Shellharbour City Dragons

[KalgoorlieRed]

[SIZE=+1]Shellharbour City Dragons Join NSW Cup[/SIZE] Written by: David Spaul October 13th 2008 12:03 PM

MEDIA RELEASE
The St George Illawarra and Shellharbour Rugby League Clubs today announce a partnership for 2009 and beyond that will see the formation of the Shellharbour City Dragons.

The Shellharbour City Dragons will become the official feeder Club for the St George Illawarra Dragons under the NSWRL player portability policies and will compete in the NSWRL Cup competition.

Planning for the future by the Dragons has always included the development of appropriate over-age competitions and the Club has for some time had a close association with Group 7 in the Country Rugby League which covers the South Coast from Lake Illawarra in the north down to Batemans Bay in the south along with a close relationship with the Illawarra Carlton League.

The Shellharbour Marlins had a successful second year in the Jim Beam Cup after making the second week of the Finals Series and will now make the step up to be part of the 12 team NSW Cup open-age competition.

Further, the Country Rugby League will approve the Shellharbour Sharks to move from the Group 7 competition to the Carlton League competition at an upcoming CRL Boundaries Committee meeting.

“I’m very excited by the move of Shellharbour into the premier competition of the NSWRL,” said Dragons CEO Peter Doust.

“When Shellharbour moved to the Jim Beam Cup in 2007 this was our overall objective, to get a side into the NSW Cup.

“The rugby league infrastructure within the Dragons region is now where we want it to be and in the best interest of the Dragons, the NSWRL and our Partners,” added Doust.

NSWRL and Dragons Director, Bob Millward, is equally excited by the move of the Shellharbour City Dragons to the NSW Cup.

“On behalf of the NSWRL we welcome the Shellharbour City Dragons to the competition,” said Millward.

“In previous years the Shellharbour Sharks were a successful side in the Group 7 competition and after two years in the Jim Beam Cup as the Marlins, they are ready to step up into the NSW RL Cup.

“With the addition of contracted Dragons players who are outside of the top 17 each week I believe they will be very competitive in 2009,” he added.

Shellharbour President Peter Blaine is pleased with the current relationship and is looking forward to the growth of his Club and the game in general.

“It’s an excellent time for rugby league in Shellharbour and this will give an opportunity for local players to play in the state’s premier competition and be able to stay in their local community,” said Blaine. “The relationship with the Dragons has been very successful and we look forward to working together to build the game of rugby league on the south coast.”
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]WWW.JUBILEEAVENUE.COM.AU[/FONT]

 

[Godz Illa]

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/...agons-stay-firm-with-south-coast/1332348.aspx

 

[Brownie.Kougari]

Where is Shellharbour in relation to Woolongong?

Good news for NSW RL, they really need a comp that includes teams from outside Sydney.

 

[Ram Man]

Its about 20-30 mins South of Wollongong from memory...never really paid much attention on the bus trips but I know its further south than Wollongong.

 

[Red Bear]

yeah 20 minutes straight along the express way.

Pretty sh*t spot, mind you everything south of Bellambi Lane sucks

 

[watatank]

(snip)

 

[Brownie.Kougari]

Ok so it's still in the Illawarra region?
I'm starting to see a chance to start up a Woolongong team and have a local derby.

For this new team to work (I know it's not new but for the sake of argument let's make them new) they need to work their arses off to get the support of their local community. Things like going to schools (I don't know how big Shellharbour is so maybe there's not all that many schools) & working at & sponsoring local charity events would go a long way. You know, things that the NRL teams should be doing.

Getting a Kids 2 Kangaroos program up and running in the town could also make the area a real powerhouse.

 

[Ram Man]

Ok so it's still in the Illawarra region?
I'm starting to see a chance to start up a Woolongong team and have a local derby.

For this new team to work (I know it's not new but for the sake of argument let's make them new) they need to work their arses off to get the support of their local community. Things like going to schools (I don't know how big Shellharbour is so maybe there's not all that many schools) & working at & sponsoring local charity events would go a long way. You know, things that the NRL teams should be doing.

Getting a Kids 2 Kangaroos program up and running in the town could also make the area a real powerhouse.

Shellharbour is tiny mate...You blink and you will miss it.

 

[Brownie.Kougari]

Just checked, population 15,000...

oh well, better than nothing I guess...

*Edit* just checked the population for my own local team:
Wynnum-Manly: 43,500
+ Redland City: 133,000
= 176,500
That's a big junior base! :shock:

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

Shellharbour is tiny mate...You blink and you will miss it.

I think half that population at any time is inside Shelly's having a slap on the pokies!

