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So...What Is Our 'Culture"?

Bayside Dragon

Juniors
Messages
64
Hi folks, this is my first post as a new member. Have been a loyal if sometimes fanatical supporter of the Dragons for over 50 years. I have been reading the forum posts several times a day for the last several years.....But I have finally reached the point where I can no longer suffer my frustrations in silence!!!

My biggest aggravation at the moment is around the rhetorical conversations about the club lacking a culture. WTF%%@#@!!

So what is anybody doing about it? Does this club even have a Marketing Manager? If so, why is their skill/ability level on a par with an average school boy? Maybe too busy handing around the food platters in the corporate box to worry about building the fan base or managing an up-to-date website? This person needs to look at what the real professionals at places like Liverpool FC and Manchester United, Dallas Cowboys etc.... are doing. Now we have a proper coach, -maybe this is an area that Webby can look into.

So what is our culture??? What can the fans -and potential fans- identify with? Why not start with the "RED V"? Apart from the name of the Supporters Club, I always thought it referenced the footy jersey, made legendary over 70 yrs ago. The most worn jersey of the Rugby League Immortals. Is this a good place to start talking about identifying whats in a culture?

So, how come that in recent years our players as often as not don't run onto the park wearing one of the most iconic uniforms in sporting history that the world has ever seen? Personally,I don't even know what my team will be wearing until I see them run out onto the field on my TV. WTF???

Just think for a minute about the most successful products in the world. Coca-cola, Kelloggs Cornflakes, Mars Bars, Big Mac ..etc. How successful would they be if everytime you went to the shop the packaging was different?? For the benefit of our marketing department its a thing called 'building brand awareness'. The whole idea is that it creates an emotional connection in the minds of the consumer. Maybe this is where we need to start to reinvigorate our culture....

Anyway, hopefully others on this forum can use my post to build on. Maybe even somebody with real power in this club will follw this thread an create something at a meaningful level. Cheers, everyone!
 

Banjo2014

Juniors
Messages
484
Been a fan since my father took me to my first game at less than two weeks old. I was born in 1963 Kogarah Hospital

Our culture -
Take your kids to the ground and watch the mighty ones
Count tackles behind the southern goal posts
Rain Hail or Shine go Jubilee Avenue
Boo Wally Lewis
Cheer Billy Smith's cover tackles
Scream at the kick from the side lines by Brad Mackay
Having Anthony and Nathan backflip in front of you after a try
Martin Offiah running down the hill sideline

Many many many many more memories ...

That is our culture

No better club, no better fans, no better home ground, no better players, no better jersey that is what the St George Illawarra Dragons mean to me and my family of die hards
 

Bayside Dragon

Juniors
Messages
64
Been a fan since my father took me to my first game at less than two weeks old. I was born in 1963 Kogarah Hospital

Our culture -
Take your kids to the ground and watch the mighty ones
Count tackles behind the southern goal posts
Rain Hail or Shine go Jubilee Avenue
Boo Wally Lewis
Cheer Billy Smith's cover tackles
Scream at the kick from the side lines by Brad Mackay
Having Anthony and Nathan backflip in front of you after a try
Martin Offiah running down the hill sideline

Many many many many more memories ...

That is our culture

No better club, no better fans, no better home ground, no better players, no better jersey that is what the St George Illawarra Dragons mean to me and my family of die hards
 

be55

Juniors
Messages
575
Mate, your talking my kind of language when you bring up things like not basing our brand around what is the most iconic jersey in rugby league and when you talk about the pathetic state of our website compared to other clubs, something i have complained about for years...If we don't get our front office in order things will never truly change...

For a first post that's a cracker mate...let's hope our debutants on Sunday can perform equally as well...

Good stuff mate....
 

Bayside Dragon

Juniors
Messages
64
Love your memories,Banjo!

My favourite memories involve using my free schoolboy pass to get to the game at midday and sitting by the fence and watching all 3 grades play. I remember trembling with excitement as the first graders came running out onto the field. They seemed so big and fast and exciting....blokes like Walsh,Smith, Raper, Langlands, King, Russmussen, Huddart, Ryan....Is it like that anymore? Miss the 3 grade progammes. I don't think people much care about the under-bill. Half the crowd only turn up for the main event. Is that poor culture, too?

Alas, we need to think about the present times. I get the whole joint venture thing, but to build a strong culture we all have to accept that for over 20 years the St. George and Illawarra areas have been fielding only the one NRL team.

Let's just enjoy our memories for what they are. Individual local allegiances have to be put aside to go forward, otherwise we will be just supporters of a band of mercenary footy players playing under a banner that not enough people fully embrace as their own So we end up with 'fair weather' supporters... because 'they're not really my team '!!!

Sometimes, -reading these forums- the supporters seem like a bunch of 'in-laws'. Acknowledging each other, but not totally embraced into the core of the family. It worries me that we could be open to being a franchise that the NRL could relocate without ruffling too many feathers.
 

Bayside Dragon

Juniors
Messages
64
Mate, your talking my kind of language when you bring up things like not basing our brand around what is the most iconic jersey in rugby league and when you talk about the pathetic state of our website compared to other clubs, something i have complained about for years...If we don't get our front office in order things will never truly change...

