How about we still take the juniors but get rid of everything else called Illawarra.
Also, how many Illawarra juniors are playing in our firsts?
Any?
Like all other teams, just buy players.
Seriously, name the current local juniors in first grade.
Time to exit Illawarra, because they are a road to mediocrity.
According to the dragons site you have a squad of 33 players
https://www.dragons.com.au/teams/
10 players from that squad have played juniors in the Illawarra/group 7 comp:
Marsters
Frizell - playing firsts
Sims - playing firsts
Ford
Lawrie - playing firsts
Lomax
Sailor
Garrick
Field
Aitken - playing firsts
That’s pretty impressive with nearly a third of the squad from the Illawarra and 4 are playing NRL.
And while some of the above may have been recruited as teenagers and played in the Illawarra comp, the fact the local comp was strong enough to support their development is important (did you know the sharks under 16 A grade sides were playing in the Illawarra comp for a few years as their comp wasn’t strong enough).
Also other Illawarra juniors playing NRL/or nrl contracted include Merrin/Morris twins/Murchie/Sims/linnett/Rein/Prior/Cook (I am sure I have probably missed a player or 2)
So the area produces plenty of players