If not for the roosters

[2026]

Wish they'd bring back reserve grade and play before the main game.

[The Axe]

Lol we have one shit season and people start to hate the game. If we were winning people wouldn't be more in love with the game.

It's not about one poor season, RR2, the sport has been in decline for a while. They take the fans for granted. Simply look at Fitzl charge compared with the trip. FFS

[Waerea-Beast!]

I'd be out.

[JAF]

Similar to a few others on here, I follow the Roosters rather than RL.
Let's hope the day of moving/merging/removing the Roosters never ever comes!

[Ray Stehr]

It's the Roosters or nothing. I wouldn't watch the Nrl if there was no Easts and also I can't stand rugby, it's as boring as bat sh1t, I can't stand Afl or soccer or American sport, and tennis is boring with 3 blokes dominating and no Australians. The only other sports I like are cricket, netball, snooker and some occasional golf.

[Pass the Ball]

Regardless of what people say, most enjoy the footy more when your team is winning.
Ask a Cronulla fan and this is probably the best season of footy they have seen.

I love watching Rugby League and try to watch as many games as I can but I do get the feeling that there are just too many rubbish games of late.
Friday night St.George and the Dogs was a good game to watch and I enjoyed it but then when I settled onto the couch on Sunday afternoon and Manly and Newcastle came on I gave up on the game after about 5 minutes and started asking myself the same questions the OP has....

PTB

[Ray Stehr]

Lol we have one shit season and people start to hate the game. If we were winning people wouldn't be more in love with the game.

The question is would you follow rl if the Roosters weren't there, simple question really and no it's got nothing to do with a bad season, I've always had that belief.

[bondi paul]

Followed the roosters since 67 - for the past 10 years if I watch a game on TV it's with no audio. The game has changed I am all for change but the NRL changes are self serving as well as the engineered results. I have only watched 1 other club game this year. The NRL is similar to what has happened to Boxing but the results more like the wrestling. I was shot down here in saying Murdoch ran the game before and after Rothchilds banker Smith was head of the NRL. Refreshing to see another poster saying Murdoch owns the game - he has always been the silent partner.

[The ticket]

I'd still tune in to watch souths lose

[Kentucky_Fried_Rooster]

If the Roosters got kicked out, merged or moved interstate I don't think I would follow the game. I might watch the occasional game.
My brother is a massive Manly fan and when they merged he hardly went to a game, maybe watched a half dozen games during that time. Before that and now he goes to most the games or watches them on TV.
I would be the same.
I think East, Manly, Penrith, Canterbury and West will always be in the comp. I can see the other Sydney teams folding or being relocated and feel sorry for there fans but they are clubs that are not run professionally and there are to manly clubs for such a small market.

[One Eyed Willy]

I love the chooks but I also just love footy so id still watch but just not support any team. A few of my mates are die hard Bears fans and they still watch most games and have a soft spot for different teams but they still refer to themselves as Bears fans. That would be me if the chooks folded

[Bigchook]

Short answer - probably not the NRL, Origin or internationals. The Roosters are my team and I don't support other teams. Examples:
- Last year I didn't watch the GF (arguably the pinnacle of the sport) because I didn't care who won
- International league is a farce and I can't connect with our team at all because it's mostly a bunch of cocky QLD'ers who are used to winning everything (even when they play like rubbish)
- Origin's even more of a farce... QLD win every year and all I get to watch is cocky QLD'ers showing absolutely no humility and partying for 6-12 months after an increasingly predictable victory. When they lose a single game, they get dirty and show absolutely no grace about it. They're good, but they're for everybody (e.g. like a Federer or Djokovic in Tennis... they're more like a McEnroe... a champ who you get sick of watching because he whinges so much and has absolutely no grace/humility about him).
- Murdoch essentially owns the sport. We got rid of Superleague... but then Murdoch still ended up taking over the sport (all games are on fox, they've got the video ref'ing that he looooooves and in recent years, Murdoch's owned a stack of cheating clubs that get favourable treatment).
- I've already dumped a team due to a merger (was a Steelers fan until they merged with their arch rivals). I couldn't go through that again... it takes all the heart/tradition out of the game when you lose a team with a rich history.

---

FWIW though, I might still watch rugby league (e.g. Wyong or the Jets... for me it was pretty rough losing the Jets as our feeder actually - because I'd bonded with them). I find a good Jets v Tigers game at Henson Park (with the Lebbos banging on their drums) much more fun that some rubbish QLD/Murdoch-dominated game.

I'd hate to see your long answer.

[Bigchook]

I watch probably 6-7 games a week. Love the game and the chooks. Hating on the direction it's going but try not to let myself get into that mindset where everything was better yesteryear.

[Freddy]

Would you watch rugby league?
Personally I love the game and it was the roosters that I watched for my first ever game of league in '75 and been an avid spectator of many games even the ones that don't involve the roosters.
Lately I've been a little turned off by the irregularities of officials and MRC and the distinct bias towards some teams by some refs, and I'm not taking just about the roosters, there have been many games ruined as a spectacle for me because one side was not being referred the same as the other .
What's your feelings on this?

Great question. Even though I've always been a die hard chook I used to love RL as well. I'd buy RLW every week and watch most games. I used to have arguments with people that it is the best sport in the world and be such a RL head. Even though we only won 1 comp the freddy years, never missing a finals series, was my greatest period of being a Roosters fan.

These days I'm still Roosters obsessed but my love of RL has worn off considerbly. RL was so much better than RU because the refs didn't blow a million penalties and ruin the game. That has now changed..The video ref/bunker has destroyed a sports entertainment with instead of cheering for a try at a game everyone now half cheers then waits for 5 min for the ref to send it upstairs so we can all watch replay after replay of the try and they come up with the wrong or right decision.. By that time the excitement has worn off or you are blowing up at the wrong call given..they have taken the enjoyment out of the game.

I'd be out if Easts were ever kicked out or merged but until then I bleed red white and blue but I just don't love RL like I used too.. And I know I'm in the minority but I really enjoy the international side of RL with its growing nations compared to state of origin.

[PeeGee]

I watch probably 6-7 games a week. Love the game and the chooks. Hating on the direction it's going but try not to let myself get into that mindset where everything was better yesteryear.

Roosters Till I die , simple

The game has changed so much since the old SFS and running on the field to tap Horrie on the back.

It is now run by the officials and live 'decision makers'. Some of the Bunker decisions have made me truly question the integrity of the Sport.

It sucks . You score a try and then don't know for 2 to 4 minutes whether they will award it.