DRAGONS NEW CEO TIM WATSFORD

[Carrera28]

Thanks - this is an insightful piece in terms of the machinations of the Win ownership deal.

I've often thought that sports administration is so easy to corrupt because government regulations are often lacking in this area. You see it from local sports clubs all the way up to FIFA. Self-serving individuals taking positions of influence and using them for their own benefit. It's the only way to explain some of the terrible decisions that are often made, and the conflicts of interest that are created.

My observation is that fans quite rightly look for someone to blame and end up on one side or the other of the joint venture debate, which I think is a distraction.

My personal opinion is that the St George Leagues Club has done nothing to warrant taking full control of the football club, or even retain their 50% shareholding. The leadership of the individuals involved has been very poor, lacking in long term vision, and unaware of how to run a football club in the modern era. We've been out-thought by so many other clubs, year after year.

If a stronger owner can be found, pressure should be put on both sides to sell.

Respectfully that is once again just not true.

We made the Grand Final in 1999 because it was the St George Leagues Club that made the decisions. But for Bill Harrigan making the heinous decision to not call the blatant forward pass we would have won that game.

The subsequent decision to sack David Waite as head coach was made when Illawarra had the Chairmen position so had the numbers on the board to appoint Andrew Farrar.

Guess who stumped up the money for Wayne Bennet's $1m salary? It certainly wasn't the bankrupt Steelers it was again the St George Leagues Club.

So the JV made two Grand Finals and won a premiership thanks to the St George Leagues Club.

The original deal was the Illawarra side were meant to provide players and the Dragons would provide sponsorship. The St George Leagues Club lived up to its side and Illawarra did not. Illawarra did not provide players and simply became a financial drain to the JV.

The JV was thrown into debt by Illawarra. Who cleaned up the financial mess? St George Leagues Club.

The St George Leagues Club had no choice but to be saddled with a poor partner in WIN and despite this they are working to build sustainable infrasture for the club. 15 years of Illawarra financial negligence will not be fixed overnight and a sustainable infrastructure is being built.

The club is building a leading training facility, guess who organised the funding and arranged the liaison with the State Government for contributory funding? That's right the St George Leagues Club.

The Dragons are debt free, are building a leading training facility heavily sub subsidised by state government and have a fantastic sports science relationship with University of Wollongong all thanks to St George Leagues Club.

Too many fans on this forum would gamble long term stability for short term gains and then complain when that gamble simply repeats the mistakes that the Illawarra contingent made.

It is time for St George fans to start showing some loyalty, learn the truth rather than believing the BS published by News Corp and either p$ss or get off the toilet.

Fans on this forum need to show some loyalty to a club that has a plan for long term stability, or go and support the Sharks and cry in 5 years time when they are broke again and we are financially strong and competitive.

 

[possm]

Respectfully that is once again just not true.

We made the Grand Final in 1999 because it was the St George Leagues Club that made the decisions. But for Bill Harrigan making the heinous decision to not call the blatant forward pass we would have won that game.

The subsequent decision to sack David Waite as head coach was made when Illawarra had the Chairmen position so had the numbers on the board to appoint Andrew Farrar.

Guess who stumped up the money for Wayne Bennet's $1m salary? It certainly wasn't the bankrupt Steelers it was again the St George Leagues Club.

So the JV made two Grand Finals and won a premiership thanks to the St George Leagues Club.

The original deal was the Illawarra side were meant to provide players and the Dragons would provide sponsorship. The St George Leagues Club lived up to its side and Illawarra did not. Illawarra did not provide players and simply became a financial drain to the JV.

The JV was thrown into debt by Illawarra. Who cleaned up the financial mess? St George Leagues Club.

The St George Leagues Club had no choice but to be saddled with a poor partner in WIN and despite this they are working to build sustainable infrasture for the club. 15 years of Illawarra financial negligence will not be fixed overnight and a sustainable infrastructure is being built.

The club is building a leading training facility, guess who organised the funding and arranged the liaison with the State Government for contributory funding? That's right the St George Leagues Club.

The Dragons are debt free, are building a leading training facility heavily sub subsidised by state government and have a fantastic sports science relationship with University of Wollongong all thanks to St George Leagues Club.

Too many fans on this forum would gamble long term stability for short term gains and then complain when that gamble simply repeats the mistakes that the Illawarra contingent made.

It is time for St George fans to start showing some loyalty, learn the truth rather than believing the BS published by News Corp and either p$ss or get off the toilet.

Fans on this forum need to show some loyalty to a club that has a plan for long term stability, or go and support the Sharks and cry in 5 years time when they are broke again and we are financially strong and competitive.

We need to licence to be returned to St George Leagues Club; however, WIN won't agree to do this because St George Illawarra is a tax deduction to them.

 

[The Word]

I'll keep my loyalty for the football team thanks, not the pub. Yes they've been good at making money from selling alcohol and gambling, but if you're trying to convince me that where the club is at the moment is the result of some kind of grand plan by the leagues club who are the real heroes in this then you're barking up the wrong tree. This club has been run appallingly badly for decades and the only thing that's saved us was Bennett agreeing to spend some time here. Otherwise it's been a disaster and the proof is our results. The Leagues club is a huge part of that and blaming the Illawarra half is just a cop out.