I was going to Shark Park every second week with my mates and was just like, this is stupid, the only involvement I have with RL is going to Sharks games so I might as well support them.

What a shit move that was.

I still have a mate from primary school who gives it to me about switching teams.
 

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