By a long, long way the most annoying club in the league are the Tigers – the whole outfit top to bottom is a complete fraud and a myth.
The Wests “merger” is a disgrace. It's an absolute joke the way that the Magpies have been treated. The hideous pro-Balmain bias that's prevalent in the game's administration and media is a joke. It's bad enough that they play 8 home games basically in the city (or very inner West) and only 4 games out west, The increasing marginalisation of the Magpie logo and gradual reversion back to Balmain only colours says everything about the attitude of the joint venture. This would be easier to stomach if it weren't for the fact that the Macarthur region is a way broader talent base than bloody Leichhardt and the fact that they're slowly strangling the Wests brand by pulling the supply of players to undermine one of the foundation clubs. To make matters worse, Balmain/Ryde Eastwood Leagues are basically penniless while Wests Ashfield and Wests Campbelltown are just fine financially. To keep the joint venture going and the NSW Cup Magpies, these two Leagues clubs basically had to bankroll both, while getting none of the credit for the headline NRL act because it's all swathed in that hideous Orange. Balmain's old guard is basically sucking the junior ranks and the money from another club while throwing them the token bone of 4 games a year, and no finals games.
I'd like to see the Wests Leagues clubs threaten to pull the pin on the venture to force Balmain to give them a fairer deal. In terms of finances, the Pies are better set than the Tigers alone. In terms of junior talent base, they're better set. It's only a few influential supporters and a great name and heritage (no premierships 1969-1999, though!) which Balmain bring to the table. The pin will likely never be pulled, but I'd love to see the old Western Suburbs call their bluff until a better deal comes along for them.
The number of ex-Balmain players who push their bias in Rugby League media is horrible. Channel 9’s constant excitement over games at Leichhardt is sickening, especially when they don’t get nearly as pumped up about other suburban grounds. It’s a hole with nightmarish roads and parking around.
Every time a Wests junior comes through, the media love-in is always overboard. James Tedesco (a Campbelltown junior, of course) was almost hailed as the saviour of the sport before he even played a first grade game. His knee injury during his debut was handled with sufficient tragedy by Channel 9, you’d think someone had died. Tim Moltzen was appointed as a superstar before people slowly realised he wasn’t worth the hype coming out of old Balmain blowhards. Don’t get me started on Curtis Sironen, a guy you’d never have heard of if his name was Curtis Smith. All the excitement over seeing a guy that size play 5/8 is bogus – it’s only a bonus if he’s any good. Currently, he’s either a fat halves player or a mediocre forward who fancies he has a passing game (a la Fat Dave Taylor).
Ben Elias’s business dealings always appear to be on the brink of landing him in jail, yet his self-serving opinion keeps getting plenty of ink.
As much as I loathe much of the Tigers support, I almost feel sorry for them too. No other supporters read or hear as much hype or bias towards their own club. It must be tough when reality keeps contradicting what they are led to believe.
