What made you fall in love with League?

[IRoosterManI]

With all the controversy about the direction the sport is headed I am curious to hear what made you fall in love with it in the first place?

[Easts75]

Having players like Hugh McHahan help out with my school side when I was very young had me hooked

[Big Dog]

The Roosters side in the mid 70s. There was power and grace. Great sweeping backline moves and hard hitting forwards. To me that is the essence of league.

[stringaz]

The Roosters making 3 Gfs in a row from 02. Success breeds fans too.

[Rooster1908]

Switching from Rules to league in my late teens and never looked back . The aggression off playing in the forwards , mainly lock or second row . The love of the defensive game won me over and was already a Roosters fan along with Carton in AFL but now hardly ever watch Rules at all .

[takethe 2]

I never played league. But I was stuck helping my dad and mum every weekend in their business from the age of 6 up to about 17. I started listening to these lunatics on radio (to relieve the extreme boredom) and they captured my imagination. Their fights, explosions and of course the entertaining way they described what was happening drew me in and I started understanding the game and it’s flow. Loved 80s league. Hollywood and Zorba with sideline eye Tony Megane (spelling???) and the around them grounds updates. It saved me at about 3pm every Saturday and Sunday.

[zac]

the success of the teams of the 70s.
i'll still follow easts even if the nrl cracks down on head high shots

[ccfc bondi]

The Roosters of 1974-75....the best there was. The best there ever will be! The ORIGINAL ENTERTAINERS!

[redwhiteblue]

I never played league. But I was stuck helping my dad and mum every weekend in their business from the age of 6 up to about 17. I started listening to these lunatics on radio (to relieve the extreme boredom) and they captured my imagination. Their fights, explosions and of course the entertaining way they described what was happening drew me in and I started understanding the game and it’s flow. Loved 80s league. Hollywood and Zorba with sideline eye Tony Megane (spelling???) and the around them grounds updates. It saved me at about 3pm every Saturday and Sunday.

I hear you loud and clear. For me it was being in the family shop from the age of 5 up to 21 after my Dad passed when I was 15. We followed Parra (who are NOW DEAD TO ME) and it was watching players like Brett Kenny & Mick Cronin with my Dad that made me happy as I was something I could do with him during his illness. We used to watch ABC Grandstand with Warren Boland & Debbie Spillane and Dad would make Lebanese coffee. I still only drink coffee now on Saturdays in one of several Roosters mugs I have. I collected Easts bubblegum cards too as they were always on my radar and had Marty Gurr, Kerry Boustead, Paul McCabe and Johnny Tobin. I made a red, white and blue crochet rug for a school project and also did a Roosters emblem in copper art class. We used to stay up late and watch the KB Cup or Tooths Cup or whatever midweek competition was on, plus the schoolboys league as my cousin played for Holy Cross Ryde and we'd also watch Patrician Brothers Fairfield. We'd also watch the Brisbane competition with a little known Mal Meninga playing for Brisbane Souths and Wally Lewis playing for Valleys. Then we'd round out the weekend watching Countdown. ie Dad yelling at me to turn up ABBA but turn down The Angels..

[The Brain]

Watched Artie play when I was 9..the only sportsman I knew and was in awe of was Mohammed Ali and Bruce Lee ...so yeah Artie made me into the tragic chookpenner

[Bruce Pickett]

Falling in love with Easts made me automatically fall in love with League. Like many mentioned, the 74-75 years got me hooked. Love at first sight and no signs of divorce.

[ism22]

Hammo's Roosters forum and all the awesome characters that lurk around here

[Vasco]

Going to the Sports Ground and running for the corner post at full-time.

[Kramer]

My Dad and Grandfather played League in the ESDRLFC juniors. My father was a pretty handy player, hir best mate was Wally O'Connell. So as a young 5 year old he gave me a footy. I never looked back playing junior League at the age of 8. First with South Eastern, then moved back to BJ played with Paddo-Woollahra, and became an Easts fan in 1966. Spent many Saturday arvo's on the hill at the Sports ground. Great days with all my mates. Oh, and my Grandfather introduced me to the great Dally Messenger an absolute thrill.

[Snapn1]

It's the people's game ! Played it , " loved putting a jersey on ,having the license to bash afew bloke's with the shoulder charge an score try's " ! Loved league because you could get away with sht that you wouldn't playing Union