Referring to the Roosters' perceived ‘salary cap sombrero’ is unfair. In truth, the mighty eastern suburbs empire remains something of a clean skin under the calculated control of the great Nick Politis.

Spruiking loudly that the Roosters are cheats and blessed with a roster no other club appears to be able to afford, borders on defamatory. Frankly, it is also a cheap and easy way to explain away the sustained period of success they have enjoyed over the past decade.

This Sunday will see the tri-colours compete in their fourth decider since 2010. That season they lost to Wayne Bennett’s Dragons, yet somewhat made up for the disappointment with premiership triumphs in 2013 and 2018.

Should the Roosters find a way past the popular Raiders this weekend, the trio of titles they will have claimed in the past seven years will say a lot about the character and fortitude of the club.

However, all admiration and respect aside, the excellent recent record of the boys from Bondi will not make it any harder for the majority of NRL fans to be cheering on the green machine in the decider.

For those living in Sydney, it is simple to jump aboard with the Raiders; in full knowledge that whichever team you support, it has been belted and embarrassed by the Roosters at some stage over the last decade.

They are just so easy to dislike. Hate is too strong a word.

They strike many as a gaggle of man-scaping, moisturiser using, latte sipping elitists who speak humbly in open company, before giggling and mocking the rest of us when in each other’s presence.

People have reliably informed me that after training or official club duties, Roosters players return to their Bondi penthouse apartments, flick on the television, slip on their Armani slippers and sip on expensive bottles of Pimm's, whilst enjoying seasonal fruit platters.

No doubt it is all part of the service provided by Politis. A man who knows the importance of keeping his players content, relaxed and full of the aristocratic arrogance required to continue to excel in the manner they have in the past.

Such behaviour is a world away from that of the hard men at the foot of the mountains, or the tough Bulldogs, Dragons or Parramatta squads.

The Tigers and Bunnies similarly enjoy those working-class roots and perhaps only a loose comparison can be made between the Sea Eagles and Sharks, when it comes to teams even threatening to come anywhere near the level of elite snobbery that exudes from Trent Robinson’s men.

It is a long bow to draw however, with the Sharks blessed with the support of the ultimate, thumbs upping, man of the people Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Manly growing in popularity amongst neutral fans thanks to the double Mr Nice Guy act of Tom and Jake Trbojevic.

As much as any Sydney-sider might still connect with the traditional dislike of the Sea Eagles of days gone by or distrust the Sharks after a litany of rather controversial and unprofessional blunders over the last few years, the Roosters still bring out the worst in supporters of opposition teams.

My message to each and every one of those supporters as we count down the days to the grand final on Sunday is to embrace the feeling. Feel the force and let it flow, as a very famous dude in black once said.

How things sit in Newcastle, I am not sure. Although seeing Mitchell Pearce’s old mob dusted up by the Raiders might bring the steel city to life late Sunday. I’m pretty sure Brisbane have an intense dislike for the chooks, considering their previous finals clashes that have been spiteful at times.

Surely the people of North Queensland cannot be fans, nor New Zealand, nor the Titans crew, although I’m not too sure there are many people actually following the game of rugby league on the Gold Coast these days.

As for Melbourne, well, it appears to me that under the diligent guidance of Craig Bellamy, the entire Storm organisation has developed a strong dislike for everyone. Whether it be referees, opponents, the media, seagulls, children; it doesn’t really matter, they are just nasty.

That leaves only their opponents this weekend, and the Raiders will obviously enter the match with the Roosters in their cross-hairs after falling to them twice in season 2019.

It will take a huge effort by the men from the nation’s capital to get the job done. However, it is doable. With the support of the rest of the competition and a combined aura of animosity, the Raiders could well triumph in Sydney.

It will take some doing but hey, it is the Roosters everyone!

15 COMMENTS

  6. Well as a league fan, I watch all NRL games where possible including the womens.. I usually fall asleep watching storm games, but normally wake up in timeto see the final score.

    Wishfull Thinking – Raiders By 2.
    Probable reality – Rooters By 8.

  7. The bottom line here is …..
    Do you want Sydney to Win or England?
    Sydney defeated those English rascals better known as Rabbits and the English coach Bennett recently.
    Sydney’s next assignment is to steamroll the other English contingent known as the English Raiders.

    Come on all of Greater Sydney! Get behind our boys. We won the Cricket Ashes recently. Lets not give them bragging rights of the greatest game of all on the biggest theatre of war.

  8. Kev only watches Parra grand finals. What a toss.

    Now lets see, who played 10 years ago?
    No coincidence Parra got steamrolled by a massive Storm that blew the 2nd book of contracts out from under the table.

  9. i can see why a lot of fans don’t want the roosters to win, because then they won’t be able to deny we’re the most successful club.

  10. Back2back19, I don’t think that’s the reason, or at least not the major one.
    I’ll be going for the Raiders, in part because they’re the underdog (and as a Parra supporter that just comes naturally – I’ll get that in before any else does), and because they’ve had to wait a fair stint (and I can relate – plus some), but mainly because some Roosters supporters that post absolute rubbish a trillion times a day on this site (and that’s not a personal crack at you), well just say (in order to pass any censorship) done the club any favours.

  12. “As for Melbourne, well, it appears to me that under the diligent guidance of Craig Bellamy, the entire Storm organisation has developed a strong dislike for everyone. Whether it be referees, opponents, the media, seagulls, children; it doesn’t really matter, they are just nasty”

    As a Storm supporter, you cannot help but hate referees that cost you a crucial game and make you go the hard way round in the finals probably leading to the reason why you ain’t playing this weekend. You cannot help but hate the media that jumps on a player for pulling the jersey over the ear of another but pretty much ignores eye gouging and worse. A media that may have just driven a future immortal out of the game. You cannot help but hate fans of other clubs that consistently pour the dirty on the club despite their own being equally as bad. Who constantly bring up the Storm’s cheating even though it is over a decade old but totally ignore last years cheating by Cronulla or the cheating by the Eels a couple of years back.

    We are not angels but you cannot blame us for being angry at the heavily biased treatment of our club just because we are better than yours.

  13. If the roosters are going through a membership exodus, why would you expect anyone but the few remaining Johnny come latelys to support them on Sunday?
    What does it tell you about this slurry of a club when the Chairman is in overdrive trying to explain the clubs cap management all over the media?

  14. In this case Mark or Woodhead. England!!! If you must put it that way?
    Just like all supporters , that aren’t Cluckers actual supporters, or the ones who support any team that may be winning.

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