Dragons To Break Away From Illawarra.

[possm]

Disaster at the moment. I don’t really know why.

Grew up a saints supporter, but now I’m a dragons supporter... hate the diversionary discussions.

I was born in Buli hospital in 1954. Me and my brother, my five kids and 5 grand-kids are all Dragons supports and have been all our lives. I recall when the Illawarra district, the Cronulla Southerland district and the St George district were all Saints territory.

I believe it is time for the Saints to again represent this region; it was a mistake to devid it in the first place. I also think it makes sense to unite other Sydney districts under a single NRL club as the increased catchment area will make the NRL stronger and make it easier to expand the NRL to cover other regions in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific region.

 

[The Major]

I like Turtles

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

I was born in Buli hospital in 1954. Me and my brother, my five kids and 5 grand-kids are all Dragons supports and have been all our lives. I recall when the Illawarra district, the Cronulla Southerland district and the St George district were all Saints territory.

I believe it is time for the Saints to again represent this region; it was a mistake to devided it in the first place. I also think it makes sense to unite other Sydney districts under a single NRL club as the increased catchment area will make the NRL stronger and make it easier to expand the NRL to cover other regions of Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific nations.

Great post!
I have only ever supported St. George since 1971 when we went down swinging to a star studded Souths outfit.
I hate the "Dragons" moniker and have always called our Team the Mighty "Saints".
Our Team song has no reference to Dragons.
What we have inherited since 1999 is a compromise and a dilution of our true identity and standing in the Rugby League world.
If St, George went it alone, Illawarra district would still be a natural nursery to the Iconic St. George club without having to share naming rights on our emblem or wear the all red Illawarra strips.
The JV has failed miserably with the promise of a super club being a distant memory.
Souths stuck to their guns and have prospered under private ownership.
We have gone the other way unfortunately.

 

[muzby]

Great post!
I have only ever supported St. George since 1971 when we went down swinging to a star studded Souths outfit.
I hate the "Dragons" moniker and have always called our Team the Mighty "Saints".
Our Team song has no reference to Dragons.
What we have inherited since 1999 is a compromise and a dilution of our true identity and standing in the Rugby League world.
If St, George went it alone, Illawarra district would still be a natural nursery to the Iconic St. George club without having to share naming rights on our emblem or wear the all red Illawarra strips.
The JV has failed miserably with the promise of a super club being a distant memory.
Souths stuck to their guns and have prospered under private ownership.
We have gone the other way unfortunately.

Be careful what you wish for..

A stand-alone St George side, playing in the Canterbury Cup, being coached by Mary is a potential outcome of all of this..

And those who support the Illawarra Dragons in first grade will just point and laugh.

 

[redandwhite4evr]

The NRL do not have to admit Illawarra into the NRL, they can be a Canterbury Cup team and a feeder club to the St George Dragons. So no increase in Sydney Clubs.

The Illawarra district has always been supported by St George and there is no reason to change. By merging other clubs, although politically very difficult, there would be less divide within districts of Sydney, a larger demographic for each NRL Club and an increased opportunity to expand the game of rugby league.

If Canterbury merged with Wests and Parramatta merged with Penrith and Easts merged with Souts and Manly merged with a Gosford Club and dare I say it, St George merged with Cronulla, then there would be plenty of scope to expand the NRL presence in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

While I am at it, in my opinion, the NRL should set up a governance template for all NRL Clubs. Adherance to this template should be a criteria for gaining a franchise licence. Share ownership can be of many configurations however, paid membership of a club, and the annual election of Board members by financial members should be key policy.

Agree with most of this Possm. It particularly irks me that Souths (not even a correct direction for where they're based) and the Roosters fight over a tiny area in the Eastern Suburbs with few juniors and where Rugby is king. They escaped merger while we didn't. Of course money and vested interests will guarantee they survive as separate entities into the immediate future- until Polites shuffles off this mortal coil at least.

The only merger I would challenge is Manly and the Central Coast. This has been tried and failed. Better to go with the Central Coast Bears wearing the old Red and Black of North Sydney.

 

[blacksafake]

Be careful what you wish for..

