The five-year-old fan who went viral after TV cameras captured him in tears as his Wests Tigers heroes were thumped by Cronulla on Sunday has been raised on weekly re-runs of the club’s 2005 NRL grand final triumph.
Noah Deguara’s father made him watch the Tigers’ victory in the premiership decider so often that he began thinking they were unbeatable whenever they took the field.
Dad Cori Deguara did not see much merit in exposing his boy to some of the Tigers’ more recent seasons, which saw them collect three wooden spoons.
So the sight of his favourites being thumped 52-10 at Ocean Protect Stadium was more than a tearful Noah could bear. Matters weren’t helped by big sister Olivia, a 20-year-old Cronulla fan, who couldn’t contain her laughter at Noah’s expense – though she did give him a consoling cuddle.
“I gave it to him a bit,” Olivia admitted on Tuesday. “It was funny, but I was also actually hoping they’d win so I could see him excited.”
Cori said it had broken his heart to see his boy so upset, and blamed himself for indoctrinating him into the Tigers cause.
“Noah’s older brother and sisters have been trying to convert him to the Roosters or Panthers or Sharks, especially because the Tigers kept losing,” Cori said. “Everyone has been trying to bribe him. I almost lost him for a second, but he’s stayed staunch.
“I kept showing Noah replays of the 2005 grand final. He’d watch that game every week, which is why he loves [Tigers coach] Benji [Marshall] so much.
“He was under the impression the Tigers won every week. I didn’t have the heart to show him some of their other games.
“Now he’s old enough to understand the Tigers don’t always win. You saw that on Sunday. At least he’s had a bit more to cheer this season.
“He still loves them, especially Benji and Jarome Luai. He’s played footy since he was three years of age, and is always trying the Benji and Jarome step. He plays with the Caringbah Sharks, and was man of the match on the weekend.”
This masthead asked Nicho Hynes to record a video for Noah, and the Sharks star was happy to oblige. “Sorry to see you get upset on the big screen on the weekend,” Hynes told Noah. “Hope you’re doing well now. It’s always a pleasure having people like you at the game who get emotional and ride the performances with the players.
“It’s never too late to become a Sharkie, if you want to switch over to the good side. All the best. I’ll maybe see you at Shark Park again next year. Up Up.”
The Tigers were touched by Noah’s display of raw emotion, and plan to give him the ultimate game-day experience when they return home in the coming weeks.
Noah himself was in a much better mood in the brilliant sunshine at Cronulla on Tuesday.
“I was crying because the Tigers lost,” he told this masthead. “My friends at school said, ‘Noah, we saw you crying on the TV’. I love Jarome and Adam Doueihi. Adam is my favourite kicker, and Jarome is my favourite ‘scorer’. Hopefully they don’t [lose] again.”
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