Future of St.George

[LeagueXIII]

This isn't about kicking Saints out etc.

What I'm interested to know are the Dragons planning to move fulltime to Wollongong after the current deal? What are their plans for Kogarah as it seems they are building a decent 25,000 stadium there and not maximising it's use?

Any thoughts?

 

[gregstar]

with douche handling the gears & levers, we'll end up owning the nrl.

we'll be sydney's only team.

 

[gong_eagle]

I reckon the Dragons will abandon Wollongong (Illawarra), why would they want to spend so much money on Oki and not push for any improvements to Win stadium

 

[Teddyboy]

one team
2 stadiums
ok crowds
WTF

 

[Parra]

A stand alone team for the south coast, based out of Wollongong would be a good lead. They could even call the team Illawarra to make it clear that the entire district is represented. This is as important as the Central Coast.

 

[flamin]

If they were to become a Wollongong team, I'd prefer big games to be played somewhere in Sydney (SFS if Kogarah is abandoned) to offer something to the Sydney fans.

They should never loose the St George brand.

 

[Parra]

Or the traditional St George area. The SFS is a good option.

Homebush makes no sense at all.

 

[LeagueXIII]

gong eagle I agree with your line of thinking. When the deal runs out in 2011 or 2012 I think Saints will play more in Sydney.

What's the point of spending so much on a stadium only not to use frequently?

I also recall reading Geoff Prentner saying Saints would discontinue the mergersoon.

Crowds in Wollongong are pretty poor under 12,000.

 

[badav]

A stand alone team for the south coast, based out of Wollongong would be a good lead. They could even call the team Illawarra to make it clear that the entire district is represented. This is as important as the Central Coast.

Yeah maybe they can base it on the ever successful leagues clubs business model which worked so well for them last time.

 

[Timbo]

I would have liked to have seen them go full time to Wollongong, the region deserves a stand alone team.

But with the amount of cash being spent at Kogarah, well, its future is garunteed for a long time to come.

I think a 50/50 split is a certainty, with talk of a new western stand at WIN having been speculated for some time.

 

[flamin]

Crowds in Wollongong are pretty poor under 12,000.

Theyre usually around 13-14. I don't know why this season has been so poor. Theres been times of bad whether, and often the ground looks like theres been 2k more there, so I dont know whats going on.

Having said that, I've always thought that Wollongong still hasnt accepted the Dragons as their team with the same fervour as other locations support there teams. A lot of people here support other Sydney teams like the Dogs, Tigers and Parra. There's still a certain feeling amongst a lot of Illawarra fans that they been 'disenfranchised', they dont feel the same connection to the Dragons. You see that at WIN when the Dragons Army starts chanting "St George" and all the Wollongong fans reply "Illawarra". Something needs to be done to bring the supporters together, since only then can first grade RL become so entrenched here like it has in Newcastle and Townsville.

 

[TheDalek079]

leave ANZ.

 

[Parra]

Yeah maybe they can base it on the ever successful leagues clubs business model which worked so well for them last time.

Maybe they could adopt the "have a rich benefactor" model and then pretend they are business-like. Seems to work for a lot of other clubs and administrators who like to re-write history.

The south coast was too important to be pissed away.

 

[dallymessenger]

illawarra need their own team.

saints should stick to sydney as kogarah is a fine stadium now.

perhaps the best thing wouldve been saints to take over cronulla instead of illawarra.

having cronulla in between saints territory doesnt make much sense

 

[Chook Norris]

Theyre usually around 13-14. I don't know why this season has been so poor. Theres been times of bad whether, and often the ground looks like theres been 2k more there, so I dont know whats going on.

Having said that, I've always thought that Wollongong still hasnt accepted the Dragons as their team with the same fervour as other locations support there teams. A lot of people here support other Sydney teams like the Dogs, Tigers and Parra. There's still a certain feeling amongst a lot of Illawarra fans that they been 'disenfranchised', they dont feel the same connection to the Dragons. You see that at WIN when the Dragons Army starts chanting "St George" and all the Wollongong fans reply "Illawarra". Something needs to be done to bring the supporters together, since only then can first grade RL become so entrenched here like it has in Newcastle and Townsville.

imo the bad first few rounds scared most away

 

[LeagueXIII]

Illawarra should get their own team, finish off the stadium and get the rich guy, Gordon?, on board.

The good things about having private backers is they make people accountable which clubs eg. Parra and St.George haven't been for years.

Supporters should have voting rightsas part of their football membership as AFL members do to make the clowns running our game accountable.

 

[Rexxy]

with douche handling the gears & levers, we'll end up owning the nrl.

we'll be sydney's only team.

This just in on the mojo wire....


Doused has signed St George illawarra up for the French provincial rugby competition.

But as..... Amateurs.

And his fare will be paid by Stella Atois.

 

[Rexxy]

You see that at WIN when the Dragons Army starts chanting "St George" and all the Wollongong fans reply "Illawarra".

Ive been to nearly every game in 8 years and never heard that. I think there might be something in the disenfranchised argument but you have to remember the Steelers alone never had great support.

I think its a structural problem between all the other leagues clubs in the area and the Steelers headed by Bob (The dirty digger) Millward and the fact the Gong is more like a suburb of sydney these days. only 1 hour away by fast train

 

[LeagueXIII]

Here's a stat -

In 1994 St.George ran 11th and Illawarra 6th (top 5 semi final system) combined they averaged 24,136 with archiac facilities and fortnightly home games. Today St.George/Illawarra running 6th average 12,029.

Balmain finished last and Wests 13th, their season's were well and truly over before the end of the season they averaged a combined 14,644 today with the Tigers pushing for a semi final birth and maximised attendances they average 15,830.

Norths averaged over 15,000.........and they follow Manly now...what? they don't!, well they weren't RL supporters in the first place, stuff them.....................

 

[Parra]

And there go the fans. That is just fans who go to the games. I know Norths, Balmain, Wests fans and a heap of Illawarra fans who just don't watch the footy or watch it with much less interest.

I don't blame them. When their team got taken the fans were told in no uncertain terms that their support did not count for anything. Stupid decisions that a lot of morons are willing to make again today.