What made you fall in love with League?

[Teddy]

For me, one player made me love this game, Anthony Minichiello it was round 4 2000 season I was 11, he made his debut against the bullscum, I hated the dogs with a passion just before the rivalry begun. At the time I just followed him, then my dad bought me a Cotton Jersey (SIEMENS Mobile one) still have it, I would break his balls begging him to take me to the games, however he was a shift worker so I never really understood why he couldn’t take me more now I work shift work lmao totally get it.

I infected my mother with the Easts this and Easts that she never followed any sport, now it’s tradition I go over whenever they play on T.V and occasionally take her when her arthritis isn’t playing up she’s a fanatic mugs, flags, clothes, beanies, 2013 framed and signed picture, she even converted my sisters kids buys them Roosters merch all the time lol I get her membership it’s become a tradition for me and her.
I’m more then just a fan, the club feels like a family to me and that bond I have with my mother I’ll keep with me forever, Easts is embedded in my blood.

GO EASTS!!!

[Hurricane Hastings]

It has something to do with 1978 and the Sports ground. I honestly don't remember the details.

I don't have a single moment, but yeah 1978, Sports Ground v Parramatta is probably the first clear memory I have of being at a game. We won 19 - 13, Schuey ran the length and was ankle tapped late by Neville Glover but got there. I remember Graeme Murray scoring for Parra too and someone in the crowd said something to him as the conversion was lined up and he responded with something clever, quick as a flash and the crowd there had a good laugh.

After that, 1980 was my first big lesson as I could not see how we weren't gonna win that comp - didn't occur to me that we could lose and I shed a few tears on GF day. Then the tough 80's, revival mid 90's into the successful early 2000's right through until the great club we have today. Growing up in the area and playing a little bit of junior footy for Paddo Woollahra helped as well.

Been a rollercoaster but I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Dr. Voodoo Man]

As a young kid I think I also just loved our colours. I still get emotional looking at our jersey sometimes. Not emotional as in sad but more a stirring of something deep inside, our history, etc.

[bondi paul]

My dads influence about Easts. He played both codes for Easts. I met many players as a youngster thru him and not just Easts players.Showing my age here. The first semi I went to was us versus Canterbury in 67 as a youngster. It was the year of the introduction of the 4 tackle rule. All that aside besides attending many games at the old sports ground it’s when we played on the SCG that was a thrill. To this day whenever they run out from the members in the RWB they always look so noble. That was my thought as a kid and it hasn’t changed.

[Dr. Voodoo Man]

My dads influence about Easts. He played both codes for Easts. I met many players as a youngster thru him and not just Easts players.Showing my age here. The first semi I went to was us versus Canterbury in 67 as a youngster. It was the year of the introduction of the 4 tackle rule. All that aside besides attending many games at the old sports ground it’s when we played on the SCG that was a thrill. To this day whenever they run out from the members in the RWB they always look so noble. That was my thought as a kid and it hasn’t changed.

Nice. Noble is a good word. I remember being a little kid at the Sports Ground. I was sitting near the fence and I remember Des O'Reilly (sp?). I couldn't believe men looked like that.

[redwhiteblue]

As a young kid I think I also just loved our colours. I still get emotional looking at our jersey sometimes. Not emotional as in sad but more a stirring of something deep inside, our history, etc.

Yes I was the same and was happy to ditch the blue and gold when I was old enough to pay for my own wardrobe choices..sitting here now in my ANZAC jersey AGAIN..it's my after work winter attire

[redwhiteblue]

For me, one player made me love this game, Anthony Minichiello it was round 4 2000 season I was 11, he made his debut against the bullscum, I hated the dogs with a passion just before the rivalry begun. At the time I just followed him, then my dad bought me a Cotton Jersey (SIEMENS Mobile one) still have it, I would break his balls begging him to take me to the games, however he was a shift worker so I never really understood why he couldn’t take me more now I work shift work lmao totally get it.

I infected my mother with the Easts this and Easts that she never followed any sport, now it’s tradition I go over whenever they play on T.V and occasionally take her when her arthritis isn’t playing up she’s a fanatic mugs, flags, clothes, beanies, 2013 framed and signed picture, she even converted my sisters kids buys them Roosters merch all the time lol I get her membership it’s become a tradition for me and her.
I’m more then just a fan, the club feels like a family to me and that bond I have with my mother I’ll keep with me forever, Easts is embedded in my blood.

GO EASTS!!!

That's a great post Teddy..I must admit my family feed my Roosters passion too even though they follow the Broncos or Parra. I have number 561 out of 1,000 of the Centurion prints hanging in my lounge room above my desk given to my by my family for my 40th birthday and my sister bought me back lots of napkins, pot holders etc from Portugal with Roosters on them for my kitchen as it's one of their national emblems. My uncle gave a funny eulogy about Mum when she passed about how she would go for the Roosters for me, Parra & Souths for my two brothers in law, the Storm for my nephew but NEVER the Broncos for my sister even though she lived in Qld from 1948 until she passed in 2006. She'll be happy we now have the wood on them these days as we spent many a Good Friday staying up watching us get smashed by them, stress eating all the Easter eggs and then going out to buy more on Easter Saturday having to put up with Broncos loving neighbours in our country town.

