Sadly, the days are very much gone where players genuinely played for whom they are representing. I'm not going to say "Back in my day...", but when I was growing up, players played for Newcastle, Brisbane, Parramatta, ect. These days the players play for the Knights who just happen to play home games in Newcastle, the Broncos who happen to be based in Brisbane, ect.
I know it was a golden moment in time, forever in the past, but look at the 1997 team as an example. Most were from the Hunter, so they passionately represented their people on the national stage. They played for their region and the fans. Most of the 'we play for the fans' talk these days is purely aesthetic. Because it looks good.