Give-me-morley as a Northern Eagles signing

[Crushercleal]

Seeing Kimmorley is back in the spotlight, I thought I'd ask you this question: how did you react at the time when it was announced that Kimmorley, a recent Premiership winning halfback with the Storm at the time, had just been signed by the Northern Eagles? I remember the exact moment when I read it - at a servo at the Uni Games down south, and I was ECSTATIC at the time, even though I realised it would cost us an arm and a leg. You guys? (be honest now)

 

[clontaago]

Northern who? Can someone ban Crusher for a week for his indescretion please.

 

[Crushercleal]

Get stuffed, I supported them wholeheartedly, and anyone who didn't is a traitor in my books.

 

[PJ]

I was thrilled Crusher- he was the man at the time but things changed soon after

 

[Crushercleal]

I brought it up, coz everyone seems to hate him these days. Not saying I'm a fan of his, but it's funny how things changed so quickly regarding him.

 

[Fro]

wake up idiot "A traitor in my books"!!

they were not manly, and as such didnt deserve any more than a fleeting glance in the paper at the scores.

I am a supporter of Manly not of a hybrid bastardisation of a "Franchise"!!

 

[Crushercleal]

What if we hadn't got the licence back? Are you saying you would have never supported a team again? Give me a break - it obviously wasn't an ideal situation for a hardcore Manly fan, but to not have supported them in any way is a joke in my opinion. You think all the Balmain fans no longer support the Wests Tigers? They've had to adapt to it. We are just lucky that we never had to.

 

[Fro]

I dont give a stuff what Balmain, or Wests, or St George, or Illawara fans do.

and in answer to your original question, yes i would never have supported a team again, may have watched a game here or there but wouldnt have followed a team.

 

[Crushercleal]

Fair enough. Those ugly jerseys were good enough reason not to support them

 

[Fluffy]

I stopped following rugby league and began follwing the Northern Spirit.

No realmanly fan could ever follow that superleague scum merger crap let alone anything to do with the bears.

and the opinion of anyone who did means SFA due to the fact they have obvious mental problems.

If however you came from a norths background i can understand trying to clutch at even the slightest thing manly related.

 

[Corso_Pete]

I had mixed feelings about Kimmorley coming to the NE. Clearly he was the marquee halfback of the day but a young bloke by the name of Matt Orford was shining through and had taken over from Jason Taylor as the starting halfback.

It was obvious that Orford was a good player and was not going to cost anywhere near the money that Kimmoreley was on.

But in what is now a familiar story Orford only wanted to play half back and not 5/8 as was Peter Sharp's wish.

Melbourne needed a half back to replace Kimmorely and Orford got his wish and became a top tier half back with the Storm.

Kimmorley did his best with a poor team that was divided, particulary off the field. The off field machinations of this club were something to behold, it was nothing less than a feuadal war. It was impossible for any player to perform at their best in the enviroment that existed and to this day I am saddened by the fact that Geoff Toovey played his last match in front of less than 10,000 people for this club.

If you think this forum is brutal, for those that ever used the Northern Eagles forum you would recall that is was largely unmoderated and made these pages feel like a picnic in the park on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

 

[PJ]

yeah Corso Pete some of the stuff back then was pretty brutal - alot of frustrated Manly and Norths supporters

 

[byso]

I was very dissapointed to lose The Ox for Kimmorley.

I did support the NE, dont worry about Clonta he isn't a true supporter

 

[Crushercleal]

I'm sorta just stirring you all. I don't have a Norths supporting backgroud either - pure Manly. But I did follow the merger when it happened. I just couldn't go from supporting a team to nothing at all, and guys like Beaver and Tooves were still playing.

Regarding Orford, I remember the general consensus was that he was too small at the time to make it big, if i remember correctly?

 

[Canteen Worker]

I did not follow the Northern Eagles and lost interest in League totally. Kimmorley did nothing for me though he played a game or two at an okay level for Australia in one of those forgettable overseas series.

 

[clontaago]

My old boy used to play for Wests. He bled black and white and I remember going to many a game at Lidcombe Oval and Campbelltown when I was a kid. In fact there werent many games we missed.

However the day Wests merged, my old man stopped supporting a team and has not attended a club game since. He still follows the footy and watches most games and goes to SOO games, but he doesnt support anyone in particular.

You cant just start supporting another team IMO. I couldnt anyway.

 

[PJ]

I wouldn't want to have been tackling your old man in his day!!!

 

[nodd]

My old boy used to play for Wests. He bled black and white and I remember going to many a game at Lidcombe Oval and Campbelltown when I was a kid. In fact there werent many games we missed.

However the day Wests merged, my old man stopped supporting a team and has not attended a club game since. He still follows the footy and watches most games and goes to SOO games, but he doesnt support anyone in particular.

You cant just start supporting another team IMO. I couldnt anyway.

I agree clon. Being a Brissie I'm always asked why I don't follow the bongos and I tell em I was supporting Manly for ten years before the bongos became and you don't just swap allegiance for the sake of it :naughty: . Didn't I cop it during that first game at Lang Park

 

[clontaago]

I wouldn't want to have been tackling your old man in his day!!!

Yeah he's a big boy. Its funny, he used to play for de la salle in Lithgow when he was really young. Back in those days you didnt play in age groups, you played in weight groups!!!

When he was 12 he was playing against 17 year olds.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

I was stoked when we got Kimmorley, tbh, i can somehow get excited and see the positives in any signing we make.
I actually thought he went ok with an average crew, and when we couldnt pay him and he left held no grudges, and have never been 1 of the hate Kimmorley brigade

I remember the day clearly when we merged, came home inbetween the ceremony and reception at cuz's wedding and found the news, was gutted.

Still supported them, but suppose the passion wasnt as much as it was, but was no way i would have stopped following them completely when they were still half Manly.

Was it NE days that Menzies took a kick and scored on the siren to beat St G at SFS ?
And also another game v St G at Brookie, when Matt Cooper made a huge run and was pretty much scoring in the corner to win game before Menzies came flying in from the side an put him out.

Not sure if they were NE or Manly