Quote: RobotMonster "I have never referred to any club including my own by their "SL nickname." I just don't like them, most of them were badly thought out and rushed to suit the new Super League.'"
I'll agree with the highlighted bit. I don't mind 'em personally, and think they can be a good thing. Being a student in both Bradford and Leeds, people not familiar with the area or the sport always refer to them as the Bulls or the Rhinos.
It's majorly an awareness thing. People may think "yeah, but their fans never call them that so what's the point?" have obviously missed the point (obviously otherwise they wouldn't ask I suppose! Dumb me!). A Leeds fan may refer to them as Leeds, but what do others (others outside the sport) refer to them as? Leeds could mean anything. Leeds Carnegie. Leeds United. But when you say the Rhinos, you know who they mean. That's the sign of good brand awareness in an area.
Another good sign is when you say Rhinos and everyone who follows that sport knows who you mean. Same with Bulls.
That is why I don't like Warriors. Whenever they say Warriors, I immediately think NZ. That's why I don't think that one has worked. Not to mention it pretty much has nothing to do with anything with the club (no historical thing there, is there?). Just a rushed alliterate nickname. Something that people struggle to get attached to.
Sharks? Cronulla. Nothing there.
Broncos? Brisbane. Yeah, Brisbane took over them, but they didn't need the same nickname. Broncos will always mean Brisbane in RL.
Blue Sox? Too American. No attachment there.
Bears? North Sydney.
PSG? Isn't that a football team?
Harlequins? Enough said.
Reds? There's history there I suppose, but Liverpool are the Reds of the NW aren't they really. Red Devils? Man Utd. Slight awareness problem for Salford I feel.
Tigers was added before SL so it wasn't rushed, it meant something to the club.
Giants I suppose isn't too bad, and I think there was a story behind it somewhere too. Distinguishes them from the football team and any other RL team.
Wolves has a connection with the town IIRC, although people might get confused with the football team sometimes.
Saints have always been Saints. But I think there are a lot of "Saints" in sport. St George even in RL, but they're the Dragons I suppose.
Basically, a good nickname will give a club good awareness not only in their area but their sport as a whole, and will be something that the locals can attach themselves to (or something that won't stop them anyway!).
That's my two-pence worth anyways!