We reveal the rugby league clubs that our sports journalists backed when they were children

Sons and daughters deliberately picking clubs their dad’s hated, a wedding dance to a team song, and an autograph Crash Craddock will never forgot. Here’s the stories behind the clubs our journos supported as kids.

When someone becomes a sports journalist they have to adhere to the motto of “reporter, not supporter”.

But every sports writer has their allegiances – after all, they never would have entered the profession had they not been passionate about a club or a team when they were kids.

So we polled our sports reporters to check who they used to support in rugby league when they were children, and asked them exactly what those clubs meant to them.

Spoiler: There’s only one Broncos fan amongst them.

The 1987 Brothers grand final team photograph: front row (from left) Mark Coyne, Clinton Mohr, Greg Smith, Ross Strudwick (coach), Trevor Bailey (captain), Gary Smith, Jeff Burns, Joe Kilroy. Back row: (from left) John Coppleman (runner), Robert Grogan, Tony Rea, Jim Stafford, Peter Gill, Eric Kennedy, Brett Le Man,Steve Carter, Gary Vernon, Shane McErlean, Mick Long (selector), Dick Healy (selector). Picture: Paul Edwards

GREG DAVIS

(Sports reporter)

Team supported: Brothers Leprechauns

Growing up in Brisbane in the 1980s, you didn’t need to follow a club in the “Sydney comp” – you had a team in the Brisbane premiership which still delivered a host of Origin and Test stars.

I bled blue-and-white butcher stripes. Every Sunday, my dad would take me and my brothers to wherever Brothers were playing – at home at Corbett Park or at places like Kougari Oval, Purtell Park, Davies Park, Langlands Park or Bash-up (Bishop) Park.

The highlight was Brothers’ 1987 grand final win over Redcliffe at Lang Park when captain and hooker Trevor Bailey hoisted the Winfield Cup over his head with supercoach Ross “Struddy” Strudwick not far away.

(Cop that you filthy ‘Fins. We smashed Souths in the reserve grade decider that day too).

My other favourite memory is walking out of Davies Park on an Easter Sunday in the early 80s after the Brethren had sprung a massive upset win over a star-studded South Magpies side featuring Mal Meninga.

My cousin Katherine said, “well that’s two miracles for the day. Jesus rises from the dead and we beat Souths’’.

The North Queensland Cowboys have my sworn allegiance in the NRL these days – until Brothers get a team in the NRL, that is.

Cowboys captain Travis Norton leads the team off the field after their epic victory over the Broncos in 2004. Picture: Mark Evans

TRAVIS MEYN

(Sports reporter)

Team supported: North Queensland Cowboys

The Cowboys may be the pride of North Queensland these days, but that wasn’t always the case.

To be frank, the Cowboys sucked for the first nine years of their existence and despite growing up in Cairns, they were tough to support. But that all changed in 2004 when the Cowboys went on a golden run to get within a game of the NRL grand final.

They beat the Broncos 10-0 in the finals in what is still regarded as one of the club’s greatest ever victories. If not for some dodgy refereeing in the preliminary final against the Roosters, the Cowboys could have gone all the way to the decider.

The following year, a kid named Johnathan Thurston arrived in Townsville and took the Cowboys to the NRL grand final, where they fell short against an excellent Wests Tigers. Those two seasons were the turning point for North Queensland when the Cowboys transformed from the NRL’s easybeats into a genuine title contender that a region could be proud of.

Graham Quinn was the cause of all of Andrew Dawson’s grey hair.

ANDREW DAWSON

(Quest sports editor)

Team supported: St George Illawarra Dragons

I blame former Brisbane Brothers centre Graham Quinn for all my grey hairs associated with following the Dragons.

When Quinn left my favourite BRL club to play for St George at the end of 1976, I decided to follow the famous Red V.

It started merrily enough with premierships in 1977 and 1979, then came the 32 year drought until Wayne Bennett’s magic dust was spread around.

But since Bennett left, grey hairs have turned to white hairs. But after finally getting our recruitment and retention correct, this season should be our best since the Bennett era.

