Just when we thought we had seen it all with BBQ-Gate, in-fighting and no-shows at the awards night, the St George Illawarra Dragons continue to be the gift that keeps on giving.
A recent member survey has sent Red V fans into a spin, with one of the questions suggesting options for a possible name change to the merged club.
While mergers never make both sides completely happy, there has always been a feeling among the Steelers fans that they copped the raw end of the deal on most decisions.
The only thing the two clubs had in common were their colours, and while that made it easy for jersey design, many from the Illawarra felt the joint venture was lop-sided, with many decisions favouring the original Dragons club.
This latest drama will not help make them feel any better.
The members were asked ‘which naming convention should the St George Illawarra Dragons use as their formal identity?’
There was the current title of the St George Illawarra Dragons, but then four new ones were put on the table – St George Dragons, Southern Dragons, Greater Sydney Dragons, or just simply The Dragons.
The club trains full-time in Wollongong and has recently launched plans for a Community and High Performance Centre at the University of Wollongong’s Innovation Campus just to the north of the coastal city.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Fans from the Kogarah end of the joint venture are also furious that the club would even consider removing St George from the name. The St George brand is one of the most famous in Australian sport on the back of the 11 straight premierships won by the team from 1956-66 containing future Immortals Reg Gasnier, John Raper, Graeme Langlands and Norm Provan.
Other questions raised on the survey marked if the fans believed the ‘era of the St George and Illawarra Steelers has passed and we must now look to the future as one’, if they liked the current logo, how they as fans of the club refer to it, and if they agreed of disagreed with these three statements –
– The St George and Illawarra fanbases have a lot in common
– The club’s combined histories are there to guide and inspire us
– The club must unite under a single identity to be truly successful
Angry reactions were quick to appear on social media once news spread of the possible name change, with fans from both sides upset.
There has always been an uneasy truce within the merged club, right from when the St George Dragons and the Illawarra Steelers joined forces back in 1999.
The merged club has worn the traditional St George strip for most of its existence, occasionally wearing a Steelers design but for the most part has used a “blood and bandages” throwback to the Saints as its secondary strip or a mainly red one which is not representative of the Illawarra’s former uniform.
A dozen players from the two clubs formed the first team that year and with the club receiving salary cap relief as part of the incentive to merge, the star-studded team featuring Paul McGregor, Anthony Mundine, Nathan Blacklock, Shaun Timmins, Lance Thompson and Trent Barrett made it all the way to the Grand Final before they were beaten on the bell by Melbourne.
St George Illawarra won the NRL title in 2010 with coach Wayne Bennett at the helm but even then, that achievement was questioned – was it the first premiership of the new entity or the 16th title for St George? The Steelers did not win a premiership in their time as a standalone club from 1982-98.
Steelers international Rod Wishart in 1998. (Photo by Getty Images)
The St George side of the club has been the financially stronger for most of the joint venture while Illawarra have produced the majority of players from their much-bigger junior nursery. The Steelers were bought out by the WIN corporation in recent years to make them a more financially viable partner in the combined club.
On the field the club has struggled since the premiership – St George Illawarra have won just one playoff game in the past 11 seasons.
Veteran coach Anthony Griffin is under pressure to keep his job as the club looks to avoid a fifth season in a row of missing out on the finals.
The idea to change the name while they are currently surrounded by so much recent hostility is just ridiculous.
Pols
Guest
Out of all the mergers and I’m not counting the farcical Bears Manly this one would have to be the worst. The sheer arrogance of the St George side astounds me. There is absolutely nothing of the Steelers in this side other than the juniors and for that the Illawarra side must be grateful? Looking at the other 16 sides in the comp there are a number of Illawarra juniors running around with other teams. Some recognition of the Steelers would have kept a lot of people on board. Stripes on the sleeve or the Steeler emblem on the jersey. Hell if the tigers can do it with the magpie why can’t the dragons? I’ll tell you why and it’s the arrogance of the St George side. And that’s why I now follow the Rabbitohs. RIP Illawarra Steelers 1982-1998.