[rozza]

One of my early memories is at a young age going to the old SFS in the 02-04 period watching players like Fittler Ricketson Morley Fitzgibbon (my favourite) & Minichiello at the time.As i grew up over the years I started getting more into league history & of course the club's history via books & old games & finally the fact that we are the only club that has played in every single season since 1908.

[SupermanSupportsEasts4Eva]

Like a number of you my story is also a family affair. Dad played two ranji matches in India and was a young sports journo before he moved to Sydney in 74, so naturally he drifted towards any sports. Being an Indian man (in a prominently racist 70's Australia) was hard and talking footy and cricket was away for him to bond with the few white mates he had here in those early years. Easts won the comp in 74 and so he started supporting them. By the time he saw them win it on a b&w tele in 75 he was hooked for life.

Born in the late 80s the earliest footy memories I have of Easts was mainly of us loosing, so I much preferred playing it than watching it. I had to go for Easts though regardless. My passion for the game really started to grow when Freddy came across in 96. Dad worked as an IT journalist for the Australian newspaper by then and I still remember him telling mum that he heard a rumour at work that Gus was bringing Freddy over before it made the news that day.

I watched the 02 GF with the whole family at Stadium Australia. And I'm glad I got to enjoy it with Dad. Unfortunately it was the only premiership we saw together as Dad passed in 2010. I loved the roosters and league but my passion for the game increased moreso from then on. In 2013 I said a quick pray at ANZ Stadium as the boys were doing their lap.

Now I'm raising the next generation of Easts fans. At full time I was holding my eldest daughter (who celebrated her 1st bday on the same day as the 2018 GF). My second daughter was 6 weeks old wearing a Roosters onesie on 2019 GF night. (She woke up crying her head off when Teddy went over for the winner - admittedly she probably woke up to half the family screaming at the tele).

3 weeks ago when my son was born I told my wife that night that "you have just given birth to a future premiership winning Roosters captain!" (The lil bugger is keeping me up as I write this lol)

I'm one of those fans that loves the club more than the game…. But I still love the game. I love it because it is by far the best footy code in the world. No matter what rules they change or how the game evolves league is and always will be better than AFL, Union, Soccer and NFL combined.

Go the mighty Roosters

[Bruce Pickett]

Like a number of you my story is also a family affair. Dad played two ranji matches in India and was a young sports journo before he moved to Sydney in 74, so naturally he drifted towards any sports. Being an Indian man (in a prominently racist 70's Australia) was hard and talking footy and cricket was away for him to bond with the few white mates he had here in those early years. Easts won the comp in 74 and so he started supporting them. By the time he saw them win it on a b&w tele in 75 he was hooked for life.

Born in the late 80s the earliest footy memories I have of Easts was mainly of us loosing, so I much preferred playing it than watching it. I had to go for Easts though regardless. My passion for the game really started to grow when Freddy came across in 96. Dad worked as an IT journalist for the Australian newspaper by then and I still remember him telling mum that he heard a rumour at work that Gus was bringing Freddy over before it made the news that day.

I watched the 02 GF with the whole family at Stadium Australia. And I'm glad I got to enjoy it with Dad. Unfortunately it was the only premiership we saw together as Dad passed in 2010. I loved the roosters and league but my passion for the game increased moreso from then on. In 2013 I said a quick pray at ANZ Stadium as the boys were doing their lap.

Now I'm raising the next generation of Easts fans. At full time I was holding my eldest daughter (who celebrated her 1st bday on the same day as the 2018 GF). My second daughter was 6 weeks old wearing a Roosters onesie on 2019 GF night. (She woke up crying her head off when Teddy went over for the winner - admittedly she probably woke up to half the family screaming at the tele).

3 weeks ago when my son was born I told my wife that night that "you have just given birth to a future premiership winning Roosters captain!" (The lil bugger is keeping me up as I write this lol)

I'm one of those fans that loves the club more than the game…. But I still love the game. I love it because it is by far the best footy code in the world. No matter what rules they change or how the game evolves league is and always will be better than AFL, Union, Soccer and NFL combined.

Go the mighty Roosters

Beautiful mate.

[Waylander]

I don't know why I fell in love with league, it's been a part of my life as long as I can remember. But I know why I fell in love with Easts. I grew up in Five Dock, and went to primary school in Haberfield. I always loved footy, and played in the school teams every year from 3rd class onwards. We wore blue & yellow jerseys, but the area was in the Western Suburbs district back then, when Wests still played out of Pratten Park in Ashfield, before they shifted out to Lidcombe Oval. So I followed Wests at a very young age, as I was a Western Suburbs junior. But my Dad always supported Easts. One day, when I was old enough to notice this, I asked him why. He told me "Your Grandfather played for them". I merely accepted this at the time without any questions, but thought it was a good enough reason to change, so I did. That would have been early '70's. Then came '74 & '75, when Easts were all-conquering, and my love for the team, and the game, was solidified.

