Man, Tigers do something good and people still want to find a reason to bag them.
I for one want to congratulate both the Joint Venture and the fans involved.
Of the 3 JV's we have seen, I have stated before this looks like ending up being the most successful. The reason I say this is follows.
Of the Manly-Norths JV, this should of been a very successful club, a North Shore super club. Instead all we saw was two factions cutting of their nose to spite their face.
The Norths faction wanted to impose a club that resembled Norths, and would do anything to prevent it becoming anything resembling Manly. The Manly faction wanted to impose a club that resembled Manly and did anything they possibly could to prevent it becoming anything resembling Norths.
In the end the infighting caused the club to implode, and manly were just lucky enough to pick up what was left of the ashes and it's taken them 3-4 years to get to any semblence of a professional sporting organisation.
With the St. George-Illawarra JV. Well, The St. George faction has ensured that this new club is still in essence a St. George Club. The Illawarra fans know they are follow what is essence is a St. George club, and doesn't resemble much of the old steelers.
However with the Tigers. Western Suburbs fans know this isn't the Magpies, however they know they aren't being forced to follow a rebadged Balmain Tigers. The old Tigers fans know this isn't Balmain, though not a rebadged Magpies teams.
In the end they have created something new, and at the moment it is a wonderful team to follow. Both sets of fans have had to make a HUGE sacrifice for what has been told for the better of Rugby League. The club was a mess to start off with, denied of success and was of a foreign culture to begin with. Of course it would of taken some time for the old Balmain and Magpie fans to get behind it.
Success sure helps speeding up this process, which seems to be coming to fruition now, they are the 2nd highest drawing team in Sydney despite not even being in the top 8.
And as far as the on field displays go, the team is great. A core of talented youngsters with a sprinkling of vetern, not-so-skilled toilers. This team either wins by doing something brilliant, or does some stupid mistakes. The toilers ensure they games are always competitive.
Tigers fans at the moment are getting the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows, what a roller coatser of emotions. Top Stuff.
The Wests Tigers Joint Venture, as a Rugby League fan I salute you.
