https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/anyone-remember-sydney-city-saints-yes-20100928-15vu1.html
When former St George chief executive Geoff Carr walked through the milling crowd towards ANZ Stadium with his wife Penny for Saturday night's Dragons versus Wests Tigers preliminary final, he heard the voice of a fan with a long memory.
''It was a good idea to merge with the Roosters, mate,'' a man called out in reference to the 1995 talks Carr had with the Roosters about forming a joint venture. Carr, now the chief executive of the ARL, says, ''I kept walking.'' A couple of hours later, with the Dragons in the 2010 grand final against their almost merger partners, the fan's sarcastic words had even more sting.
Carr, a former grand final winger with the Dragons, was sacked by the St George board for his involvement in the negotiations with the Roosters. He concedes the decision to abandon the plan has been justified by the club's subsequent joint venture with Illawarra, a deal which led to the Dragons retaining their name, colours and emblem. But 15 years ago, the club and the code were in a different place.
The Dragons, coached by Brian Smith - who is now in charge of the Roosters - had played the Broncos, who were then coached by Wayne Bennett, who is now in charge of St George Illawarra - in two successive grand finals in 1992-93. The Broncos won both but St George's annual turnover was $3.6 million and Brisbane's was $14.6m. Early in 1995, News Ltd launched the Super League war and its plan for Sydney involved only four clubs.
''St George wasn't one of them,'' Carr says, explaining that Super League's negotiations on the club's future were headed by Cronulla chairman Peter Gow. ''St George was to merge with Cronulla and Illawarra, with each given 20 per cent equity. When I asked who had the other 40 per cent, I was told it was private investment. Who would control that 40 per cent was uncertain. It meant we were giving the club away.''
St George had invested heavily in the refurbishment of the leagues club opposite Jubilee Oval, meaning the club could not stand alone against other merged entities, the News Ltd-funded Super League clubs and the one-city teams, such as the Broncos. ''One year, we received a grant of $750,000 from the leagues club and at the end of the year, returned $250,000,'' Carr says. ''If we were going to merge, we had to find a wealthy partner. The Roosters were regarded then as one of the wealthy clubs.'' In 1995, Carr was also manager of the NSW State of Origin team coached by Roosters mentor Phil Gould. ''Gus and I got together in Origin camp and talked how difficult it might be,'' he recalls. ''A negotiating group was set up that involved me and the two Warrens [Lockwood and Saunders] from St George and basically Nick Politis from the Roosters. It almost got to heads of agreement stage.''
But rugby league leaks like faulty plumbing and the media exposed the plan.
A Save Our Saints group was formed and it held a number of rallies at the conclusion of home games. A prominent St George supporter made ''a threat on my life,'' said Carr, to the extent security escorted him to the club after matches. The Carrs live in Sydney's east. They have a faulty doorbell which jams when a strong southerly blows. ''About 2am one morning, a particularly strong wind was blowing and with the mixture of salt, the doorbell stuck in the on position and started ringing,'' he said. ''Penny said to me, Are you going to get that?''' But Carr was mindful of the supporter's menacing words. ''I answered Penny with a very defiant, no.''
While Carr was later dismissed by the St George board following pressure from fans, Smith also had his last season coaching the club. ''I tipped him off that if the merger did take place, it looked like Gus would be the coach,'' Carr says. ''Brian said, fair enough and secured a position with Bradford.''
While in England, watching developments, Smith made the comment in respect of St George that ''there is a smell of Newtown'' about the club. The comment angered the St George board which interpreted it to mean Smith believed the club was headed in the same direction as the Newtown Jets who exited the premiership after the 1983 season.
Carr, still a close friend of Smith, defends his former coach. ''It was a very difficult time for everybody. Rod 'Rocket' Reddy was appointed coach for 1996 but he elected to stay with Super League and left for the Adelaide Rams. Christmas 1995, St George didn't have a coach. There was a danger the club would be torn apart. But in 1996 the David Waite-coached St George met Manly in the grand final. The club was back.''
