The De-Merge Thread

[thebigredv]

We did pretty damn well up till Creeping left us..

1st 10 seasons of the JV we made a grand final, 2 prelim finals + made the finals a few other times..

Then add on 2 minor premierships and a premiership in the next couple of years and we’re flying..

We achieved more in the first 12 seasons than St George and Illawarra could over the previous 20 seasons..

We’ve just had a really, really, really shit patch after Bennett left, and we’ve only just cleaned out the dead wood last season..

And I believe modern day supporters also have high expectations..

You only have to look at the drop off in memberships to see that..

Let's not kid ourselves, Wayne Bennett achieved a lot.

 

[muzby]

Let's not kid ourselves, Wayne Bennett achieved a lot.

I don’t know of any Dragons fan who would say he didn’t..

 

[Willow]

I speak nothing but fact..

Was they the Saints fans who were making death threats against the ceo?

Classy folk them..

Haha. Don't give up your day job.

Y'see, I'm arguing in good faith. I only stepped in at this late juncture to keep you on the straight and narrow.

 

[Crush]

So... the answer is no then?

In all my days I have never come across someone so enamoured with their own false sense of intellectual superiority

Making up bullshit then claiming some sort of victory is an awful trait.

I can see why you think you’re smart though. People just give up talking to you because you’re such an obstinate old fool. So you erroneously believe that you’re winning debates, when in actual fact you’re just a bit of a merkin.

That last sentence made me lol.
Quality sledge.

 

[muzby]

Haha. Don't give up your day job.

Y'see, I'm arguing in good faith. I only stepped at this late juncture to keep you on the straight and narrow.

Are you saying Carr didn’t get death threats from fans?

 

[Willow]

Are you saying Carr didn’t get death threats from fans?

If you had an inkling of the passion of Saints supporters at the time, you wouldn't see a need to ask that question.

Any idiot making a death threat is inconsequential to the events that led to Carr's sacking.

Equally, Carr has no right to make out he was hard done by. He was not rewarded by the fans, or the Club.

But hey, Easts gave him a job.

Hope that clears things up.

 

[Willow]

Let's not kid ourselves, Wayne Bennett achieved a lot.

When Bennett arrived he had unanimous support from the senior players. It was genuine, not just press comments. That must have made a massive difference.

 

[denis preston]

We did pretty damn well up till Creeping left us..

1st 10 seasons of the JV we made a grand final, 2 prelim finals + made the finals a few other times..

Then add on 2 minor premierships and a premiership in the next couple of years and we’re flying..

We achieved more in the first 12 seasons than St George and Illawarra could over the previous 20 seasons..

We’ve just had a really, really, really shit patch after Bennett left, and we’ve only just cleaned out the dead wood last season..

And I believe modern day supporters also have high expectations..

You only have to look at the drop off in memberships to see that..

The years 2003 to 2006 probably sum up the Board at the time that was eerily similar to the past 9 years. They had arguably the best squad in the comp but let them be coached by a rookie who then appointed some of his mates to other roles.The administration of the club has always been amateurish since the JV was formed and only when Bennett came to cover these cracks.
As for this thread , I've been a St George man since 1966 but know at the very least and apart from juniors one could say the Wollongong connection has saved us from complete relocation and will protect us from this in the future , provided this Board doesn't stuff things up completely and leaves the NRL with no choice.

 

[muzby]

If you had an inkling of the passion of Saints supporters at the time, you wouldn't see a need to ask that question.

Any idiot making a death threat is inconsequential to the events that led to Carr's sacking.

Equally, Carr has no right to make out he was hard done by. He was not rewarded by the fans, or the Club.

But hey, Easts gave him a job.

Hope that clears things up.

Either way, St George were looking to merge prior to the current JV..

They were worried about long term survival before the Illawarra marriage..

So going it alone now wouldn’t work..

The JV helped both clubs survive.. And both are stronger together..

 

[muzby]

The years 2003 to 2006 probably sum up the Board at the time that was eerily similar to the past 9 years. They had arguably the best squad in the comp but let them be coached by a rookie who then appointed some of his mates to other roles.The administration of the club has always been amateurish since the JV was formed and only when Bennett came to cover these cracks.
As for this thread , I've been a St George man since 1966 but know at the very least and apart from juniors one could say the Wollongong connection has saved us from complete relocation and will protect us from this in the future , provided this Board doesn't stuff things up completely and leaves the NRL with no choice.

I see the JV as a strong thing. You get the St George heritage with the bonus of security from a region that was part of the catchment area for all but 18 of the past 100 years..

 

[redv13]

Life will be good again when we pump the Sharks in round 1

 

[blacksafake]

As a Kogarah/Carlton/Hurstville boy watching my first game (that I can remember) in 1969 I’ve got StG in my blood.

That said I spent a lot of time in the Gong as a kid visiting many of our relatives and we would always go to Saints v Steelers games together as rivals but it was awesome when as adults with kids we went to the games on the same side. Then I lived there for a couple years only a few years ago. We could could see and hear the crowds from my balcony but the ocean and escarpment views were stunning. I love the gong and anyone suggesting it isn’t a great place to live even for youngsters has no clue.

I was disappointed when we became a JV but have personally embraced it and thought it the perfect marriage really in terms of history and brand. Couldn’t imagine merging with Roosters or Sharks. Sure I don’t support the BOD/Boys Club management but still happy with the SGI JV.

Also I remain optimistic for improvement this year. One thing I’ve learned over the years is trial form means shit. WTF are people going on about? Wooden spoon? Really? A red hot Bunnies squad pulled our pants down in a trial and we’re wooden spooners? Demerge? Sack Griffin? FMD.

Give the coaches and squad a go people.

Get behind the coaches/players FFS you horrible f**kcers.

