I actually think it is an illusion that has been created by the media and the Club itself, much more so than the fans.
The latter is what has been so damaging in recent years. Ticket prices and transfer fees betray the fact that Levy thinks he runs a club that is genuinely 'big'. A far greater betrayal of how deep he has fallen for this illusion is in his treatment of managers, holding them up to ridiculous standards whereby they almost inevitably crash and burn.
His eagerness to join the Super League confirmed just how brainwashed he is, our presence in that initial list was sadly laughable.
As long as he still labours under the illusion that we are a big club, he will continue to award himself annual bonuses, continue to raise ticket prices and continue to spend £60m on players as bad as Richarlison.