http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...angry-red-v-army/story-fni3g9a3-1226677345831
Seems like a pretty fair article.
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Behind the walls of the angry Red V army
THE lift door opens on to the second floor of St George Leagues club and you're greeted by the angriest group of fans in the NRL. Your columnist has purchased a $55 three-game Red V membership package to get access to rugby league's most fanatical supporter group and their annual forum, which has been running since 2002.
We wait outside the Heritage Room for a Monday night 7pm kick-off, a couple of irate members making it clear my presence was not welcome.
Two hours later and much has been revealed about the problems confronting the once great club that is now fighting to avoid the wooden spoon.
Complaints range between the performance of coach Steve Price to CEO Peter Doust, the departure of Jamie Soward, recruitment, the quality of caps in merchandise supporter packs, the size of a McDonald's sign at Kogarah Oval, ticket prices and game scheduling.
THE LOYALTY
Mark Molloy is the most fanatical, passionate and loyal fan I've ever met.
He's 42, lives in Greystanes and works as a storeman.
For 20 years he's been to every Dragons home and away game, barring the one he reluctantly missed in 2004 for a good mate's engagement party. He's even dirtier now because that marriage didn't last.
His support has taken him to Wigan (World Club Challenge), Melbourne, Canberra, Auckland, Perth, Adelaide, Cairns, Townsville, Gold Coast and every suburban ground in Sydney.
Every year Mark organises his holidays and RDOs around the Dragons' schedule to ensure he can get to every single game.
We meet outside before the forum starts.
"I don't want to bag off on anyone," he says.
"I've stuck up for the club for more than 20 years.
"Still, I was disgusted that Jamie Soward left. I've never bagged the club but it's becoming a bit of rabble right now."
We catch up again on the way out.
"It just hurts me that this great club with the famous Red V could potentially end up with the wooden spoon," he says. "That should never belong to St George. Am I happy what we got out of tonight? Well, you're not a fan if you don't stick by them."
THE COACH
You get the impression that Price is no certainty to be there next season.
"The coaching job is always being evaluated," Doust says. "We're not happy with the team's performance at the moment. We never, ever accept performances like recently.
"It's no good having a situation if the performances are so bad it has an impact on revenue so much that you lose your perspective as far as the business is concerned. Nothing has been resolved for 2014, contrary to speculation."
If you asked for a show of hands of support for Steve Price, he'd be flat out having 10 per cent of the membership onside, judging by the general mood inside the forum.
Although one lady chimes in: "He's not telling them to go out and drop the ball and miss tackles. Give him a go."
JAMIE SOWARD
A fan calls out from the back of the room.
"He's scoring more points in England than our entire team can score."
Doust explains why the club allowed him to leave, confirming my
Daily Telegraph report at the time that he had lost the support of some senior players.
"It not all about his performances on the field," he tells the members. "There were some off-field training matters that needed to be addressed.
"In essence, the standard set by our coaching staff and senior player were not being met.
"Application to team goals was a particular issue. Mid-season transfers are difficult for everyone but at the end of the day he requested a release."
ONFIELD LEADERSHIP
Questions are raised about Ben Creagh's captaincy following the retirement of Ben Hornby and Dean Young. A fan says: "There's no leadership, he's not motivating anyone."
Doust hits back, although admitting he's anything but the team's on-field general like most skippers.
"Ben's doing a great job," Doust says, "He's our club captain. He was never going to be the on-field leader of the team. You need the forwards going forward and the halfback leading the team around the field.
"I don't think it's right to criticise Benny Creagh.
"He's not the one required to call the plays."
Wendell Sailor grabs the microphone. He's upset at the Creagh question.
"No one is hurting more than Ben Creagh. I see him in the sheds after the game. He's shattered," Sailor says. "Everyone's got to be accountable, but I wouldn't be questioning Ben Creagh."
RECRUITMENT
Members are told the club is deep in negotiations with Origin fullback Josh Dugan and his manager for an extension beyond this year.
Still, finding a halfback is the priority. There is a rumour circulating that Warriors whiz-kid Shaun Johnson is the player they want.
Doust too makes no secret of the fact the club wants Josh Morris back from the Bulldogs.
"Wayne (Bennett) let him go, believing he was a winger, not a centre," he says. "I think we all look back now and wish he hadn't done that.
"Josh is a local junior; it goes without saying that we'd be interested in him returning to the Dragons."
It's then revealed the club recently made an unsuccessful mid-year swoop on Warriors utility Feleti Mateo.
HALFBACK ISSUE
The Dragons have struggled here since Ben Hornby's early retirement. Doust reveals the club last year offered Storm champion Cooper Cronk the richest contract in the club's history to try to persuade him to quit Melbourne.
"We've got a list of every halfback in the game of rugby league in every country," he says. "Cooper Cronk came off contract and we made the most significant application for his signature that we've ever made, even considering this guy (pointing to Mark Gasnier) and others.
"We wanted the best but didn't get him."
He reveals the club tried to sign Immortal Andrew Johns as a halfback coach but couldn't get him out of Manly.
PETER DOUST
The CEO finds himself under fire as much as the coach. He faces some seriously demanding questions.
"Do you, Mr Doust, believe you're stuck in the '60s and the game has passed you?" one fan asks.
And another question: "We miss the finals for three consecutive years - are you prepared to step down?"
The answer to both questions is no. Doust is a busy man with a bigger workload and responsibility than any other club CEO in the game.
"I'm not selecting the team but I'm accountable to the board of directors like any CEO of any business," he says.
"I'm not prepared to just give up on the people who are out there doing the best they can for our club."
THE LAST WORD
Not everyone is here to be critical of the team.
We've been here now or more than two hours. The last speaker is a long-time fan - a female, who has no question to ask, but wants her feelings to be known.
"I am as frustrated as anyone in this room," she starts. "I left the ground 10 minutes early on Saturday and went home and watched the rugby Test. We have Steve Price as coach, whether we're happy with him or not.
"We have to make the best of what we have. If we put young players up from the lower grades we will be doing them a great disservice because they'll get beaten by even more. If I was one of the players or Steve Price sitting in this room this evening I would feel absolutely humiliated and worthless.
"I think we have to make our players feel we fully support them. I believe they are doing their best.
"If they can walk off and say we tried our best and we'll try even harder next week, that's all we can ask for.
"So please, get behind the team. They need our support and I firmly believe they'll come good."