 

[Cranky Sod]

Good to see St george illawarra have a team in the NSW Cup i just hope the competion can get stronger in the years ahead otherwise the game will lose a lot of players.

 

[Cheesie-the-Pirate]

Shellharbour proper (AKA Shellharbour Village) itself is tiny - 3,000 or so.

The greater Shellharbour area (i.e. the local government area) is more substantial - 60,000 or so people south of Lake Illawarra and north of the Minnamurra River.

 

[CHRIS SANDOW]

Where is Shellharbour in relation to Woolongong?

Good news for NSW RL, they really need a comp that includes teams from outside Sydney.

I agree. Bennett wanted this arrangement anyway.

 

[Spitty]

Great news obviously having players playing in the Wollongong comp was never going to be ideal.

What a S**t house jersey though.

 

[Godz Illa]

Kiwi Horo lands plum job at City


BY TIM KEEBLE
17/10/2008 4:00:00 AM

New Zealand international Mark Horo has been named coach of the Shellharbour City Dragons for the 2009 NSW VB Cup season.

Dragons president Peter Blaine said Horo narrowly got the nod ahead of Dave Walsh, who coached the Marlins in their first two seasons in the Jim Beam Cup, including this year's impressive top-four finish.

"The club certainly thanks Dave Walsh for all his efforts in getting us off the ground," Blaine said.

"He did a marvellous job for two years and it was a very close decision. In the end Mark Horo's probably a bit more experienced and maybe has a little more pulling power in the area of player recruitment."

Horo played 16 Tests and in two World Cups for the Kiwis. He lined up for 129 first-grade games with Parramatta, Wests and the Warriors and was a Parramatta development coach.

Horo coached Erina in the JBC last year and also guided the JBC representative side to victory in this year's inaugural Australian Rugby League Quad Series.
His signing comes after Shellharbour City aligned itself with the Dragons

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/...kiwi-horo-lands-plum-job-at-city/1335805.aspx

 

[CHRIS SANDOW]

Good to see St george illawarra have a team in the NSW Cup i just hope the competion can get stronger in the years ahead otherwise the game will lose a lot of players.

I agree.

 

[joondalup_giant]

great news, good to see a JB cup side progressin through the ranks (sh*t house jersey though imo)

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

I am hoping they fix the jersey up before the kick-off to the 2009 season. Does anyone know if they will be playing out of WIN Stadium or Ron Costello Oval?

 

[Roland]

I am hoping they fix the jersey up before the kick-off to the 2009 season. Does anyone know if they will be playing out of WIN Stadium or Ron Costello Oval?

Ron Costello

 

[Godz Illa]

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/...llharbour-lures-two-new-signings/1354034.aspx

Shellharbour lures two new signings


BY TIM BARROW
7/11/2008 4:00:00 AM
Shellharbour continue to make bold steps towards their debut season in the NSW Cup after securing two key signings for next year.

The newly renamed Shellharbour City Dragons - now officially the feeder club for St George Illawarra - have recruited former Sydney Roosters squad member Troy Savage and Erina playmaker Danny Lawrence.

The pair has been lured to the club by new Shellharbour coach Mark Horo, a former New Zealand representative who coached Erina in the Jim Beam Cup last season.

Savage, 22, spent three seasons at the Roosters, before a switch to play in the Queensland Cup this year ended disastrously when the talented centre broke his leg.

"He was hoping to crack it in the NRL through the Broncos' feeder system, but then he broke his leg," Horo said yesterday.

"After that he went home to Wellington (New Zealand), but we were lucky enough to lure him to play next season.

"He's had a lot of experience for a young guy and is going to be a big asset for us."

Meantime, Lawrence will follow Horo to the Dragons from Erina after the ex-Eagles coach was given the Shellharbour job ahead of retiring St George Illawarra hooker Simon Woolford and last year's Marlins coach David Walsh.

Shellharbour are locked in serious negotiations with three other players, including two NSW Cup stars from rival clubs and a talented winger from the Jim Beam Cup.

The Marlins finished fourth in the Jim Beam Cup last year, before making the switch to the stronger NSW Cup competition as part of a deal to become the Dragons feeder club.

After assisting with the New Zealand team for tomorrow night's World Cup clash with England in Newcastle, Horo will oversee player trials for the NSW Cup team at Ron Costello Oval next week.

While the Marlins had restrictions on the availability of St George Illawarra players last season, as part of the Jim Beam's Cup points and eligibility system, all Dragons squad members not chosen in the NRL will line up for Shellharbour in the NSW Cup.

"The biggest box that has to be ticked is getting that professionalism around the club to play in this competition," Horo said.
"It's another step up into the NSW Cup and it's something that everyone at the club has to be prepared for."