Best post in this thread

 

[Willow]

Either way, St George were looking to merge prior to the current JV..

They were worried about long term survival before the Illawarra marriage..

So going it alone now wouldn’t work..

The JV helped both clubs survive.. And both are stronger together..

No, that's a narrow account.

In 95 there was some money on the table. 96-97 came around and SL tried, but failed, to kill us.

Money on the table again in 98.

Illawarra Steelers were folding. St George had money, the NRL dangled carrots, the St George board lit up at the $$$.

Plus from a sales pitch point of view, the JV was more palatable, St George and Illawarra were kindred spirits after all.

I'm a St George supporter.

I embraced the JV. It sounded great.

We were promised that we'd...
Keep the jersey.
Keep the history.
Keep 50% of home games.

Within 18 months, all three were either taken away or compromised.

And then... we hear this lie that St George could not have survived without the JV. I mean how is that even vaguely logical? St George are still here.

Meanwhile other clubs send their development officers into the Illawarra.

We never had a mortgage on the whole South Coast. Fact is, we could have the same junior development without a JV.

Nowadays, we unconditionally respect the Illawarra, but are expected to laugh politely while old Steelers supporters make jokes about our history.

 

[muzby]

Nowadays, we unconditionally respect the Illawarra, but are expected to laugh politely while old Steelers supporters make jokes about our history.

Whilst I get that you and some of the other St George fans respect Illawarra..

Far too many seem to think that somehow this is “their” club, and that everything that goes wrong is easily blamed on Illawarra (despite the obvious flaws of their own side of the shindig) and make light of a club that a significant percentage of the club fan base identify with, so I’m more than happy to dish them back some of their own medicine.

Overall, St George got the best of the deal when it comes to logo, jersey & identity.. They really haven’t been shafted in all of this.

If anything, they’ve come out stronger vs where they were in the late 90s

 

[SBD82]

No, that's a narrow account.

In 95 there was some money on the table. 96-97 came around and SL tried, but failed, to kill us.

Money on the table again in 98.

Illawarra Steelers were folding. St George had money, the NRL dangled carrots, the St George board lit up at the $$$.

Plus from a sales pitch point of view, the JV was more palatable, St George and Illawarra were kindred spirits after all.

I'm a St George supporter.

I embraced the JV. It sounded great.

We were promised that we'd...
Keep the jersey.
Keep the history.
Keep 50% of home games.

Within 18 months, all three were either taken away or compromised.

And then... we hear this lie that St George could not have survived without the JV. I mean how is that even vaguely logical? St George are still here.

Meanwhile other clubs send their development officers into the Illawarra.

We never had a mortgage on the whole South Coast. Fact is, we could have the same junior development without a JV.

Nowadays, we unconditionally respect the Illawarra, but are expected to laugh politely while old Steelers supporters make jokes about our history.

Pretty solid argument until the last paragraph.

How many times have we seen these threads started? And all with the same fundamental theme: “The Steelers were shit and are to blame for all the failings of the JV”.

It’s hardly what I’d call unconditional respect. Surely you can see why it might raise some hackles.

(Just to be clear, I’ve never seen you disrespect the Steelers, but you’re in the minority in these sorts of threads).

 

[Willow]

Whilst I get that you and some of the other St George fans respect Illawarra..

Far too many seem to think that somehow this is “their” club, and that everything that goes wrong is easily blamed on Illawarra (despite the obvious flaws of their own side of the shindig) and make light of a club that a significant percentage of the club fan base identify with, so I’m more than happy to dish them back some of their own medicine.

Overall, St George got the best of the deal when it comes to logo, jersey & identity.. They really haven’t been shafted in all of this.

If anything, they’ve come out stronger vs where they were in the late 90s

Perhaps, you need to get over the 'us v them' thing, ie rather than adding to it.

 

[Willow]

Pretty solid argument until the last paragraph.

How many times have we seen these threads started? And all with the same fundamental theme: “The Steelers were shit and are to blame for all the failings of the JV”.

It’s hardly what I’d call unconditional respect. Surely you can see why it might raise some hackles.

(Just to be clear, I’ve never seen you disrespect the Steelers, but you’re in the minority in these sorts of threads).

My last paragraph is valid, without our proud history we are all diminished. That was my point.

And while we're on the subject, the Centenary deserves better.

 

[SBD82]

My last paragraph is valid, without our proud history we are all diminished. That was my point.

And while we're on the subject the Centenary deserves better.

Thoroughly agree on both those points. (Although I don’t think that’s how your last paragraph reads).

Maybe if the club made more of an effort to celebrate our collective histories these kinds of threads would be less common. Even as a former Steelers supporter I’ve become heavily invested in Saints’ part of our history and I’m appalled by their apparent lack of interest in the centenary.

If that isn’t worth celebrating, I don’t know what is.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

We actually like hanging out together at Wests Tigers-its not as lonely. We might be a bit more desperate than you guys and need each other more. We just don’t really argue re heritage. Just share the misery equally!

The SGI kids at work. They are all Saints people. SGI means Saints to them. I will sit them down one day and educate them on the Illawarra and the Steelers. They won’t listen, but maybe they need to.

By rights and together, you guys should be massive and consistently making the finals.

 

[Willow]

We actually like hanging out together at Wests Tigers-its not as lonely. We might be a bit more desperate than you guys and need each other more. We just don’t really argue re heritage. Just share the misery equally!

The SGI kids at work. They are all Saints people. SGI means Saints to them. I will sit them down one day and educate them on the Illawarra and the Steelers. They won’t listen, but maybe they need to.

By rights and together, you guys should be massive and consistently making the finals.

lol.
What it is now, about 4 or 5 opposition supporters giving us advice?