The De-Merge Thread

[muzby]

St George are a more successful entity than Illawarra. Maybe just face the facts.

And what did St George win from 1982 to 1998 that makes them more successful than Illawarra?

 

[thebigredv]

And what did St George win from 1982 to 1998 that makes them more successful than Illawarra?

A handful of grand final appearances is nothing to sneeze at.

Which year did the Steelers manage that?

 

[SBD82]

LOL by all means refute it.

Face the true reality the Illawarra region were nothing more than feeder of good quality players to many other clubs.

When given the opportunity to keep its local high quality players and turn them into a highly competitive NRL team it failed miserably and there was a continued exodus of the best players of their region to other clubs.

You were considered unattractive then and we remain unattractive now as a result of that.

For all the riches of your own area and all the boasting of the likes of you, muzby and others you achieved SFA when given a golden opportunity to do so.

Would of, should of, could of is the catch cry of the Illawarra but the reality is "didn't".

Is that the end of your rant?

 

[muzby]

A handful of grand final appearances is nothing to sneeze at.

Which year did the Steelers manage that?

So your measure of “success” is NOT winning something?

 

[thebigredv]

So your measure of “success” is NOT winning something?

I'd take a grand final appearance over what we are facing currently, and build from there.

 

[Old Timer]

Is that the end of your rant?

FYI the articulation of facts is not a rant.

You tried to defend the indefensible and included a dummy spit and a rant with it.

 

[muzby]

I'd take a grand final appearance over what we are facing currently, and build from there.

But if you couldn’t build on it then, what makes you think you could build from it now?

 

[TruSaint]

The De-merge thread usually appears mid / end season.

It got an early start this time around.

So 2 decades on, we are still debating the merits of the JV.

Before anyone has a dig, I was against the JV, purely on the basis of wanting to preserve our identity. Once it happened, and I understood the rationale ( at the time ), I accepted the reality of the club being in peril.

My son turns 20 this year. He has not witnessed a stand alone St George game obviously, and is a member and fan.

I can and do replay historical games for him, but the reality is he and others like him are the future of our clubs support. To him its Morris, Soward, Widdop and lately Rava and Hunt.

Sure the Red V of old has memories never to be understated, but we move on.

 

[muzby]

The De-merge thread usually appears mid / end season.

It got an early start this time around.

So 2 decades on, we are still debating the merits of the JV.

Before anyone has a dig, I was against the JV, purely on the basis of wanting to preserve our identity. Once it happened, and I understood the rationale ( at the time ), I accepted the reality of the club being in peril.

My son turns 20 this year. He has not witnessed a stand alone St George game obviously, and is a member and fan.

I can and do replay historical games for him, but the reality is he and others like him are the future of our clubs support. To him its Morris, Soward, Widdop and lately Rava and Hunt.

Sure the Red V of old has memories never to be understated, but we move on.

Correct.. There are a large number of fans who all they know is STGI..

And when you add to that there are people who are grandparents today that have never seen a St George (or Illawarra) premiership in their lifetime means that what we achieved in 2010 was a massive thing for so many fans..

 

[SBD82]

FYI the articulation of facts is not a rant.

You tried to defend the indefensible and included a dummy spit and a rant with it.

So... the answer is no then?

In all my days I have never come across someone so enamoured with their own false sense of intellectual superiority

Making up bullshit then claiming some sort of victory is an awful trait.

I can see why you think you’re smart though. People just give up talking to you because you’re such an obstinate old fool. So you erroneously believe that you’re winning debates, when in actual fact you’re just a bit of a merkin.

 

[TruSaint]

Correct.. There are a large number of fans who all they know is STGI..

And when you add to that there are people who are grandparents today that have never seen a St George (or Illawarra) premiership in their lifetime means that what we achieved in 2010 was a massive thing for so many fans..

I was lucky enough to be at the 2010 GF, and I was there with my dad, son, wife etc. 20 of us in total.

My dad, who started supporting Saints due to my influence in the 80's, was in tears. He had been to GF's with me in 92/93 and 96 and even 99.

Originally from Greece, I never imagined he would become so passionate as football ( soccer), was his love. .

That fact it was STGI as opposed to STG didn't detract from the passion.

 

[thebigredv]

The St George Dragons of the 90s played with an awesome spirit and the supporter base was iconic. Those teams did massive things without the need for the cream of the crop.

As someone in my mid thirties I hardly feel like this era was an archaic time that can't be returned to.

But sure, let's 'move on', we are moving on into a very scary place. Currently a club with no success, a confused identity, a disunited group of owners and a very soulless place players don't wish to play for anymore. Yeah, "give Griffin time he will fix all that".

 

[Slippery Morris]

I don't care that much about the De-merger, I just want them to be credited with 16 premierships not 15. St George all around the sporting organisation is know for doing what many believe is impossible to achieve. A record that probably will never be beaten and that is win a premiership 11 years straight. I have heard this feat being mentioned in many different sports. Greatest team achievement ever.

