http://www.sportingnews.com/au/leag...owboys-big-stadium/1kr5d8qpuxcrk1u9fz8p4c1gut
They share a love of the beach, leading roles in the dirtiest grand final of them all and a mutual hatred and loathing.
But there is one thing that appears to separate Manly and Cronulla fans – passion.
Twenty-four hours after tickets went on sale to the public for Friday night's preliminary final against North Queensland at Allianz Stadium, Sharks supporters had snapped up a stunning 18,000 of them.
That figure will go well past 20,000 in the days to come.
It ensures the ground will be a sea of black, white and blue for the club's biggest game since 2008.
So what's this got to do with Manly?
Well, back in 2012 against the same opponent, an embarrassing turnout of just 16, 678 watched the Sea Eagles triumph 22-12 in the 'Hand of Foz' semi-final.
It again underlined the reluctance of Manly fans to travel beyond the Spit Bridge to support their side.
That's despite just 19.5km separating Brookvale Oval from Allianz Stadium, while Shark Park is a 25.1km slog away.
NRL officials tried everything bar personal stretch limousines to get Manly fans across the bridge in 2012 but still couldn't lure them out of the Insular Peninsula.
No such problem for Shire diehards, who it appears would much rather support their team live than recline in their Chesterfield sofa and have the result phoned in.
Or perhaps Cronulla fans are just so starved of success they would cross the Simpson Desert without water or food for a sniff of a premiership*
*Last line written by the only Manly fan at Sporting News - and the last known northern beaches resident to leave God's Country on a weekend
They share a love of the beach, leading roles in the dirtiest grand final of them all and a mutual hatred and loathing.
But there is one thing that appears to separate Manly and Cronulla fans – passion.
Twenty-four hours after tickets went on sale to the public for Friday night's preliminary final against North Queensland at Allianz Stadium, Sharks supporters had snapped up a stunning 18,000 of them.
That figure will go well past 20,000 in the days to come.
It ensures the ground will be a sea of black, white and blue for the club's biggest game since 2008.
So what's this got to do with Manly?
Well, back in 2012 against the same opponent, an embarrassing turnout of just 16, 678 watched the Sea Eagles triumph 22-12 in the 'Hand of Foz' semi-final.
It again underlined the reluctance of Manly fans to travel beyond the Spit Bridge to support their side.
That's despite just 19.5km separating Brookvale Oval from Allianz Stadium, while Shark Park is a 25.1km slog away.
NRL officials tried everything bar personal stretch limousines to get Manly fans across the bridge in 2012 but still couldn't lure them out of the Insular Peninsula.
No such problem for Shire diehards, who it appears would much rather support their team live than recline in their Chesterfield sofa and have the result phoned in.
Or perhaps Cronulla fans are just so starved of success they would cross the Simpson Desert without water or food for a sniff of a premiership*
*Last line written by the only Manly fan at Sporting News - and the last known northern beaches resident to leave God's Country on a weekend
