Trials and tribulations of a Dragons supporter

 
Fred Magee Roar Pro

By Fred Magee, 5 Aug 2009 Fred Magee is a Roar Pro

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Jamie Soward is chased down by Sika Manu during NRL Round 19, Melbourne Storm vs St George Illawarra Dragons, at Olympic Park, Melbourne, Monday, July 21, 2008. Melbourne won 26-0. AAP Image/Action Photographics/Jeff Crow

Jamie Soward is chased down by Sika Manu during NRL Round 19, Melbourne Storm vs St George Illawarra Dragons, at Olympic Park, Melbourne, Monday, July 21, 2008. Melbourne won 26-0. AAP Image/Action Photographics/Jeff Crow

As the Dragons continue their charge towards the NRL semi-finals, it’s not only the players and coach who are taking it “one game at a time,” but the fans as well.

After the victory against the Melbourne Storm on Friday night, the drums have been beating loudly; not just in Kogarah and Wollongong, but within all rugby league circles.

Everyone believes that the Dragons are not only a firm bet to win the Minor Premiership, but also the favourites to win the Grand Final.

Fact is, St George-Illawarra is the form side in the competition and the plaudits that Wayne Bennett and his team are receiving are all justified and well-deserved.

However, if you speak to any Dragons supporter (myself included), then you will hear the same sorts of clichés that come out of the players’ mouths at this time of year. These include: “not getting ahead of ourselves”; “taking it game by game”; and, of course, the old favourite of “we’re not thinking about the semi finals just yet.”

Truth is for many of us, it is a self-defence mechanism because we have all gone down this well-trodden path before: times when we believed that this year would be our year, only to be left shattered like you were as a child at Christmas when you were hoping for a Donkey Kong Game and Watch and to rip off the wrapping to find a five pack of handkerchiefs.

It is no wonder that the expectations are so high and as the disappointments so bitter.

1979 was the last time that the Big Red V won the Premiership and the Steelers never reached a decider during their time in the competition.

For me, success is still twelve months early. I certainly didn’t expect the influence of Wayne Bennett to have such an effect in his first year. After all, he is only human.

I was prepared to give him 2009 to build the structures he needed and for the players to get used to them. However, with five rounds to go and with a healthy ‘for and against’, it seems that they have a stronghold on the Minor Premiership.

Unless disaster happens.

And that is why you won’t find too many Dragons supporters playing Queen’s “We are the Champions” on our iPods just yet. For many of us, disaster could strike at any time: like the forward pass in 1985, the Mathew Ridge non tackle in 1996; the penalty try in 1999; and the Preliminary Final of 2005.

During these last five rounds, we will be cheering on the Big Red V, but with an eye out for any impending ‘bus crashes’ that have marred seasons past.

You may call it pessimistic or even paranoid but that is the life of a Dragons supporter. We may have bought our Grand Final tickets, but have done so silently.

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