A stand-alone St George side, playing in the Canterbury Cup, being coached by Mary is a potential outcome of all of this..

And those who support the Illawarra Dragons in first grade will just point and laugh.

I’m sure Mary wouldn’t be coaching the St George side. Illawarra most likely

 

[redv13]

If Saints and Cronulla merged I would burn all my dragons gear and never ever watch an nrl game again for the rest of my life

 

[muzby]

I’m sure Mary wouldn’t be coaching the St George side. Illawarra most likely

Dunno.. A St George CEO and Chairman first installed him as coach..

And Mary is a CC grade coach..

Makes sense

 

[redandwhite4evr]

If Saints and Cronulla merged I would burn all my dragons gear and never ever watch an nrl game again for the rest of my life

But that is where it all began- St George achieved its "never before, never again" record of 11 successive premierships with the Sutherland Shire as part of its feeder area. St George went into slow decline once it lost the Shire and the Sharks came into the comp.

I remember at the time, the Dragons fought tooth and nail to keep the Menai area ( the Shire growth area at the time). However they lost out.

I believe that it makes sense that eventually, with the other mergers Possm suggested, that there be one club from the Cooks River to the Shoalhaven.

 

[redv13]

But that is where it all began- St George achieved its "never before, never again" record of 11 successive premierships with the Sutherland Shire as part of its feeder area. St George went into slow decline once it lost the Shire and the Sharks came into the comp.

I remember at the time, the Dragons fought tooth and nail to keep the Menai area ( the Shire growth area at the time). However they lost out.

I believe that it makes sense that eventually, with the other mergers Possm suggested, that there be one club from the Cooks River to the Shoalhaven.

No thanks. If that happens I dare say I wouldn’t be the only dragons man hitting the road

 

[blacksafake]

Dunno.. A St George CEO and Chairman first installed him as coach..

And Mary is a CC grade coach..

Makes sense

And an Illawarra chairman keeps extending him & publicly backing him.

Makes no sense.

 

[Old Timer]

Not sure where you get your facts from, possm, but Illawarra was never part of St George Dragons and or encouraged to break away because of the 11 year streak.

Good post.

Far too many people have the delusional notion that all the best Illawarra players went to St George as if it was some feeder club.

The Illawarra fed plenty of Sydney clubs with plenty of star players.

St George at its highest point just had more to offer and that was the attraction for so many good players but not all and as the years rolled on and other clubs emerged they often got the talent St George would loved to have had.

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

Be careful what you wish for..

A stand-alone St George side, playing in the Canterbury Cup, being coached by Mary is a potential outcome of all of this..

And those who support the Illawarra Dragons in first grade will just point and laugh.

Would rather that than what's being rammed down our throats masquerading as a JV club.
Mary will be coaching the Illawarra Dragons by definition.

 

[muzby]

Would rather that than what's being rammed down our throats masquerading as a JV club.
Mary will be coaching the Illawarra Dragons by definition.

Why would you prefer to see your team playing 2nd division rather than fixing the issues & playing 1st division?

Talk about accepting mediocrity..

 

[Puff]

Be careful what you wish for..

A stand-alone St George side, playing in the Canterbury Cup, being coached by Mary is a potential outcome of all of this..

And those who support the Illawarra Dragons in first grade will just point and laugh.

I don't care about 350 people laughing at me

 

[possm]

Agree with most of this Possm. It particularly irks me that Souths (not even a correct direction for where they're based) and the Roosters fight over a tiny area in the Eastern Suburbs with few juniors and where Rugby is king. They escaped merger while we didn't. Of course money and vested interests will guarantee they survive as separate entities into the immediate future- until Polites shuffles off this mortal coil at least.

The only merger I would challenge is Manly and the Central Coast. This has been tried and failed. Better to go with the Central Coast Bears wearing the old Red and Black of North Sydney.