Heyou
Roar Rookie
Happy New Year to you Andrew. I wrote somewhere today that the Dragons would roll some giants and ring some bells in 2023. We will need a big helping of luck, good management and some tough and determined players to keep us out of spoon contention and travelling up the precarious ladder. I’m no doom and gloomer… yet :silly:
andrew
Roar Rookie
Happy New Year Snowy. The survey was sent to my email address. I'm always dubious about surveys, especially from a 3rd party. Some of the questions were completely irrelevant in my opinion, that's why I canned it. Anyway here's hoping this year will be an improvement and Up the Saints :thumbup:
Heyou
Roar Rookie
As a member I’ve not been able to locate this survey. How many members got to see this ridiculous bit of insanity? How many filled it in? Saint George Illawarra Dragons is the name of my team. Seriously… whatever next?! We are for the wooden spoon again according to some alleged experts. Cody is crook as, Amone is in big strife, we sign yet another moneyball dude to join the ranks, our pack looks shaky, our spine may not survive injury or suspension, our management gives a few members a stoopid survey to fill in, Hook is still in the job, big bloody sigh :unhappy: so keep ya spoon and leave our flocking name alone. The supporter base needs to unite, UNITE UUUNNNIITTE! :boxing:
Heyou
Roar Rookie
Amen to that!
Boru
Roar Rookie
I've got it (no, not herpes) Saints new name...BBQ Dragons.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Seems a way to reduce the negative talk for a year or so. until then they can hope they get the honeymoon period of a new venture.
Mick Holland
Roar Rookie
Illawarra - St George Dragons is the fairest in my opinion. They could wear their Dragon's jersey at away games & when they play at Kogarah while wearing the Illawarra Steelers jersey when the play at Wollongong. A new name change doesn't necessarily mean a new logo the one they have now is sufficient enough.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
Martin only gets picked for NSW because he’s one of Freddie’s bum buddies. If you’re not from the Roosters or Panthers you don’t get a look in, just ask JAC.
Panthers
Guest
Both of those forwards had nothing much to offer in the game that mattered last season. Of course that could have been first GF syndrome, as was the case for Penrith in 2020? However Martin played for Australia too & was one of their best players. That’s why Parramatta tried to buy him. They couldn’t get him, so they bought Hopgood , from Penrith. Who is not the same as the players you named, but will be a fixture in Parramatta’s first grade side. A harder worker than anyone else there. There’s plenty of other Penrith players that Parramatta would like to buy, but they have their own salary cap squeeze. Even players like Turuva , Iongi , Jenkins would improve Parramatta’s backline massively. Parramatta also now have second rate hooker options. Like Penrith. They’d love to buy a up & coming player like Ryley Smith , but he’s not available & will be a top player. They also made an offer for To’o & didn’t get him. Who’s a better all round player than their winger Sivo , who’s from Penrith. If they could , they’d buy Taylan May etc, etc…
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
Allegedly, I’m not a fan, he can’t hold a candle compared to Lane or Papa. He would’ve been a poor man’s version of Papa. We’ll develop from within.
Panthers
Guest
Parramatta supporter? Well Penrith had 4 premiership winning teams last season. So I don’t actually believe that that’s all the players that wish to buy from Penrith. They were trying to buy Martin for starters.
Illawarra Flame
Roar Rookie
Don't underestimate the strategic nous of this organisation. Added to Matt Cooper's modest social media contribution this latest brain fart is just a smoke screen to hide the real objective: another offer to Israel Folou.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi Panthers. I’m talking about the period before the Easts had the Central Coast connection and that I believe it be best for a team to move rather then merge.
Dan
Roar Rookie
No one gives a rat’s about the mariners and reds. They got what they deserved.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
We’ll happily take Isaiah Yeo & Spencer Lenin off your hands. The rest you can keep.
Justin
Guest
Most of St.George/ Illawarra’s best juniors come from the Illawarra . The club is owned by the WIN corporation. Most of those in the the Illawarra dislike St.George & being associated with St.George. The club trains in the Illawarra etc. Why exactly wouldn’t they just wipe the St.George part of the name away?
Panthers
Guest
The Bulldogs/ Tigers combined squad , would still be dominated by former Penrith players & juniors anyway. So not a lot would change there. As for Parramatta .Penrith / Parramatta could just buy more Penrith players too.
Panthers
Guest
There’s no way that the Roosters would stand for any club taking over from them on the Central Coast . So you can forget about that idea. Wont happen.
Get_real
Roar Rookie
I do not think Mr Gordon would allow the club to remove Illawarra from their name, money talks!