Dragons consider switch from Kogarah

[R2K]

Dragons consider switch from Kogarah

Today's edition of The Sunday Telegraph has reported that the round 24 St.George-Illawarra home game at OKI Jubilee Stadium against the Tigers has been moved to the SCG.

Although the St.George-Illawarra management are yet to confirm the move, Dragons' CEO Peter Doust said little on 2GB this afternoon to suggest that OKI Jubilee Stadium would maintain its already meagre allocation of 5 home games.

R2K will oppose any move that further reduces the allocation of home games in the St.George District and believes that it would be a completely inappropriate decision for the round 24 match to be switched from Kogarah.

While WIN Stadium has been promised 50% of home matches to at least the end of 2011, OKI Jubilee Stadium has gained no such assurances despite gaining an $8 million Federal Government upgrade in addition to the initial $2.4 million stage one upgrade.

A switch of venues would be incongruous with the Dragons’ commitment to its St.George key community considering that the ANZAC Day match has already been deducted from the St.George allocation of home games.

OKI Jubilee season ticket holders were promised 5 matches at OKI Jubilee Stadium and have purchased membership packages on that basis. A switch of the round 24 match to the SCG is not in the short term interests of the Dragons as it entails forsaking a significant home ground advantage. A reduction in Kogarah matches is also not in the best long term interests of rugby league in the St.George District as such moves could severely jeopardise future attempts to gain governmental funding for OKI Jubilee Stadium.

The Dragons made the correct decision in 2005 by keeping the Parramatta match at Jubilee. As Peter Doust has stated at that time:

"We have made a commitment to our boutique grounds and for us it's about selling out consistently."

Hopefully the Dragons will continue to honour their commitments and treat the Dragons’ spiritual home ground with the respect and consideration it so richly deserves.

The following is a transcript of an interview between 2GB’s Ray Hadley and Doust this afternoon:

Hadley: Is there a decision on it yet?

Doust: No, there’s not mate. It’s been a proposal that the SCG Trust and in concert with the NRL has put to the Dragons in supporting the celebration of the sixties week which is in that round."

Hadley: In other words, a Grand Final between Western Suburbs and St.George probably?

Doust: Yeah, the sixties week which is the promotion that the NRL do, well they celebrate a week…a decade in rugby league each year. The sixties this year obviously has a predominance of St.George in it from the past and they are looking at trying to get back to the SCG and celebrating the classic St.George-Wests Grand Finals. The proposal has been put forward but no decision has been taken yet.

Hadley: Would it be financially beneficial to look at the proposal or just simply be something that you look at in terms of going along with the NRL because of the ‘Back To The Sixties’ week?

Doust: Well I think it’s both Ray. I think we don’t like to take away a game from our traditional communities - that’s the game for OKI. We’ve got one short there this year because of the ANZAC Day was our home game, so we don’t do that lightly, but as you know it’s about the finances of the game but it’s also about the traditions of the game as well so there’s a complex you might say set of variables that we’re considering. But no decision yet.

Hadley: Okay, any idea when you will come up with a decision on where that will be played?

Doust: Yeah, I’d say in the next 10 days.

 

[God-King Dean]

F*ck.

 

[Willow]

Are they testing the water on this one?

Two things:
If they want a SCG game then take one game away from WIN. Kogarah has already given up one home game for the SFS Anzac match. WIN has had a majority share of home games for years now.
Kogarah is always asked to make the cut, and that's an inequity which can't go on.

And as pointed out, as a Kogarah season ticket holder, I purchased on the understanding that I would be able to go to see Saints play at Kogarah for five matches, not four. I didnt buy tickets to the SCG. I bought them for Kogarah.
We should have been told about this when we were buying.

And before someone spills the tired line that this is still a Sydney home game, that doesnt work with interstate and out of town ticket holders, of which there are many and they make their travel plans and itineries in advance. And the line it doesn't work with local St George supporters, of which there are many also.

If the Club go ahead with this, they are literally moving the goal posts around without due consideration for the paying customers.

 

[The Preacher]

What was it that Jack Gibson said, " Winning begins in the front office" ??
How much are the members going to take from this administration ??
I've been dirty on Doust for the last 18mths now, and ENOUGH is ENOUGH !!
This person has to realise that he is employed to work for the club and not for himself. Get rid of him before we lose everything we hold dear about OUR TEAM

 

[dragonsoul]

before any of you start saying he not the one who drop the ball or missed the tackle the guy would have too be the worst coach we have ever had ,he can not get our stars playing for him he has no game plan our young guys seem too have no idea ,as for our so called stars its about time they start earning there money.this weeks game is go too be a hard for us they hit harder than the sharks .brown has too go ?

