Parramatta is not popular because they have been badly promoted. After the 2014 renaissance, we were quiet popular because they saw us having a go after the severity of our shakeup!
Subsequent failures changed this and the tribalism that was Newcastle in comparison with its isolation makes a difference, Parramatta is so big in a City sense, but the tribalism tends to be suburban rather than the single city of Newcastle or maybe I could rephrase that to a perception rather than a fact. I worry that kids are not going to be inspired the same way a generation was in the 80's.
It will be interesting to see where Newcastle end up next year, we saw the demise of Canberra 12 months after their Minor premiership, Parra after the 2022 demise, even Penrith struggled after the 2024 title (running last at one point), don't forget this year will be interesting to see how the Dolphins will be cut up and also the premiers will lose Marky Mark and Cherry, those two probably were the difference of Roosters making the grand final, take away that kick catch game and they haven't got a great deal of attack....this was showed up by the Newcastle defencisive pattern.
Let's not forget the Bronco's this year gone!
We can also can go back to our "wooden spoon" in 2018, we made the semi's the previous year and again in 2019.
Newcastle were wooden spooners in 2025, there team was better coached but not remarkably better but arguably (player) wiser, do some on here want to go back to last years wooden spooners and see what they said about them, not the least of Dyllan Brown going there, through no fault of what was called at the time the stupidity of the guy we now want to hire as our recruitment boss.....a decision I have no problem with btw......but just pointing out the cynicism of this site and its occupants.
The cures are actually as controllable as we can get in an evolutionary sense.
What is our evolution, its quiet pronounced since the renaissance but just the same one we have to bear and falter with.
BA's appoinment
The club changing administratively
The oppointment of Gurr and then Saratinos and the subsequent Centre of Excellance
Subsequent change of Chairmen
BA's sacking and the appointments both in effort and in fact of the current incumbents.
The Lomax affair and the Moses injuries
The Ryles era and the injuries resulting in the demise of 2026.
Yes this / these are all factors in our evolution
Hope you all come for the ride!......I have been on it for a loooong time!
Feel free to express your comfort in getting off the horse or staying seated as you ride with the "bumps".
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Interesting read.
I think something to consider is the impact of rule changes and squad development.
The 6 again rule and 6 man bench has seriously impacted the bulldogs' utility mindset. No longer is Jaeman Salmon nor Kurt Mann relevant as the extra 2 players on the bench has nullified that. The 6 again rule has hurt the squads which are built around the big boppers.
Crazy to think the six again rule was introduced after the bulldogs had already arrived in Vegas last year.
These last minute rule changes makes me think signing players long term will be challenging. Do some clubs have inside information on changes to come? Is it luck that the roosters have two great jumping wingers at a time when wingers are being protected when in the air?
The game constantly changes, squads are relevant 1 year and decimated by subtle changes the next.
I wouldn't say we are not popular - we have one of the biggest fan bases in the league, but I think people see Parra as perennial underachievers. You can point to certain things that have happened over the past years to exacerbate this, but the point remains that there are certainly truths to this. Opposition fans love to have a dig because they know this is true of Parra, but if we were successful there would be nothing to have a dig at.
In the end, we can only worry about our own club and how we respond to current issues. We have the bones of a very strong and successful club that has never had the tenacity to bring it to fruition. The success we enjoyed between 1976 - 1986 was never built on - we just expected it to roll on through the years. In hindsight of course that was rather futile as our systems didn't evolve to keep the quality players and administrators coming through.
I hold out hope that a strong incoming CEO will recognise this and put systems and processes in place to ensure we finally attain the heights that our club is capable of. That will bring fans in droves and keep the detractors quiet.