Quote: Harlequin "Dear Wigan RLFC. Whose idea was it to give RL clubs disneyfied names? Warriors is not the worst of them but some are just moronic e.g. Huddersfield Giants! do me a favour! Some teams have gone back to their original names e.g. Wakefield Trinity, Hull FC, Featherstone Rovers and Halifax. Some never had them in the first place e.g. St.Helens, Workington Town, Hull KR. The disneyfied names seem to be a PR/Marketing manager's wet dream! Can't we go back to the original names so that Sky don't f*ck everything up.'"
You've answered your own question as to why it's done, PR/Marketing. That along creating an individual identity. You only have look at some of the teams that have it, Leeds, Wigan, Hudds, Bradford all have recognised football clubs in the top flights whereas the likes of Saints and Wakefield don't.
These names don't seem to be an issue for the likes of NRL or NFL and other American sports. If you don't have Giants, Yankees, Mets, Rangers, Knicks, Red Bulls then whats to make those sporting clubs of New York individual, should they all be called New York and nothing else.