 

[Cheesie-the-Pirate]

Hmmm....

I personally enjoy heading to the SCG once a season for a game and Saints have been unlucky because everytime we've gone there before (in recent times) it has been an away game so they haven't got the money from the good crowd that can be expected. So I guess it is a bit of a two edged sword, the balance between keeping games at Kogarah and earning the bigger biscuits at Moore Park. I wouldn't mind taking a home game to the SCG but only on alternate years to when we host the ANZAC Day game at Aussie.

I also think it makes the most sense, despite my love of Kogarah, for these games to come out of Kogarah's six games. It is a 50-50 venture Sydney-Wollongong. It makes much more sense moving a Kogarah game 10km up the road to Moore Park than moving a WIN game 110km (or whatever it is). But this only really holds true if it is only one game a year. Taking one game away to another part of Sydney is already unfair, but the benefits for the club probably outweigh the inconvenience of the fans. Any more than one though and it becomes unacceptably unfair on the St George side of the joint venture.

Now, just to clarify that would mean I don't support this move, if it goes ahead this year. I'm positive that is implied by what I said, but some yahoo over at WORL managed to miss it so I guess it ought to be clarified.

 

[gregstar]

i actually don't mind if they switch the game to the scg.


you can commence beating me up now guys!

 

[The Preacher]

i actually don't mind if they switch the game to the scg.
you can commence beating me up now guys!

Punch, kick, bite, gouge and ream from behind. Cop that Gregstar !!

 

[gregstar]

i don't mind the punch, kick, bite & gouge bit - sounds like the first date with my wife.


but ream? - never on a first date darling!

 

[drake]

It makes me laugh that the NRL wants to cash in on our illustrious history by moving this game to the SCG to commemorate the 60's clash with Wests.

Umm... according to you Mr Gallop, we didn't exist in the 60s and didn't win 11 in a row. So thus, we have no need to play this bollocks game at the SCG.

Or you can recognise that we were founded in 1921 and have won 15 premierships.

Have your cake; eat it, it's your choice. Can't do both.

CAN THEY DOUSTY? Get off the crown and stick it up 'em.

 

[The Preacher]

i don't mind the punch, kick, bite & gouge bit - sounds like the first date with my wife.but ream? - never on a first date darling!

Fair enough, I didn't really want to do it anyway.

 

[Willow]

Any more than one though and it becomes unacceptably unfair on the St George side of the joint venture.

Home ground allocation is already quite unfair to the St George side of the joint venture.

If need be, we could do a count of home ground venues since the JV was formed, Wollongong is miles out in front, and continues to get the lion's share.

The St George Club members are paying the majority share for the JV and yet are asked to keep changing their plans and travel to a foreign turf to watch their team play.

And I note again, as Drake has pointed out, that the Club, the SCG trust, the NRL and their sponsors and employees will all profit once again from the proud history of St George, while doing bugger-all to get that hsitory properly acknowledged as being part of the JV.

Now, just to clarify that would mean I don't support this move, if it goes ahead this year. I'm positive that is implied by what I said, but some yahoo over at WORL managed to miss it so I guess it ought to be clarified.

I understand the logic of the move (ie more $) but the inbalance regarding home ground allocation needs to be rectified, not worsened.

Take one of the WIN games away. Or are the Club and the NRL afraid that the 'Gong supporters don't travel too well?

 

[Father Ted]

Hmmm....

I personally enjoy heading to the SCG once a season for a game and Saints have been unlucky because everytime we've gone there before (in recent times) it has been an away game so they haven't got the money from the good crowd that can be expected. So I guess it is a bit of a two edged sword, the balance between keeping games at Kogarah and earning the bigger biscuits at Moore Park. I wouldn't mind taking a home game to the SCG but only on alternate years to when we host the ANZAC Day game at Aussie.

I also think it makes the most sense, despite my love of Kogarah, for these games to come out of Kogarah's six games. It is a 50-50 venture Sydney-Wollongong. It makes much more sense moving a Kogarah game 10km up the road to Moore Park than moving a WIN game 110km (or whatever it is). But this only really holds true if it is only one game a year. Taking one game away to another part of Sydney is already unfair, but the benefits for the club probably outweigh the inconvenience of the fans. Any more than one though and it becomes unacceptably unfair on the St George side of the joint venture.

Now, just to clarify that would mean I don't support this move, if it goes ahead this year. I'm positive that is implied by what I said, but some yahoo over at WORL managed to miss it so I guess it ought to be clarified.