Eventually I asked more about my Grandfather. He was a Kiwi, born in Auckland, and having moved to Bondi at a young age, initially played Rugby Union for Easts, but also I believe played some league when it first began (he was 19yo in 1908) in our lower grades. I contacted the club historian and asked for any information, but he told me records from back then were sparse, and unless he was named in a newspaper report at the time, they would probably have no record. He moved away from Sydney to live in the bush, and continued to play. Dad told me he played 5/8 for NSW Country against a touring English team, but Dad couldn't tell me what year. My Grandfather was gassed in France during WW1, and was never well after that. He passed away in 1950, so I never met the man myself. I would have loved the chance to talk footy with him.

Now, although I married a Canberra girl and moved to Canberra in 1991, my 3 daughters all follow Easts, and the family legacy continues.

[redwhiteblue]

Like a number of you my story is also a family affair. Dad played two ranji matches in India and was a young sports journo before he moved to Sydney in 74, so naturally he drifted towards any sports. Being an Indian man (in a prominently racist 70's Australia) was hard and talking footy and cricket was away for him to bond with the few white mates he had here in those early years. Easts won the comp in 74 and so he started supporting them. By the time he saw them win it on a b&w tele in 75 he was hooked for life.

Born in the late 80s the earliest footy memories I have of Easts was mainly of us loosing, so I much preferred playing it than watching it. I had to go for Easts though regardless. My passion for the game really started to grow when Freddy came across in 96. Dad worked as an IT journalist for the Australian newspaper by then and I still remember him telling mum that he heard a rumour at work that Gus was bringing Freddy over before it made the news that day.

I watched the 02 GF with the whole family at Stadium Australia. And I'm glad I got to enjoy it with Dad. Unfortunately it was the only premiership we saw together as Dad passed in 2010. I loved the roosters and league but my passion for the game increased moreso from then on. In 2013 I said a quick pray at ANZ Stadium as the boys were doing their lap.

Now I'm raising the next generation of Easts fans. At full time I was holding my eldest daughter (who celebrated her 1st bday on the same day as the 2018 GF). My second daughter was 6 weeks old wearing a Roosters onesie on 2019 GF night. (She woke up crying her head off when Teddy went over for the winner - admittedly she probably woke up to half the family screaming at the tele).

3 weeks ago when my son was born I told my wife that night that "you have just given birth to a future premiership winning Roosters captain!" (The lil bugger is keeping me up as I write this lol)

I'm one of those fans that loves the club more than the game…. But I still love the game. I love it because it is by far the best footy code in the world. No matter what rules they change or how the game evolves league is and always will be better than AFL, Union, Soccer and NFL combined.

Go the mighty Roosters

I have to say that is such a beautiful post and our families have a bit in common. I grew up in one of the most racist country towns in Qld and one of my uncles became a jockey and Dad played lawn bowls for Qld and also played league and union when he moved from Lebanon at age 9 in the 1920's. Congratulations on the birth of your new son and blessings to all of you.

[easts4eva]

I was born in 1970 and my oldman was a hard core easts fan so I followed suit.
But watching sport for over 40 years, up against Afl, union and soccer I think league is the complete contest, power agility and ball skills are put to the test. Just can't get into the above mentioned.

[SupermanSupportsEasts4Eva]

I have to say that is such a beautiful post and our families have a bit in common. I grew up in one of the most racist country towns in Qld and one of my uncles became a jockey and Dad played lawn bowls for Qld and also played league and union when he moved from Lebanon at age 9 in the 1920's. Congratulations on the birth of your new son and blessings to all of you.

Shukran RWB. We have abit more in common. My wife is second generation Lebanese

[Teddy]

That's a great post Teddy..I must admit my family feed my Roosters passion too even though they follow the Broncos or Parra. I have number 561 out of 1,000 of the Centurion prints hanging in my lounge room above my desk given to my by my family for my 40th birthday and my sister bought me back lots of napkins, pot holders etc from Portugal with Roosters on them for my kitchen as it's one of their national emblems. My uncle gave a funny eulogy about Mum when she passed about how she would go for the Roosters for me, Parra & Souths for my two brothers in law, the Storm for my nephew but NEVER the Broncos for my sister even though she lived in Qld from 1948 until she passed in 2006. She'll be happy we now have the wood on them these days as we spent many a Good Friday staying up watching us get smashed by them, stress eating all the Easter eggs and then going out to buy more on Easter Saturday having to put up with Broncos loving neighbours in our country town.

Great stuff mate I’m sorry for the passing of your mother and sister, that’s what it’s all about for me the passion and connection with family lovely stuff very touching good post.

GO EASTSS!!!