If St George Illawarra fans permit Wests Tigers supporters to take over ANZ Stadium on Saturday night, they may end up feeling “embarrassed” and be labeled as “lacking passion.”
Officials from the NRL anticipate a turnout of 65,000 to 70,000 for the NRL grand final qualifier, conditional on Saints fans making the journey to Homebush from southern Sydney and Wollongong.
“Dragons fans don’t travel,” remarked Balmain legend Ben Elias, poking fun at the Red V army.
While NRL officials recognize the likelihood of Wests Tigers fans filling ANZ, they are still uncertain about the attendance of Dragons supporters for this heated match.
A reliable source connected to the big event expressed even greater concern.
“There’s no doubt that Tigers supporters will crowd the stadium, but the presence of the so-called Dragons army is uncertain,” stated the rugby league insider.
“St George Illawarra boasts a rich history, yet perhaps their fans aren’t as fervent as those supporting the other major Sydney clubs.
“It would be quite embarrassing if the red and white were outnumbered by black and gold on Saturday night.
“This poses a challenge for every Dragons fan.”
Dragons supporters failed to sell out the 19,000-capacity WIN Jubilee for the first week of the finals against Manly, drawing only 15,574 attendees.
Elias and fellow Tigers icon Garry Jack predict that Tigers fans will dominate ANZ Stadium.
“I anticipate a crowd ratio close to 2:1,” said Elias.
“Geographically, we have the upper hand over the Saints. With Campbelltown to the west of ANZ Stadium and Balmain to the east, the odds are in our favor.
“Dragons fans tend not to travel.
“They certainly aren’t likely to come up from Wollongong.
“We are confident about clinching the premiership. Momentum is on our side. They couldn’t even fill Kogarah for the opening finals match.”
Jack added, “There are countless Tigers fans out there. I believe there will be more Tigers supporters present than Dragons fans. The Tigers encompass Balmain fans, Western Suburbs fans, and Wests Tigers fans. It should be an electrifying match.”