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[boardlumps62]

What does the apple say?

Can you help me please.

Last sentence is spot on.

Only a Dragon supporter would understand. And your wife obviously isn't a "Dragon" (excuse the pun) supporter.

 

[TruSaint]

Can you help me please.

Only a Dragon supporter would understand. And your wife obviously isn't a "Dragon" (excuse the pun) supporter.

She is a Dragons supporter, since she married me 30 years ago.
What I agreed with is the post mentioning seeing her husband in tears. She follows Saints, but is amazed how much passion it brings out in me.

 

[twinkletoes]

The way I see it, we haven't reached rock bottom yet but the damage being done to the club, the roster and supporters will take at least 5 years to overcome before we can challenge for top 4 positions let alone win a premiership. At my ripe old age I fear I will not be here to see that ever again which makes me very sad. I have followed St George since I was about 12 and played in a schoolboy match at the old Sydney Sports Ground at half time in the first grade match between Easts and St George. We were taken into the dressing room and introduced to all the players including Johnny Raper, Reg Gasnier, Poppa Clay, Ian Walsh, Billy Smith, Eddie Lumsden etc. What a day that was...a far distant memory now!!

 

[boardlumps62]

I spoke out in anger and frustration yesterday after losing to my most hated team and making them look like the Melbourne Storm. The only silver lining was maybe the coach would be sacked after another inept performance by a lowly placed team alas it wasn't to be and I vowed not to bother with St George this year, whilst my heart won't be fully into it I have decided to stand by them and whilst preparing for the worst I'll also hope for the best, coming into these Forums and seeing many others feel the same way I do is very good stress relief, I look forward to reading everyones thoughts and opinions as the year goes on.

This post enables the Real Dragons to have a little cry and know you are amongst friends and be brave even when you know the next flogging is only a game away. And even if some of us want to jump ship like rats scurrying onto a Balmain Wharf.

 

[Dragons4me]

The way I see it, we haven't reached rock bottom yet but the damage being done to the club, the roster and supporters will take at least 5 years to overcome before we can challenge for top 4 positions let alone win a premiership. At my ripe old age I fear I will not be here to see that ever again which makes me very sad. I have followed St George since I was about 12 and played in a schoolboy match at the old Sydney Sports Ground at half time in the first grade match between Easts and St George. We were taken into the dressing room and introduced to all the players including Johnny Raper, Reg Gasnier, Poppa Clay, Ian Walsh, Billy Smith, Eddie Lumsden etc. What a day that was...a far distant memory now!!

Great story TT. At about age 10, my grandfather introduced me to these greats in the Kogarah sheds after a game. They were giants in my eyes and I remember how cool that they knew my grandfather by name. It's there that my love for the mighty Red V jersey began. Yep. bloodied and dirty after a game. Yeah I know I know. Corny I suppose.

 

[boardlumps62]

The way I see it, we haven't reached rock bottom yet but the damage being done to the club, the roster and supporters will take at least 5 years to overcome before we can challenge for top 4 positions let alone win a premiership. At my ripe old age I fear I will not be here to see that ever again which makes me very sad. I have followed St George since I was about 12 and played in a schoolboy match at the old Sydney Sports Ground at half time in the first grade match between Easts and St George. We were taken into the dressing room and introduced to all the players including Johnny Raper, Reg Gasnier, Poppa Clay, Ian Walsh, Billy Smith, Eddie Lumsden etc. What a day that was...a far distant memory now!!

I wonder what Billy Smith thinks of the team. There would be other old boys of his era thinking the same. No change can happen over night might be next year just have to find the right people. But to do that the juniors are going to miss out some of them anyway.

 

[Gareth67]

Yes , I wonder ? I can only suggest that he would be shaking his head saying “ How could the Saints sink so low , what are the directors of the J.V. doing to allow it to get to this level ? “

I feel for the man and all of those Saints and Dragon players who wore the Big Red V with so much passion and pride .

 

[2010]

I am not afraid to support other clubs, these are St. Kilda in the AFL New Orleans in the NFL and Crystal Palace in the English soccer league
As far as the NRL of course it is St George and only St George.

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

I am not afraid to support other clubs, these are St. Kilda in the AFL New Orleans in the NFL and Crystal Palace in the English soccer league
As far as the NRL of course it is St George and only St George.

you and I have made poor life choices....I follow the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Pistons, Norwich...and this shithouse mob....poor choices indeed...

 

[smi962]

Indeed you are confused just like muzby
The conversation is/was about where we have descended to in the here and now.
The mediocrity we endure today is “A” typical of how Illawarra conducted itself for almost the entire time it existed until it ultimately failed.
That mentality now predicates the entire club.

So if we started winning again who’s mentality would that be. St George mentality has taken over again?

 

[Old Timer]

So if we started winning again who’s mentality would that be. St George mentality has taken over again?

It’s nor just about winning again as you put it it’s about a range of issues as there is no denying when the JV was formed Illawarra was on its last legs.

However on the point that you make no it doesn’t mean it’s St George mentality it means we have ditched the Illawarra mentality of mediocrity being acceptable.

 

[epDragon62]

I have decided to become a Tiger. They have heart two of our juniors BJ an Luciano Leilua and Master Benji who was a Dragon. When McGregor is replaced I might come back.

I can show interest in another club’s success but I only support one club: DRAGONS

 

[TruSaint]

I think Morris Iemma has succinctly described the current boards position.

“It’s a club whose only ambition is to just be there,” Iemma told me. “Meanwhile, other clubs are competing for premierships. It’s a simple betrayal of what the Dragons should stand for. We’ve become a symbol of mediocrity.”

