Well um, I didn't like Rugby League till I was 11 year's old, because Soccer is a bigger sport in England.
But I first became a NRL supporter in 1997, I watched the Broncos, I wouldn't say I actually supported them,
It was just the fact they won everything, and was on TV the most here in the UK.
Then I looked across the NRL, and started watching everyone elses matches, that's when I realised I had found the team I wanted to support
for the rest of my life.
I didn't actually have a reason to support the Raiders, nobody encouraged me, because nobody else liked NRL in our family.
I watched loads of Raiders matches, and it became a bit of an obsession.
I had heaps of best players, one I will always keep to mind Dave Furner.
Then in 2000, I met Jason Croker, and he treated me awsome, he was a huge encouragement for me to carry on been the Green Machine supporter I am today.
2000, a great Legend in my eyes, and always will be for the job he has done in making the Bulls an awsome team they are,(MatthewElliott)pushed them in the right direction and made
them the sucsess they are today, left the Bulls and went as assistant coach to Mal Meninga for a season before coming first team coach.
2001, I met Vainikolo whilst under contract with the Raiders once he'd signed for the Bulls, so meeting him whilst he was still a Raiders player made me smile.
2001, before the Ashes series between Great Britain and Australia, it was the legends matches and I had an awsome meeting with Mal Meninga, he was
a great chappy, and he told me to carry on because I was in the right tracks.
That season I also met David Furner who had joined Wigan Warriors, Brad Clyde and Brett Mullins at Leeds Rhinos, David Lance.
2002, I met Ruben Wiki whilst on tour with the New Zealand Kiwi's matches against Great Britain.
They all went to the Bradford Bulls v St Helens Grand Fianl match, which the Bulls were defeted in
but Ruben encouraged all the lads
to go to that match as Bulls fans, and I gave one of my Bulls scarves I was wearing at the game before hand to Ruben and he wore it all the way through.
This year, I met old man Quentin Pongia, he's an ok fella, I met Ricky Stuart and BRETT FINCH at the WCC in 2003, don't worrie I put my hand out to a legend,
but Finch, the odd joke with that trator!
Becoming a Raiders fan has given me light to other tunnels, me and my sister, we have Roosters fans living near us down the street, at night
some times we get a bit mischiefes (how ever you spell that) ;-) and egg there house, and chook stones at there windows, when they beat us or do
anything to upset us.
I love hating the Roosters, I hate the Panthers, I hate the Eels and I hate St George Illawarra Dragons.
It's great that both the Bulls and Raiders have a strong connection too, at the end of it all, it just fit's perfect, I support an awsome team!
And after 9 years of watching the Boys in Green, I wouldn't change them for the World!!
Up the Green Machine!