For a first post that's a cracker mate...let's hope our debutants on Sunday can perform equally as well...

Good stuff mate....
 

Gareth67

First Grade
Messages
8,406
Impressive first post Bayside Dragon and welcome to the Dragon forum . I liked the point about the / our iconic Big Red V brand . That was what got me in as a young fellow . I can still recall seeing it for the first time in the sixties against South Sydney and I thought just how impressive it was - somehow even overpowering compared to the darker red and green of the rabbitohs.

But back to the present , I for one would like to see the Red V as our only Jersey , but we do need to take the Illawarra side of the Joint Venture into consideration.

Besides that I believe that , most unfortunately the tele networks have their own ideas as to how they want the team’s appearing on the screens . By that I am referring to night against day colors that would look better when televised .

But you are certainly on the right track in as much as the Joint Venture should be doing a hell of a lot more to sell that iconic Dragon Big Red V and the history associated with it .
More so when one of the Joint Ventures partners is a media organization - makes one wonder what their balance sheet is like ?
 

Bayside Dragon

Juniors
Messages
64
Thanks for the appreciation, be55.

I'm really excited with Webb's way of gerosstting things done. He seems like he is a very mature corporate diplomat. I'm expecting that he is fully aware of what needs to be done to create a powerful club in the manner of the Roosters and Storms of this world. He knows the dangers of rushing change. He knows he has to find a way for uniting our fractured Board into a unit that will believe and trust in him to look after things while they burp their beers in the club lounge. It takes time to win trust. He's no idiot. The little he has said publicly shows me that he knows where the problems are. He's looking at a very big picture, me thinks. But apart from the technicalities of his job he knows he is dealing with people's lives, even the one's whose best is not good enough. The way he navigated the whole coaching change drama showed me he is a type of man to be admired and respected We as supporters need to support him in the best way possible -by being respectfully patient.

Oh, and on the debutantes.....I think their blooding is great. To those who think that to expose them to an under strength Storm I have a question: -Would you rather wait unti next season and have to run out against fully fit and finely tuned outfits like the Storm, Roosters,Sharks, Panthers. etc...??

Better to let them soak up the experience so they know in the off-season what they need to prepare for. They wont get that on the sidelines,
 

Bayside Dragon

Juniors
Messages
64
Thanks, mate. This could be more tragic. Imagine having been a North Sydney Bears supporter!!! I knew men - my late father-in-law was one of them- who supported that team for their entire lives and never saw their team win a GF. .....and that was in an 8 team competition!!!!
 

Bayside Dragon

Juniors
Messages
64
Impressive first post Bayside Dragon and welcome to the Dragon forum . I liked the point about the / our iconic Big Red V brand . That was what got me in as a young fellow . I can still recall seeing it for the first time in the sixties against South Sydney and I thought just how impressive it was - somehow even overpowering compared to the darker red and green of the rabbitohs.

But back to the present , I for one would like to see the Red V as our only Jersey , but we do need to take the Illawarra side of the Joint Venture into consideration.

Besides that I believe that , most unfortunately the tele networks have their own ideas as to how they want the team’s appearing on the screens . By that I am referring to night against day colors that would look better when televised .

But you are certainly on the right track in as much as the Joint Venture should be doing a hell of a lot more to sell that iconic Dragon Big Red V and the history associated with it .
More so when one of the Joint Ventures partners is a media organization - makes one wonder what their balance sheet is like ?

See your point about merchandising and media dictating how we turn out. Maybe Webby needs to have some chats with the media honchos. Point out that allowing the Dragons to build a stronger brand loyalty through jersey pride & allegiance is a win for them also. More die-hard supporters means more viewers for their ratings - even tuning into the most unexciting game match-ups. Maybe its happened already ....noticed that the last half a dozen games or so, the team has mostly turned out in the Big Red V. Same with the Bulldogs and Roosters. Or is that just my imagination?
 

possm

Coach
Messages
15,587
Our culture is simply reflected in the following equasion:
Culture = SGI - Mary - Dean Young - Millward - Craig Young - Doust - the BOD - Aitken - Lafai - Hunt - Norman - Merrin - K Sims - the 'power game' plan + Griffin + our brilliant juniors.
 

Bayside Dragon

Juniors
Messages
64
See your point about merchandising and media dictating how we turn out. Maybe Webby needs to have some chats with the media honchos. Point out that allowing the Dragons to build a stronger brand loyalty through jersey pride & allegiance is a win for them also. More die-hard supporters means more viewers for their ratings - even tuning into the most unexciting game match-ups. Maybe its happened already ....noticed that the last half a dozen games or so, the team has mostly turned out in the Big Red V. Same with the Bulldogs and Roosters. Or is that just my imagination?

As for the one jersey point, I always thought the Red V was the official jersey of the joint venture. They wore it in our GF in 2010, and I think all Anzac games, too. Anyway if it is still our official jersey (and it seems to be as far as merchandising and the website indicates)..... then lets ALL live with it as such, and accept that is the way it is. The fact that was inherited from the St George Dragons as part of the joint-venture negotiations is a little bit inconsequential...20 years later. We just all need to 'get with the program'

But I am very open to perhaps wearing red shorts and socks at the Illawarra venue as a nod to the local fans, their pride in their local heritage and junior feeder clubs.