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/th...ns-savaged-by-ex-premier-20200611-p551me.html

 

[Willow]

I wonder what Billy Smith thinks of the team. There would be other old boys of his era thinking the same. No change can happen over night might be next year just have to find the right people. But to do that the juniors are going to miss out some of them anyway.

When we were going through a rough patch some years ago under Nathan Brown, a few of us ran into Billy Smith by the grandstand at Kogarah. One bloke yelled, "No halves Billy, we got no halves!" Billy yelled back, "You're not getting me out there!"

Great sense of humour, even in hard times. He was finally allowed back into St George Leagues Club (he was banned for years), Billy was enjoying the attention and you could tell he loved Kogarah. Back at the club he would share his table with anyone, and always had time to chat.

Later that same evening, he was sitting with Nathan Brown, everyone gave them space. They talked for some time about the game and Brownie was listening. I guess if you are a coach and getting advice from our greatest ever halfback, you take it as an opportunity that can't be missed.

 

[boardlumps62]

When we were going through a rough patch some years ago under Nathan Brown, a few of us ran into Billy Smith by the grandstand at Kogarah. One bloke yelled, "No halves Billy, we got no halves!" Billy yelled back, "You're not getting me out there!"

Great sense of humour, even in hard times. He was finally allowed back into St George Leagues Club (he was banned for years), Billy was enjoying the attention and you could tell he loved Kogarah. Back at the club he would share his table with anyone, and always had time to chat.

Later that same evening, he was sitting with Nathan Brown, everyone gave them space. They talked for some time about the game and Brownie was listening. I guess if you are a coach and getting advice from our greatest ever halfback, you take it as an opportunity that can't be missed.

I remember seeing Billy having a beer in a pub near the Royal North Shore Hospital back in 1987. He was looking fit then.

 

[smi962]

It’s nor just about winning again as you put it it’s about a range of issues as there is no denying when the JV was formed Illawarra was on its last legs.

However on the point that you make no it doesn’t mean it’s St George mentality it means we have ditched the Illawarra mentality of mediocrity being acceptable.

But this only ever gets brought up in the shit times (I have heard it in the past shit times also, although possibly not from you personally). Steelers are not even represented on the board anymore but were when we were wining in the 2000's.

Its the Gordons and St George; but the Gordon's are not the Steelers. Furthermore, St George board members are just as much to blame and accepting of mediocrity so its not fair to say its an Illawarra mentality.

 

[Old Timer]

But this only ever gets brought up in the shit times (I have heard it in the past shit times also, although possibly not from you personally). Steelers are not even represented on the board anymore but were when we were wining in the 2000's.

Its the Gordons and St George; but the Gordon's are not the Steelers. Furthermore, St George board members are just as much to blame and accepting of mediocrity so its not fair to say its an Illawarra mentality.

Unfortunately we do not know what goes on behind closed doors so as to how fractious the relationships are at board level is hard to know.

I have never denied St G's role in all of this and I am still pissed off that they actually fell for the NRL slight of hand re mergers.

The pointy end of it for me right now is if this current entity St GI is to survive it needs to get rid of the coach and take on an entirely different persona to ensure success and keep its fan base.

The Gordon's are so much the key to this and as they purchased the Wollongong part of the JV they then are major players.

People lament we are not like the Roosters and castigate their success being due to Politis well Gordon could do likewise for our club and by not doing so one has to question the motives for their ownership and the lack of them saying anything tangible or constructive just adds more angst to the situation.

The question also remains if St G had gone it alone whether they would have made it but there is no denying that the Steelers were dead in the water but somehow came up with 50% of the outcome.

Well they were dead in the water for a reason and it is those reasons that IMO still permeate within the JV entity.

 

[smi962]

Unfortunately we do not know what goes on behind closed doors so as to how fractious the relationships are at board level is hard to know.

I have never denied St G's role in all of this and I am still pissed off that they actually fell for the NRL slight of hand re mergers.

The pointy end of it for me right now is if this current entity St GI is to survive it needs to get rid of the coach and take on an entirely different persona to ensure success and keep its fan base.

The Gordon's are so much the key to this and as they purchased the Wollongong part of the JV they then are major players.

People lament we are not like the Roosters and castigate their success being due to Politis well Gordon could do likewise for our club and by not doing so one has to question the motives for their ownership and the lack of them saying anything tangible or constructive just adds more angst to the situation.

The question also remains if St G had gone it alone whether they would have made it but there is no denying that the Steelers were dead in the water but somehow came up with 50% of the outcome.

Well they were dead in the water for a reason and it is those reasons that IMO still permeate within the JV entity.

Steeler's never had a successful league's club to support them. Infact for a large part of their history, they didn't have a league's club at all. That was by far the largest reason for their lack of success - they were always skint throughout their history. They would have been just as as successful as any other Sydney club during that period if they had a rich league's club. Possibly more so, given the had a junior base to compliment them. I think it had nothing to do with having a losing mentality.

 

[Old Timer]

Well given they didn't have financial backing of a successful league's club how the f**k did they get into the comp in the 1st place?

They managed to get into the big game and then failed to establish themselves despite the riches you elude to.

So for them to arrive, never succeed and to die all within a shortish period of time reeks of something and the acceptance of that whatever that reeked indicates accepting mediocrity and that indicates a losing mentality to me.

No doubt St G have also had it at different times but always managed to drag themselves out of it but now is a different story altogether as the Illawarra situation is like extra lead in an already full saddle bag.

 

[Shaun_Timmins]

Changing teams is even lower than what we are going through at the moment.

Being a filthy turncoat is not what following this game is about.