Originally posted by NinerGod:
Gotta ask you guys, is there a division between the fans that followed Hayne to the States and thought less of him for quitting football, and fans that thought he should have never left and want to see him succeed elsewhere? Is there somekind of rivalry there?
Probably doesn't answer your question, but it might surprise you that a lot of Hayne supporters were anything but before he went over there.
Many of us support an opposing club or state team to that which Hayne played for in Rugby League. But put him in the Green and Gold (Australian) jumper or on the international scene as a San Francisco Forty-Niner, and it galvanised support here at home that transcended those old club and state lines.
Now that he's bailed, I personally won't be following his story, but not out of any animosity, rather because he's choosing to represent another nation in a sport I don't care about, as a Fiji Rugby 7's player. If that falls through and he comes back to League, I'll view him just as I did before he left, the "enemy" whether he's in an Eels or New South Wales (state representative) jumper, but a true blue Aussie if he's in the Green and Gold.
Besides all that, one thing that makes me chuckle a bit is how some site members can't seem to come to terms with how some of us have become fans of the Niners through the process. They seem to think we would all tuck tail and run after Hayne, as though he was our be all and end all and we're incapable of making choices independent of his.
Some of us had an interest in the NFL long before Hayne ever played in our NRL, let alone actually made the switch between the two. But the string of ex Aussie Rules punters prior to Hayne, whilst duly respected, didn't really have the pull for League fans to bring about a commitment to learn the game or to a team. Hayne had that pull as a high profile NRL guy going over with the goal to become a player, not just to kick the occasional ball then go sit down.
Despite how that turned out, I've grown attached to this team as poor as they are or hopefully were, having watched all last season's games whether Hayne featured or not. I don't feel as though I'm intruding. I might still be a learner but I'm a Niner fan and I'm here to stay.