But is that identifying and highlighting a sub-group within the group -and counter-productive to building a single, strong cohesive supporter base behind only one NRL team? Lets remember that a lot of our future fan base wasn't even born when Saints & Steelers were smashing the shit out of each other.

The Steelers had some cracking players in their own right, and the joint venture would not have got to the 1999 GF without a big contingent of ex-Steelers. Like the Saints fans, they too should be very proud of their boys -especially given a somewhat shorter history in the 'Big Show' .

My point is...... enjoy what both our teams history and memories have given us and mean to each of us. Now we have to leave it at the door and move on into 2021 - as the animal we are now.

What we both were will win us nothing now. We need to be as one FFS. - in order to survive and to enjoy a future.

Unfortunately, in the modern business world, we have to do more than just survive. We have to thrive in order to survive. Otherwise the jungle will eventually eat us....like it did with North Sydney, University, Gold Coast Seagulls, Adelaide Rams, Newtown...and history shows the list goes on and will continue to do so.

FFS, maybe I should email this post to our Board Of Directors. If they don't get it....we're screwed.
 

Bayside Dragon

Juniors
Messages
64
Our culture is simply reflected in the following equasion:
Culture = SGI - Mary - Dean Young - Millward - Craig Young - Doust - the BOD - Aitken - Lafai - Hunt - Norman - Merrin - K Sims - the 'power game' plan + Griffin + our brilliant juniors.
Hence Phil Gould saying what culture? LOL!!
 
Messages
15,391
It’s a really good question.

I think culture is about togetherness in the present.

For the last few years at least, the club has been pushing away from fans, Mary and co telling everyone it was fine -when even us outsiders could see everything was completely out of control.

Look around here for example, this is a much more vibrant and happy lu forum than it was a few months ago.

There is underlying caution, but there’s a spark.

The club has a lot of work to do regain trust and get everyone back on the same page.

The old saints teams, there was a bit of sparkle when they ran on, a touch of the confidence, a bit of ego and superiority. A bit of glamour!

The Steelers not so much Hoopla but they had some freak and gifted players and the effort was always there. Had they stood alone with the right people and cash, they could have been anything.

That was at least part of the cultures back in day.

A list of important cultural attributes would be a start, get people to buy in. Share understandings and most of all, exact a good experience.

Your obsession with sgi is impressive, you guys go nuts over your next assistant coach, ours just left and no ones getting even a half mongrel over the question about his replacement!

Build your own era to be envied in the future!
 

Bayside Dragon

Juniors
Messages
64
It’s a really good question.

I think culture is about togetherness in the present.

For the last few years at least, the club has been pushing away from fans, Mary and co telling everyone it was fine -when even us outsiders could see everything was completely out of control.

Look around here for example, this is a much more vibrant and happy lu forum than it was a few months ago.

There is underlying caution, but there’s a spark.

The club has a lot of work to do regain trust and get everyone back on the same page.

The old saints teams, there was a bit of sparkle when they ran on, a touch of the confidence, a bit of ego and superiority. A bit of glamour!

The Steelers not so much Hoopla but they had some freak and gifted players and the effort was always there.

That was at least part of the cultures back in day.

A list of important cultural attributes would be a start, get people to buy in. Share understandings and most of all, exact a good experience.

Your obsession with sgi is impressive, you guys go nuts over your next assistant coach, ours just left and no ones getting even a half mongrel over the question about his replacement!

Build your own era to be envied in the future!

100% behind what you say. Its what I'm trying to sell!

Though I myself am a Dragons Tragic all my post-pubic life, I spent the last 25 years living in the heartland of the Panthers, -at St Clair. Brought my kids up there. Was even a member of the great leagues club there.... before retiring to Hervey Bay, Qld 7 years ago. Because of my location (and terrible parking facilites at Kogarah) I've actually watched many more Panthers games live than Dragons. NEVER missed the Panthers-Dragons matches at Penrith Park (best parking facilities ever) So I know the culture very well. My son is still there. Now that Dragons are long gone, time to back my second favourite team. Will be riding them hands and heels all the way through the finals!
 

Dragonslayer

First Grade
Messages
7,679
So welcome to the forum.

To answer your question, you just have to shift the parentheses off culture and move them to the beginning. Therefore your answer is:

"So what" is our culture.

This appears to be what we stand for currently, the don't care, give a toss approach, especially to our history and what it means to wear the Red V.

Fortunately, there seems to be some positivity to cling onto moving forward, especially with Webb at the helm and a new coach who is clearing the weeds from the paddock which have taken root, particularly over the last 7 years or so.

What is our culture? that question is yet to be determined, yes we cling onto the past, which of course gives us our DNA, however, we must also strive forward and start to redevelop our club from within.

We need to be able to say, "why do you want to be at the Dragons and a member of this great club?" to wit the answer should be "it's the culture, history and progressive nature that's brought me here"
 

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