Everyone loves to hate the Roosters. But we shouldn’t. Their fans have suffered too

Writing for The Sydney Morning Herald ahead of the 2026 NRL grand final against Newcastle, columnist Malcolm Knox argues that despite the Sydney Roosters being widely cast as league villains, their supporters deserve empathy rather than hostility. Knox explains that while the club is often resented for its wealth, influence, and success under chairman Nick Politis and coach Trent Robinson, its fan base shares the same emotional vulnerability as any other rugby league faithful.

Reflecting on attending a match alongside longtime supporters, Knox notes that older Roosters followers endured decades of struggle during the 1980s and 1990s and feared club extinction during the Super League war. He concludes that in rugby league, enduring fandom is fundamentally defined by suffering and anxiety, regardless of how privileged or successful a club may appear from the outside.