Penrith from everyone’s second favourite club in 2003 to absolute hated club in 2021:

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

Of the final 4 teams, I'm still going for Penrith. Yeah they have a sook and a bit of a carry on, but it's no worse than any other team that's successful except for Melbourne the cheating grub bastards.

 

[GongPanther]

I have to agree with this, on here (at the moment) Penrith are up there with most hated (along with Souths probably), but out in the real world amongst the more casual fan....nah, .....in fact it's probably still Manly cos heaps of Gen Xers and Boomers still just hate Manly reflexively without really thinking about it.

That all started with Roy Masters manipulating the media with that Silvertails v Fibro bullshit which the public lapped up.

 

[Leber]

Storm are a lot more likeable these days without referee Smith.

 

[The_Frog]

If Penrith do win today I would.. gulp.. have to support souths next week. They are more likeable than this current Penrith side.

Likeable is way overrated.

 

[Babyface O'reilly]

That all started with Roy Masters manipulating the media with that Silvertails v Fibro bullshit which the public lapped up.

Rex Mossop didn’t help

 

[GongPanther]

Rex Mossop didn’t help

Poor Rex. Had to endure the hassle of using ch 7's chopper to get to and from Penrith when there was a TV match. Patronizing prick that he was.

 

[Babyface O'reilly]

Poor Rex. Had to endure the hassle of using ch 7's chopper to get to and from Penrith when there was a TV match. Patronizing prick that he was.

While we’re here, Ken Arthurson didn’t do much for Manly’s public image either. I haven’t hated Manly for years, though tbh.

 

[Chippy73]

That all started with Roy Masters manipulating the media with that Silvertails v Fibro bullshit which the public lapped up.

Yeh he had a big hand in it but there really is a host of factors I think namely;

* Northern Beaches perceived as insular, snobbish and rich area (I grew up there and this isn't really the full reality apart from maybe the insular bit, but anyway) .
* Very successful in 70's, also up near the top throughout the 80's and 90's.
* Raided clubs (namely Souths and Wests) for top players in 70's-80's
* Richest club in 70's-80's
* Manly heart and soul Arko head of ARL 80-90's, perception of NSWRL/ARL bias to Manly
* 1978 finals campaign, Greg Hartley etc.
* Bob Fulton, a winner but pretty abrasive, rubbed a lot of people up the wrong way.
* We had a host of real arrogant dudes playing for us when we were dominant in the mid 90's...Terry Hill, Matt Ridge, John Hopoate etc.
* Roy Masters Silvertails thing.

I dunno, what am I missing?

 

[TheRiff]

It is just a cool thing to hate us, for literallty no reason. The fact that we are in everyone's head so much is a win for the Western Suburbs battlers

 

[TheRiff]

It's the story on LU. Not in the real world.

Everyone in the world is a Penrith fan.

People here pretend, meanwhile their houses are decked out in Panthers gear for the big game

 

[Dodgy]

Yeah, I hate Penrith too.

We're just so smug.

 

[mongoose]

Gus, Ivan and Luai are very unlikable and exude smug

Storm aren't as hateable without smith and slater. I actually like Papenhauzen, Hughes and Grant... Munster is still a f**kwit as is NAS, Kafusi and Addo Carr at times...

 

[pantherz9103]

I think people just don't like a blue collar team from far western sydney that dares to become a consistent winning team and exude confidence and a bit of cockiness. It's kind of like a 'know your place' mentality and has a kind of class element to it I believe.

The Penrith premiership winning team of 2003 by contrast was well liked as underdogs, but still dismissed and belittled before actually shocking everyone and beating a powerful Roosters side in the GF. We weren't even favourites to beat the Warriors in the prelim final that year and then laughed off as outsiders in the GF. However the 2003 team was well liked because everyone liked friendly old coach John Lang and people loved guys like Presto, Wesser and the Hair Bears. It was a more modest team on the surface of things that just enjoyed their footy and played with nothing to lose.

The current team doesn't have such likeable characters for neutrals and Ivan gets on people's nerve with his comments in press conferences. Some of the comments against Nathan though are just school yard crap that a 5 year old would say.. talking about his appearance. Neutrals also love the fact that we lost the GF in the fashion we did and love to remind us about that. They'll do the same if we fall short this year. People love to rip into a team that goes close but doesn't get over the line.

 

[shear_joy9]

I'm looking forward to Martina and co giving penrith the battering they deserve and knocking them down to mid table mediocrity where they belong.

 

[Fangs]

People here pretend, meanwhile their houses are decked out in Panthers gear for the big game

Exactly, you only have to walk outside to see it. I am here in the 'inner-west' today and its just Penrith Penrith Penrith.

4.00pm AEST.

 

[JB04]

Exactly, you only have to walk outside to see it. I am here in the 'inner-west' today and its just Penrith Penrith Penrith.

4.00pm AEST.

Really? I live in Balmain and nobody here gives a flying f**k about PENRITH

 

[Floodwaters]

Storm are a lot more likeable these days without referee Smith.

& score more points

 

[10$ Ferret]

Without any tongue in cheekness it is good for RL for Penrith to be doing well. With the junior base its about bloody time.
But it would be so much easier to support them if they showed some humility and if their coach could lose with grace, hell if their coach could win with grace. But that isn't going to happen anytime soon.

 

[Westernised Panther]

I would, respectfully, like to steal this from the Manly fans……

“NO ONE LIKES US! WE DON’T CARE!”

 

[TheRiff]

Exactly, you only have to walk outside to see it. I am here in the 'inner-west' today and its just Penrith Penrith Penrith.

4.00pm AEST.

It is no coindence that the game gets moved to the afternoon and

Roads that are Usually bumper to bumper - empty

Shopping Centres - deserted

Even local sporting parks normally bursting with kids sporting teams - empty

Very quiet Saturday afternoon for Sydney - As people wait to wait to watch PENRITH PANTHERS - the people's team