Dragons leaving Wollongong?

[RoosterMac]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23289137-23214,00.html

Dragons warn of leaving the Gong
By Brent Read
February 28, 2008
LEADING St George Illawarra officials have warned the Dragons could be forced to abandon Wollongong unless something is done to alleviate pressure on the gaming industry.

In a letter addressed to New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma, St George Leagues Club general manager Danny Robinson paints a bleak future with the increased poker machine tax, and new smoking regulations.

The Dragons have had their grant from the powerful St George Leagues Club slashed by $2 million, while the Wollongong Leagues Club contributes nothing to the football club.

As a result, Robinson warns the Illawarra region could eventually be part of the Dragons in name only.

"The Illawarra Steelers Club have advised that they are unable to contribute any funds towards the cost of football in the foreseeable future," Robinson writes in the letter to Iemma.

"This may well end the Dragons' participation in the Wollongong region with no Dragons matches staged at the Wollongong Sports Ground."

Most NSW clubs rely on leagues club grants and the issue has become such a concern that the NRL has formed a working committee to investigate the impact of the poker machine tax.

St George Illawarra chief executive Peter Doust, a member of the committee, stressed the Dragons had a contract to play games at WIN Stadium until 2011. However, he could make no guarantees beyond that point.

"I think Danny is foreshadowing what could be a problem going forward if we can't get answers to the circumstances that are falling financially at the moment," Doust said.

"It's hypothetical out there in the future that that might threaten NRL or elite rugby league being played in Wollongong. But nobody has that on their agenda at the moment."

While St George Leagues Club has provided the financial muscle for the joint venture, the club's playing strength has largely been secured from the Illawarra region. Games have also traditionally been split between the regions. As part of the merger, formed in 1999, the Dragons have played at Oki Jubilee Stadium in Sydney and WIN Stadium in Wollongong.

With Oki Jubilee undergoing renovations, the club has shifted games to ANZ Stadium.

"We love the fact the St George Illawarra Dragons are the NRL brand of the region. We wouldn't leave easily either," Doust said. "It's still hypothetically possible given the way the situation is at the moment. We have a lot of work to do to keep it sustained in Wollongong, as we have to keep it sustained generally."

While this does seem like an empty threat to try to alleviate the pressure on clubs from the poker machine tax, it's an idiotic statement for a club that's trying to grow support in a region they are contracted to play in until 2011!

 

[innsaneink]

Whats the monkey doing there?

 

[eels_fan_01]

Do it.

 

[International RL]

Over my dead body....

If they sell us out after we basically signed over our entire club I will burn down St. George Leagues.

 

[The Tank]

Surely the Steelers wouldn't allow it. Isn't it a joint venture split 50/50?

 

[eels_fan_01]

Surely the Steelers wouldn't allow it. Isn't it a joint venture split 50/50?

Its 50/50 if you listen to a Steerlers fan.

Alot of people including myself are of the opinion that Steelers wouldnt have existed if it wasnt for the Dragons and that the Dragons only saved the Steelers because they wanted their junior base in Wollongong.

 

[RoosterMac]

Surely the Steelers wouldn't allow it. Isn't it a joint venture split 50/50?

Does St George hold the license similar to Manly did with the Northern Eagles?

 

[Raging Rabbit]

Over my dead body....

If they sell us out after we basically signed over our entire club I will burn down St. George Leagues.

Mate, it's not going to happen so I wouldn't be too concerned.

St George KNOW the power the Illawarra give them in terms of juniors and as it stands at the moment, St George provide the funding.

Long term, I see the tables turned on the financial side so threatening to move games from Illawarra for short term politcal expediency, soundly sums up the competance of those in charge of the SGI partnership.

NFI.

 

[International RL]

Its 50/50 if you listen to a Steerlers fan.

Alot of people including myself are of the opinion that Steelers wouldnt have existed if it wasnt for the Dragons and that the Dragons only saved the Steelers because they wanted their junior base in Wollongong.

