The Daily Telegraph’s NRL poll has been surveyed, and some interesting results have come from it.
With more than 23,000 rugby league fans having their say, it came back with the surprise result that the Melbourne Storm are the most popular team in the NRL.
While they’re the most supported team in the competition, the poll also found they were the most hated, as a third of voters picked them as the team they’d like their club to beat.
Whether it’s because of continued dominance or the way they carry themselves, SEN host Andrew Voss was surprised to learn that the Storm “did the double”.
“The Melbourne Storm is the most popular team in the NRL according to this year’s NRL fan poll which surveyed over 23,000 fans,” Voss said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“There’s a whole host of topics, there’s your favourite team, your most loathed team, and the team you love to beat.
“What’s an interesting double, is that Melbourne’s the most popular, and the most hated, or the team you’d love to beat most.
“In that question for who you’d like to see your team beat, 32 per cent said the Melbourne, it’s daylight second to the Roosters at 13 per cent, and the Broncos and Panthers equal third on 10 per cent.”
Voss believes the Storm have well and truly taken the mantle away from the team who he used to consider the most loathed, the Manly Sea Eagles.
“I was brought up all my time of rugby league, back in the NSWRL, it was always Manly,” Voss said.
“Manly was the most hated club, the saying went, ‘I go for my team and whoever’s playing Manly’.
“That was just a catch-cry in rugby league, those days are long gone.
“Well Manly, you’re not hated anymore, you’re loved almost, they’re fifth on the leader board at eight per cent.
“Manly aren’t even on the podium now as one of the most hated teams.”
Other results in the poll included Tom Trbojevic as the league’s best player, Craig Bellamy as the best coach and Nicho Hynes as the most improved player.
Listen to the full chat here.