At just five years old, Noah Deguara may not yet qualify as a long-suffering Wests Tigers supporter, but his raw emotion during last weekend's heavy loss to Cronulla has struck a chord with many fans of the joint-venture NRL club.
The youngster was caught on television cameras in tears as Benji Marshall's side were comprehensively outplayed by the Sharks in Sydney's south. To compound matters, Noah's older sister Olivia was backing the home team in the Shire and did not hesitate to tease her younger brother.
'I gave it to him a bit,' Olivia told the Sydney Morning Herald. 'It was funny, but I was also actually hoping they (Tigers) would win so I could see him excited.'
The image of tears streaming down Noah's face resonated with many long-suffering Tigers supporters, who have not seen their team play finals football since 2011.
'This actually makes me feel sad for the poor little guy. But I love that he has such a passion for his team,' one person posted in response to an Instagram post from The NRL Roast. 'That image will follow this kid to his 18th birthday,' added another. 'Childhood trauma,' joked a third.
However, some felt the television cameras should have focused elsewhere. 'Why would you keep zooming in on a crying kid?' asked one critic. 'Poor kid. Hope that doesn't come to embarrass him later in life. Kids should be off limits on socials,' another commented.
Noah's father Cori, a self-confessed Wests Tigers tragic who is known to watch the 2005 NRL Grand Final on repeat at home, feels somewhat responsible for his son's passion. In heartening news, the Daily Mail understands that Tigers officials have seen the footage and plan to offer Noah the ultimate game-day experience when the team next plays at Leichhardt Oval.
Despite the 52-10 thrashing by Cronulla, the Tigers currently sit in fifth place on the NRL ladder. They next face the struggling Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park on Sunday.