To me there is a natural group of clubs that cold all be gathered under a one NRL representative team e.g.:

Southern Districts - St George, Cronulla Southerland, Illawarra
Sydney South West - Canterbury to Campbelltown region
Sydney West - Parramatta to Penrith
Sydney City - Easts, Souths, Newtown, Glebe and Balman
Northern Districts - North Sydney, Manly to Gosford

Such a move would reduce the number of NRL teams in Sydney from 9 to 5, giving the NRL the capacity to expand the NRL. I'd like to see two twelve team conferences formed comprising of the following teams:

Conference 1
1. Sunshine Coast
2. Brisbane
3. Gold Coast
4. Newcastle
5. Northern Districts
6. Sydney City
7. Sydney West
8. Sydney South West
9. Southern Districts
10. Canberra
11. Melbourne
12. Geelong

Conference 2
1. Nth Queensland
2. Dawin
3 Perth
4. Adelaide
5. Fiji
6. New Guinea
7. NZ Nth Island
8. NZ Sth Isaland
9. Vanuatu
10. Soloman Islands
11. Samoa
12. Indonesia

 

[redv13]

To me there is a natural group of clubs that cold all be gathered under a one NRL representative team e.g.:

Southern Districts - St George, Cronulla Southerland, Illawarra
Sydney South West - Canterbury to Campbelltown region
Sydney West - Parramatta to Penrith
Sydney City - Easts, Souths, Newtown, Glebe and Balman
Northern Districts - North Sydney, Manly to Gosford

Such a move would reduce the number of NRL teams in Sydney from 9 to 5, giving the NRL the capacity to expand the NRL. I'd like to see two twelve team conferences formed comprising of the following teams:

Conference 1
1. Sunshine Coast
2. Brisbane
3. Gold Coast
4. Newcastle
5. Northern Districts
6. Sydney City
7. Sydney West
8. Sydney South West
9. Southern Districts
10. Canberra
11. Melbourne
12. Geelong

Conference 2
1. Nth Queensland
2. Dawin
3 Perth
4. Adelaide
5. Fiji
6. New Guinea
7. NZ Nth Island
8. NZ Sth Isaland
9. Vanuatu
10. Soloman Islands
11. Samoa
12. Indonesia

And you say Millward is a mess!! OMG, can’t wait to see Vanuatu play Indonesia!! Is it on Fox Sports or live on Ch9??

 

[hazzbeen]

And you say Millward is a mess!! OMG, can’t wait to see Vanuatu play Indonesia!! Is it on Fox Sports or live on Ch9??

I have the perfect coach for Indonesia ..... Mc Humptydumtry ..... The name care of Old Timer .....

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

Why would you prefer to see your team playing 2nd division rather than fixing the issues & playing 1st division?

Talk about accepting mediocrity..

I don't think it will turn out the way you are suggesting.
St.George would be playing NRL and Illawarra 2nd division.
Any way you want to twist that scenario, that would be the likely outcome.
Fixing the issues?
What has the management of the JV been doing for the last 20 years?
Obviously not very successful in "fixing the issues".
More to the point is where is our "Super Club".?
That was the solemn promise of the NRL and the geniuses that perpetrated this JV train wreck.
Still waiting...
If I was accepting mediocrity, why would I want to stand alone?

 

[redandwhite4evr]

To me there is a natural group of clubs that cold all be gathered under a one NRL representative team e.g.:

Southern Districts - St George, Cronulla Southerland, Illawarra
Sydney South West - Canterbury to Campbelltown region
Sydney West - Parramatta to Penrith
Sydney City - Easts, Souths, Newtown, Glebe and Balman
Northern Districts - North Sydney, Manly to Gosford

Such a move would reduce the number of NRL teams in Sydney from 9 to 5, giving the NRL the capacity to expand the NRL. I'd like to see two twelve team conferences formed comprising of the following teams:

Conference 1
1. Sunshine Coast
2. Brisbane
3. Gold Coast
4. Newcastle
5. Northern Districts
6. Sydney City
7. Sydney West
8. Sydney South West
9. Southern Districts
10. Canberra
11. Melbourne
12. Geelong

Conference 2
1. Nth Queensland
2. Dawin
3 Perth
4. Adelaide
5. Fiji
6. New Guinea
7. NZ Nth Island
8. NZ Sth Isaland
9. Vanuatu
10. Soloman Islands
11. Samoa
12. Indonesia

Wow- you're certainly an ideas man Possm- could we find a spot for the Philippines and the Manila Folders!!