Robert Stone dives over for try during 1977 St George v Parramatta grand final replay.

PAUL MALONE

(Senior sports reporter)

Team supported: St George Illawarra Dragons

When St George lost a preliminary final when I was eight, I was inconsolable.

The score was South Sydney 20, St George 8. I’d have to check the score of last year’s grand final – the Roosters won by quite a few to not very many – but I can tell you straight off that the Rabbitohs won that prelim 20-8.

And that Saints won the 1977 grand final replay by 22-0 over Parramatta. And Steve Mortimer’s death-by-bomb hand in the 1985 grand final was one of the most frustrating days of my league-watching life.

It was only years when I read Nick Hornby’s wonderful book about sporting obsessions, Fever Pitch, that I realised to my relief that I wasn’t the only person in the world who thought that by listening to the radio in one particular room, or wearing the same pair of socks, that I was ensuring that my team won, or at least that I was contributing. Phew.

Manly’s Paul Vautin is carried from the field at the end of the Manly Sea Eagles v Canberra Raiders 1987 grand final.

NATHAN EXELBY

(Racing editor)

Team supported: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles

It was more angst than ecstasy as a Sea Eagles supporter in the early ‘80s and I well recall sulking as Parramatta took care of them in the ‘82 and ‘83 Grand Finals.

I had to wait until 1987 for Manly to finally crack it (in my time as a supporter) and it was a terrific day.

There were probably a couple of reasons for loving Manly at that time; first was that Dad was a mad Eels supporter and I possibly wanted to go head to head with him, but more likely it was because of the really strong Queensland influence in the club at that time – Chris ‘Choppy’ Close had family in the area I grew up in and then there was the likes of Paul Vautin, Kerry Boustead, John Ribot and later Dale Shearer.

My early love for Manly probably contributed to my never being a Broncos supporter – having won the comp the previous year it was a gobsmacking return to earth when the new boys whipped the Premiers in the very first game of the 1988 comp.

North’s George Ambrum desperately tries to fend off St George's Tony Branson in 1969.

ROBERT CRADDOCK

(Chief sports reporter)

Team supported: North Sydney Bears

No team really stole my heart but I followed North Sydney because the Australian team visited my school in 1972 and George Ambrum, who was born on Thursday Island but moved to the Bears, was the first sporting autograph I managed to snare.

It was a big moment and I can still recall the sight of him signing my little autograph book with yellow pages with the fountain pen I handed him.

Sadly George died playing touch football in his 40s.

Brett Kimmorley, Marcus Bai and Aaron Moule before the Storm started their 1998 campaign.

KYLE POLLARD

(Online sports editor)

Team supported: Melbourne Storm

Being a 10-year-old Victorian when the Storm came into existence meant I had no choice but to tie my allegiances to the new kids on the block.

I distinctly remember reading the Herald Sun’s AFL Guide in 1998 and seeing Brett Kimmorley as a guest tipster, and thinking he mustn’t be all too bad if he knew a thing or two about Aussie Rules.

While I wasn’t as passionate about them as I was with my Geelong Cats or Green Bay Packers, their was an immense sense of pride when they started winning their premierships.

Since moving up here soft spots have developed for the Bunnies and the Cowboys for various reasons, but nothing compares to the mood swings I get based on whether Queensland wins or loses the Origin series.

Graham “Wombat” Eadie during Manly training at Brookvale Oval in Sydney, 1973.

JIM TUCKER

(Senior sports reporter)

Teams supported: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles/North Sydney Bears

I grew up watching Manly from the hill at Brooky Oval when “Wombat” Eadie was the best fullback in the world. I cheered the Sea Eagles to their premierships in the 1970s before a curious switch to following North Sydney.

My first paying job was that $20 a weekend taking the tackle counts of those often bad-news Bears at outposts like Henson Park.

I’ll never hear a bad word about John Singleton because he was the Newtown owner in a Merc when he picked up a hitchhiker (me) for a lift back to the city after a Norths-Newtown game.

Mitchell Cox scoring for the Bears in 1982 is Mike Colman’s favourite memory.