Can you perhaps remind me when the last time Kogarah had six games was ?

 

[drake]

Take one of the WIN games away. Or are the Club and the NRL afraid that the 'Gong supporters don't travel too well?

They know us Southerners don't travel as well as the Sydney Siders, they have the stats. I suppose I've gone on ad nauseum as to why over the years, but the crux is that we don't.

I think the problem in the unequal split may arise from the WIN stadium trust and their lawyers versus opposed to R2K and their passion. I admire the R2K guys and all their hard work, but WIN trust have lawyers and contracts making sure they get their minimum allotment. Not nice, or fair, but legally binding I'd say.

Until whoever owns the Kogarah ground gets a legally binding contract outling a minimum of 6 games a year, Jubilee will be sacrificed for "Marquee" Sydney games.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Cheesie-the-Pirate]

Home ground allocation is already quite unfair to the St George side of the joint venture.

But of course, and I acknowledged that.

If need be, we could do a count of home ground venues since the JV was formed, Wollongong is miles out in front, and continues to get the lion's share.

No denying that Wollongong got more in the past.

The St George Club members are paying the majority share for the JV and yet are asked to keep changing their plans and travel to a foreign turf to watch their team play.

It's a shame to say it, but the group paying the most towards the Joint Venture are the poker machines players at the Taj.

And I note again, as Drake has pointed out, that the Club, the SCG trust, the NRL and their sponsors and employees will all profit once again from the proud history of St George, while doing bugger-all to get that hsitory properly acknowledged as being part of the JV.

The double-standards of the NRL on this issue knows no bounds.

I understand the logic of the move (ie more $) but the inbalance regarding home ground allocation needs to be rectified, not worsened.

Take one of the WIN games away. Or are the Club and the NRL afraid that the 'Gong supporters don't travel too well?

The simple fact of the matter is that they're contractually obliged to have 50% of Saints games at WIN Stadium until 2011.

I would say that the tendency to take games away from Kogarah is based on two conditions:

1. The SFS and the SCG are much close to Kogarah than Wollongong, thereby minimising the potential inconvenience.

2. With St. George Leagues holding the lease for Jubilee, it is so much easier to simply move games.

As far as I'm concerned, the idea situation would be:

6 WIN
6 Kogarah
1 SFS/SCG

Unfortuately, it is a 12 round competition and we've got to deal with that.

 

[Willow]

Lets assume some crowd figures for a moment. I guess they are hoping for 20,000+ to a match at the SCG.

Here's a good 'Sixties' game which can be moved to the SCG:
Round 25: Dragons v Sharks - currently scheduled for WIN.

If that doesn't draw more than 13,000 to WIN than its a lost opportunity. It will obviously draw more to the SCG... so let's move it!

The round 24 Saints v Tigers match at Kogarah is going to draw a healthy crowd of 16,000+ regardless.

IMO, it makes no sense to keep the round 25 sharks games in Wollongong when its obviously going to reap better returns at the SCG.

Surely the Wollongong Trust, WIN TV, the Steelers Club and its members are going to accept such a proposal. After all, they hold a minority share of the JV, and should go along with anything that will see more fans come to the game... right?

 

[drake]

I think only the WIN stadium trust would oppose due to lost revenue, and they are holding the cards unfortunately Willow.

 

[Godz Illa]

More bad news. When it rains it fkn pours.

 

[Cheesie-the-Pirate]

Surely the Wollongong Trust, WIN TV, the Steelers Club and its members are going to accept such a proposal. After all, they hold a minority share of the JV, and should go along with anything that will see more fans come to the game... right?

The difference is that the Wollongong Sportsground Trust, rightly or wrongly, has a contract that guarantees them 50% of St. George Illawarra games.

By the way, I think this is a bit of a moot point because I doubt that they'll accept the proposal from the SCG Trust/NRL.

 

[The Preacher]

The difference is that the Wollongong Sportsground Trust, rightly or wrongly, has a contract that guarantees them 50% of St. George Illawarra games.

By the way, I think this is a bit of a moot point because I doubt that they'll accept the proposal from the SCG Trust/NRL.

Nor should they. I purchased season tickets for Oki and Win. I've had one game at SFS and now they talk about a game at SCG.
They might provide me with a seat at these venues, and I love watching footy at SFS and SCG, but that's not the seats I picked and payed for.

I can go to the members there whenever I want. What I payed for was seats at Oki and Win and that's what I should get. F**k you Doust.:evil:

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