However the NRL like to make out they don't exist anymore and there is a new team called St George Illawarra that has nothing to do with St George. This "New" team has only won 1 premiership apparently.

Meanwhile Eastern Suburbs, Sydney City Roosters and now Sydney Roosters have won 15 premierships. Canterbury Bankstown (1935 - 73 - 2 prems), Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs (1974 - 94 - 4 prems), Sydney Bulldogs (1995 - 96), Canterbury Bulldogs (1997 - 99) , Bulldogs (2000 - 2009 - 1 Prem) and now Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs are credited with 8 prems.

If the De-Merge I suppose they can then build on to the 15 premierships but why should they be robbed of the 1 in 2010. Maybe they should just change the name to St George Dragons and Illawarra will get credited with 15 premierships.

 

[TruSaint]

The St George Dragons of the 90s played with an awesome spirit and the supporter base was iconic. Those teams did massive things without the need for the cream of the crop.

As someone in my mid thirties I hardly feel like this era was an archaic time that can't be returned to.

But sure, let's 'move on', we are moving on into a very scary place. Currently a club with no success, a confused identity, a disunited group of owners and a very soulless place players don't wish to play for anymore. Yeah, "give Griffin time he will fix all that".

You seem to be suggesting that I am happy with our current state.

I am not.

Im in my late 50's and spent all my life supporting Saints in more ways than one. Dissolving the JV would sent us and our history to the scrap bin.

 

[thebigredv]

I was lucky enough to be at the 2010 GF, and I was there with my dad, son, wife etc. 20 of us in total.

My dad, who started supporting Saints due to my influence in the 80's, was in tears. He had been to GF's with me in 92/93 and 96 and even 99.

Originally from Greece, I never imagined he would become so passionate as football ( soccer), was his love. .

That fact it was STGI as opposed to STG didn't detract from the passion.

Sure, I personally found myself as fanatic as ever in 1999 and in 2010. No doubt being associated with success of any kind is an attractive thing.

After the Bennett era this club has done nothing but manage itself into a hole. Where the big red vee used to be synonymous with rugby league, it is now something that has been smeared and associated with embarrassment, with people who aren't deadset serious about attaining the very best.

Is the only answer to demerge, no, not really but the cancer that exists up in the management ranks needs to be cut free or we need a fresh start.

 

[thebigredv]

You seem to be suggesting that I am happy with our current state.

I am not.

Im in my late 50's and spent all my life supporting Saints in more ways than one. Dissolving the JV would sent us and our history to the scrap bin.

Please suggest something that is going to put a reset on this whole embarrassing mess. A new coach, an inexperienced CEO - I wish both the very best at our club - is not going to really do it.

I'm desperate. I can't see our name discredited any longer let alone the fact that St George is ignored from without and now within.

 

[This Year?]

What an entertaining thread for opposition supporters. They must be giggling and rubbing thier hands together with glee watching us implode.

Our membership is dwindling even though we have "support all over the world". I've been to games where there's 30-40k dragons supporters. In recent seasons our only high drawing game is the ANZAC game.

I thought after the ending of McGregor and with the centenary of StGeorge, we would breathe new life.

I'm worried about the future of our club now.

 

[SBD82]

What an entertaining thread for opposition supporters. They must be giggling and rubbing thier hands together with glee watching us implode.

Our membership is dwindling even though we have "support all over the world". I've been to games where there's 30-40k dragons supporters. In recent seasons our only high drawing game is the ANZAC game.

I thought after the ending of McGregor and with the centenary of StGeorge, we would breathe new life.

I'm worried about the future of our club now.

We’ll always have game day threads.

 

[Old Timer]

So... the answer is no then?

In all my days I have never come across someone so enamoured with their own false sense of intellectual superiority

Making up bullshit then claiming some sort of victory is an awful trait.

I can see why you think you’re smart though. People just give up talking to you because you’re such an obstinate old fool. So you erroneously believe that you’re winning debates, when in actual fact you’re just a bit of a merkin.

Well by all means refute the statements I made.

Instead of ranting and raving stop filabusting just make us aware of the facts you are using as the basis to say I’m incorrect.

It’s absolutely incredulous how many Illawarra / Steeler supporters want to take credit for anything decent St George achieved as a stand alone entity yet not realise Illawarra’s ultimate failure and demise.

The Illawarra region despite all its local clubs was little more than a s**t that was raped continually by all the Sydney clubs and when it finally grew some balls and stood in its own 2 legs it became a cripple in a short period of time.

Locals of the area were more parochial to the local leagues rather than getting behind the NRL entity thus your ultimate failure.

If you took the St George out of St GI you would go back to the lacklustre lot you really are.

 

[thebigredv]

What an entertaining thread for opposition supporters. They must be giggling and rubbing thier hands together with glee watching us implode.

I'm worried about the future of our club now.

Just as well the presence of online fans of other clubs is miniscule compared to ours.