MIKE COLMAN

(Senior sports reporter)

Team supported: North Sydney Bears

For me it always was, and always will be, the mighty North Sydney Bears.

Kids at my school all supported the Big Three: Saints, Rabbitohs and Roosters but where was the fun it that? Surely winning all the time got boring after a while.

Luckily Bears supporters never had that problem. Every week was a soap opera; every win Christmas, New Year’s and your 21st rolled into one.

My favourite player was George Ambrum (157 games 1966-74), my favourite memory Mitchell Cox diving over in the corner against Manly at North Sydney Oval in 1982 (Norths 31-Manly 12) and the crowd on the hill chanting “Mit-chell, Mit-chell …”

Oh, and my new bride and I dancing to “Stand Aside, Here Come The Mighty Bears” on our wedding night.

Darren Lockyer tries to break through for the Broncos during the 1998 grand final against the Bulldogs.

RIKKI-LEE ARNOLD

(Sports reporter)

Team supported: Brisbane Broncos

My Mum is a Broncos supporter and my Dad is a Bulldogs supporter.

There were really only two options for me growing up and by the age of seven I declared my allegiance to the maroon and yellow – Mum had won.

I remember the exact moment I knew I was a Broncos fan too.

Dad was out coaching one of our local rugby league teams and Mum was at home, watching the Broncos play Friday night footy.

I came out to sit with her and was instantly dazzled by the skill of a 21-year-old Darren Lockyer.

He won man-of-the-match that night and I turned to Mum and said, “he’s my favourite”.

From there I was hooked.

I was by my Mum’s side for every game and watched as the Broncos broke my Dad’s heart in the 1998 grand final.

Over the years my jersey collection grew, my walls became decorated in Broncos posters and the likes of Gorden Tallis, Petero Civoniceva and Karmichael Hunt became some of my favourites alongside the great Lockyer.

I was in the stands for Brisbane’s 2006 grand final victory, celebrated my 21st birthday at Darren Lockyer’s last regular game with the Broncos in 2011 and experienced my own heartbreak in 2015 when they lost their first premiership to the Cowboys.

By 2016 my love of rugby league finally got me where I always wanted to be – a sports reporter.

Steve Ella was one of several players that made Pete Badel fall in love with Parramatta.

PETER BADEL

(Chief NRL reporter)

Team supported: Parramatta Eels

My dear mother said that as a child, I always had a worrying fascination with match-sticks.

So when Parramatta fans burned down Cumberland Oval after the club’s maiden premiership win in 1981, the fuse was lit. I had found my team.

The embers of my passion were truly stoked the following season. Without a home, the Eels were forced to relocate to Belmore Sports Ground, sharing turf with their bitter arch-rivals the Canterbury Bulldogs.

I attended my first ever NSWRL premiership match on February 28, 1982. It was a glorious Sunday afternoon. Round one. Canterbury v Parramatta. My dad Branko, a Croatian immigrant who drank Vodka like Coca-Cola and once did the paintwork at Cronulla Leagues Club, was a Doggies fan.

So I did what any rebellious kid would do – I thumbed my nose at dad by going for the other mob.

Peter Sterling and his flowing blond locks.

I remember a flying Eels centre scoring a try. It was Steve Ella, better known as the Zip Zip Man.

There was the flowing blond hair of a crafty halfback called Peter Sterling and when I laid eyes on the hulking figure of Eric Grothe, trampling rivals like a human steamroller, I had found my boyhood idol.

The Eels would go on to win that year’s premiership before clinching a hat-trick of titles in 1983 with an 18-6 defeat of Manly at the SCG.

As a kid, nothing beats going for a winning team. The bragging rights are so sweet. When the Eels won their fourth premiership in 1986, sticking it to the Dogs of War again, I walked into the schoolyard with the smile and swagger of the Prime Minister.

I was 10 years old at the time and I vividly remember saying to myself the glory days will never end ... I can’t wait for the next premiership.

Thirty-two years later _ the magical deeds of Eels legends Sterling, Grothe, Ella, Mick Cronin, Ray Price and Brett Kenny now faded sepia images in my brain _ I’m still waiting.