It certainly didn't help given the NRL held a gun to our heads and listed us as a Sydney team for the purposes of the criteria.

You can think what you want, but we traded our history and club colours for geography. If they take that from us too...watch all hell break loose.

 

[gong_eagle]

The sharks may be circling then

 

[Slackboy72]

I truly fear for the viability of both leagues clubs the way things are going.

 

[Lego_Man]

Illawarra should de-merge with Ste George and merge with Cronulla to create the South Coast Sharks. Makes a lot more sense geographically. Then the dragons can die or merge with Easts.

 

[Matt23]

Illawarra should de-merge with Ste George and merge with Cronulla to create the South Coast Sharks. Makes a lot more sense geographically. Then the dragons can die or merge with Easts.

Wishful thinking, the Dragons wont be going anywhere, but it is more logical for Illawarra & Cronulla to merge.

 

[t-ba]

Cronulla should have been forced to merge with Illawarra in the first place...

 

[Slackboy72]

the Dragons only saved the Steelers because they wanted their junior base in Wollongong.

Illawarra should de-merge with Ste George and merge with Cronulla to create the South Coast Sharks. Makes a lot more sense geographically. Then the dragons can die or merge with Easts.

Cronulla should have been forced to merge with Illawarra in the first place...

Wishful thinking, the Dragons wont be going anywhere, but it is more logical for Illawarra & Cronulla to merge.

These comments demonstrate an abundance of ignorance regarding the history that St George have with the Illawarre going back to before the war as well as the bad blood between the Sharks and the Illawarra.

 

[dannyboy]

So would the Steelers red be the blood from a Shark bite?

 

[Johnny Bravo]

Mate, it's not going to happen so I wouldn't be too concerned.

St George KNOW the power the Illawarra give them in terms of juniors and as it stands at the moment, St George provide the funding.

Long term, I see the tables turned on the financial side so threatening to move games from Illawarra for short term politcal expediency, soundly sums up the competance of those in charge of the SGI partnership.

NFI.

St George have always poached Illawarra juniors, well before the merger, if they de-merged, I doubt that would change.

 

[Godz Illa]

Not unlike the "Manly to Gosford" threat: empty.

http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/sea-eagles-rally-to-save-brookvale/2007/11/16/1194766966418.html

All this highlights is the inability of Robinson to generate any revenue streams at Saints Leagues other than pokies.

 

[t-ba]

These comments demonstrate an abundance of ignorance regarding the history that St George have with the Illawarre going back to before the war as well as the bad blood between the Sharks and the Illawarra.

Any such merger would have been more likely to end up at the Gong full time. The weight of history around the JV's neck on account of St George mean the club is forever tethered to Sydney when the Gong, much like Gosford, deserves a stand along full time entity in the national competition.

It's not a matter of 'history,' it's a matter of the games development.

 

[Raging Rabbit]

St George have always poached Illawarra juniors, well before the merger, if they de-merged, I doubt that would change.

Your first point is true but I'll bet my last buck that any demerge would spell the end of St George, as much as it shouldn't be allowed to happen.

Please feel free to disagree as I am adopting what I think is a realistic approach to this debate, it is not a hate fest by any stretch.

What have the Dragons got to offer?

Juniors - a shadow of their former self.

Money - Drying up quicker than the Todd River

Home Ground - even when completed, it could only be described as "boutique" at best.

History - Most certainly but you saw what they tried to do to Souths - it mean't nothing to the NRL.

Crowds - Always solid.

What do the Steelers have?

Juniors - One of the best in the land.

Money - oddly destitute but as we saw with Newcastle, a mining based conglomerate can fix things fairly quickly, let alone a wealthy benefactor who has regional interest.

Home Ground - Graveyard factor, "boutique" to a degree - most fans enjoy the experience.

History - regionally excellent but pales when compared to St George.

Crowds - Solid but no reason why another Newcastle can't emerge.

In summing up, at present, you both very much need each other and any talks of demerging or lessening the Illawarra element would be disasterous path to take.