Gutted when they left.

[gitano]

Gaz (pre-france version)

Mackay - one of the good guys. Great competitor and seems an even better bloke. Clive Churchill medal performance summed him up.

Honorable mention:
Richie Williams - actually enjoyed the hype he created, even if it was at our expense. I hate the cliché ridden interviews of the modern game. We need characters. Seeing him give Preston Campbell the bird on the run to the try line, and calling out Anasta before a game (and subsequently Richie being owned) was great entertainment.

 

[saintsarealive1]

Kevin Ryan at the end of 1966 when he signed with the bulldogs who then went on to knock us off 12-10 in the Prelim final, ending our 11 year reign.

Ryan captained the bull dogs in 1967 after leaving us.

He was our enforcer in the years prior leaving us.

At the 1967 Prelim final i couldnt leave the SCG for 2 hours after the game.....gut wrenching.

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

In the end it pushed over the edge so to speak.

Edged out in a close one...

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

With all the disappointment around big Russ signing for the Tigers and Dugan to the Sharks it made me stop and think again about all our favourites over the years that gave plenty for the Red V but then up and left for whatever reason.

Which ones over the past 30 odd years have really upset you by signing elsewhere.

For me I have plenty but here are my top few,

Slippery Steve Morris, was my favourite Dragon as a young fella and absolutely gutted when he left in the mid 80's.

Chris Walsh, loved his hard running style and was annoyed when he left (for the Steelers, ironic).

Noel Goldthorpe (bloody Super League).

Luke Bailey, how on earth did we loose Bull Bailey.

Brett Morris, as if I would ever play for the Dogs.

But the absolute one that annoyed and gutted me was loosing Brad Mackay to the Reds. If ever someone deserved a premiership in 99 it was Brad.

Please feel free to list your top couple, please only ones that really p!ssed you off that they were leaving.

Brett Morris, Craig Fitzgibbon and Bird recently - because we delayed his FG entry.

 

[Walpole]

I was also gutted when Vas gave in to his other personalities and re-surfaced as "insert name here"....

 

[j0nesy]

Luke Patten because apparently Amos Roberts was "better"
Brad Mackay
Gordon Tallis
Craig Fitzgibbon
Luke Bailey
Brett Morris
Trent Merrin
Anthony Mundine

I think the Mundine and Tallis losses annoyed me the most, the way they left us.

I was most upset with the Patten loss as I feel we treated him badly and just got it completely wrong.

 

[SBD82]

I realise that, but 'IF' they were Juniors then you would have been Genuinely Gutted!.

Fitzgibbon was a junior of the club that I supported pre JV. Do I get to be genuinely gutted?

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Lance Thompson and Michael Ennis

Ennis requested a release at the end of 2005 because he couldn't 'jag' the starting hooker's position away from Dean Young.

So, he left of his own accord.

The same can be said for Gorden Tailis, who we all know had signed a valid playing contract, but chose to renege and pursue filthy lucre from the Broncos instead.

After a court ruling which reaffirmed the legitimacy of the contract, Tallis decided not to accept the 'umpire's decision', and threw a childish tantrum by sitting out the 1996 season.

Again, like Ennis, he left the club voluntarily. I don't have time for either individual. They are the epitome of 'soft' for differing reasons.

 

[Uplifting]

Andrew Walker left us early and grew in to a great player at the Roosters. Was probably one of the only genuine league to union converts also; playing in a great Wallabies team.

 

[saintsarealive1]

I was also gutted when Vas gave in to his other personalities and re-surfaced as "insert name here"....

Ok then.....insert name WALPOLE
Sounds like Poland / Vas / Ruby

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

This is an excellent thread, but the subject matter is full of angst when you consider how dreadfully Dragons' management has treated many long-term stars for well over 30-years.

Although well before my time, the rot seemingly began with "Bluey" Wilson and manifested itself with other luminaries such as Kevin Ryan and Monty Porter.

Growing up in the 80s, this malaise affected the much loved Robert Stone, Rod Reddy,Craig Young, and Steve Morris.

In more recent times, departures (and mishandling) from the likes of Lance Thompson, the Morris brothers, and Luke Bailey.

Is there another NRL club that expels its 'servants' so callously?

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Fitzgibbon was a junior of the club that I supported pre JV. Do I get to be genuinely gutted?

Fitzgibbon or Treacy? In hindsight, did the club make the right decision?

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

Fitzgibbon or Treacy? In hindsight, did the club make the right decision?

No! - Fitzgibbon left us to play for Easts and played 228 games there becoming the highest points scoring forward in history (over 1400 points). Was a deadly goalkicker.
Represented Australia 19 times and NSW 11 times.
Played in 3 grand finals and won one premiership with Easts in 2002 where he was awarded the Clive Churchill medal for man of the match.
Darren Treacy was a good player no doubt but cannot hold a candle to this guy.
I was really pissed off when he left for 2 reasons, he was a local junior developing into a great player with us and the fact he went to Easts.
Of course they were the beneficiaries of a stellar career.

 

[SBD82]

Fitzgibbon or Treacy? In hindsight, did the club make the right decision?

Mmmmm. Tough choice.

 

[denis preston]

This is an excellent thread, but the subject matter is full of angst when you consider how dreadfully Dragons' management has treated many long-term stars for well over 30-years.

Although well before my time, the rot seemingly began with "Bluey" Wilson and manifested itself with other luminaries such as Kevin Ryan and Monty Porter.

Growing up in the 80s, this malaise affected the much loved Robert Stone, Rod Reddy,Craig Young, and Steve Morris.

In more recent times, departures (and mishandling) from the likes of Lance Thompson, the Morris brothers, and Luke Bailey.

Is there another NRL club that expels its 'servants' so callously?

Yes Jimmy they all do . You have to make a call on when you think a player is on the downward curve and some of the players you mentioned above such as Morris ( senior ) , Porter, Wilson Thompson, were called on this. The Fitsgibbon, Bailey , Morris bros decisions were not great but were money induced.

 

[kit66]

If this forum had been around in the 80's it would have gone into meltdown when we lost Michael O'Connor to Manly. Still pissed off about that.

 

[Life's Good]

Fitzgibbon or Treacy? In hindsight, did the club make the right decision?

Pretty sure Bartrim would have preferred Treacy left when you consider the drama between the 2

 

[Dragon Blood]

Brett Morris, Craig Fitzgibbon and Bird recently - because we delayed his FG entry.

Morris leaving for the rorters and Johnston leaving for unmanly were my biggest heart breaks
Loved Steve moz, had plenty of run ins with his side at Emore high school where he was the PE teacher and coach of their

 

[Dragon Blood]

Morris leaving for the rorters and Johnston leaving for unmanly were my biggest heart breaks
Loved Steve moz, had plenty of run ins with his side at Emore high school where he was the PE teacher and coach of their

iPad died
PE teacher and coach of the Enmore HS footy team. We toweled them up and he remembered me all those years ago when I bumped into him for a beer a couple of years ago when he was at the club when BMoz was still a dragon

 

[Old Timer]

Morris leaving for the rorters and Johnston leaving for unmanly were my biggest heart breaks
Loved Steve moz, had plenty of run ins with his side at Emore high school where he was the PE teacher and coach of their

No doubt you will enjoy this