Sydney still hates us

Skyhunter · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:20 pm Post subject: Sydney still hates us

By David Beniuk, Todd Balym and Melissa Woods September 24, 2007

STEVE Menzies has played for Manly long enough to know Sydney's traditional hatred of the Sea Eagles won't disappear just because they're playing a team from Melbourne in the NRL grand final.

Menzies, who made his debut for the club in 1993, has even done the figures.

"We might get 20 per cent of the people that live in Sydney that don't normally go for Manly (who) want us to win," he said. "I've been at Manly too long to think that everyone, just because they live in Sydney, are going to go for us.

"Being Manly, we'll still get a few people that live in Sydney that are going to go for Melbourne."

More idealistic Sea Eagles have called on Sydneysiders to put their rivalry with the southern capital ahead of their dislike of rugby league's silvertails.

Incredibly, they've even bandied about a tag normally reserved for South Sydney or the Wests Tigers - "everyone's second team".

"Everywhere we go, on one side of the (Spit) bridge or the other, people are right behind us," second-rower Anthony Watmough said.

"I don't think we're the team everyone loves to hate anymore. We're the team everyone is starting to shine to and take in as a second team."

Skipper Matt Orford, though, has shown himself to be more of a realist. "Being the only Sydney team in the grand final I'd like to think that everyone loves Manly at the moment," he said.

"I don't know whether we've roped a few other people in to come to the dark side but we've had some great support."

Just who Sunday's Telstra Stadium crowd gets behind remains to be seen, with the remaining tickets to go on sale Tuesday morning. Four thousand of the 14,000 first allocated to season ticket holders were snapped up.

The Storm encountered a "neutral" crowd last year when they played fellow out-of-towners Brisbane and are expecting more boos on Sunday.

"Being the only Sydney team in the grand final they'll (Manly) get a fair bit of support," captain Cameron Smith said.

"They don't really like the Victorians, the blue-baggers, so we're going to be copping a fair bit of boos when we run out.

"Last year it was about 50-50, with the Broncos, but with a New South Wales team in there all Sydneysiders will be behind them."

Menzies, of course, has crunched the figures.

"I'm doing my numbers," he said of his side's likely crowd support. "That will probably bring it to 50-50. We'll probably get more support because they're in Melbourne and they have to travel a bit further so we'll get a fair bit of support.

"But the people on the fence - we'll only get 20 per cent of them."

AAP

Source: http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,22473391-23214,00.html