NRL fan survey's staggering reveal about support for Brisbane Broncos amid club's dramas
The Broncos are a club in turmoil, but it hasn't affected the level of support for the NRL powerhouse.
They missed the finals following the season from hell, sacked their coach and are under attack from their old boys' network – but the Brisbane Broncos are back as Australia's most popular NRL club. Clearly boosted by last year's run to the grand final, a poll conducted by research company Roy Morgan revealed Brisbane now sits on top of the NRL supporters' ladder with 1,302,000 fans, a stunning increase of 152,000 (+13.2%) on a year ago.
It’s the first time the Broncos have topped the poll since 2020, taking top spot from Melbourne. Roy Morgan's Industry Communications Director, Julian McCrann, believes Brisbane can remain as the country's best supported NRL club despite a poor 2024 campaign, the sacking of coach Kevin Walters and off-season drama surrounding superstar Reece Walsh.
Asked if Brisbane fans were likely to react negatively to damaging headlines, he told Yahoo Sport Australia: "The current drama the Broncos are going through will likely not have any long-term impact on their supporter base, which has been in the top two for over 20 years and only beaten (in some years) by the perennially successful Melbourne Storm.
"The only long-term impact will be from on-field success or failure. The Broncos have won many premierships but haven’t tasted the ultimate success for 18 years now – the longest drought they’ve ever had. The biggest threat to the Broncos is if the new team the Dolphins starts winning premierships and taking new supporters."
RELATED:
Michael Maguire's message to Reece Walsh as NSW players respond to exit
Cameron Smith stunned by grand final move as Ivan Cleary gets his wish
Melbourne Storm dethroned as most popular club in NRL
The Storm are second on the fan favourites' list with 1,118,000 supporters – a figure which is expected to rise considerably next year following their appearance in the 2024 grand final. Despite not winning a premiership since 1986, Parramatta is the most heavily backed team in Sydney, with a supporter based estimated at 500,000.
The Roosters, long mocked for their perceived lack of support, are next on the list with 474,000 fans. Surprisingly, three-time premiers Penrith sit down in fifth (377,000) position despite dominating the competition for the best part of this decade.
"Building a bigger supporter base requires sustained success over many years – decades – and is something the Panthers have yet to achieve despite winning three premierships in a row," McCrann explained. "Before their recent run of success, the Panthers were one of the least supported clubs in the league, ahead of only the Cronulla Sharks of the Sydney-based teams.
"But the Panthers have more than doubled their supporter base since 2020 – with an increase of 100.3% which is a bigger increase than any other club. It's a stunning improvement from only a few years ago."
The Gold Coast Titans are bottom of the rankings despite an 11 per cent surge in support, attracting just 156,000 fans in the poll.
