St. George Illawarra Dragons
The St. George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St. George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint-venture was formed between the St. George Dragons (est. 1921) and the Illawarra Steelers (est. 1982).[1] They officially formed as the game's first joint-venture club on 23 September 1998 and remain the only cross-city team in the NRL.[2] The team has its headquarters and leagues clubs in both Wollongong and the Sydney suburb of Kogarah, and train and play games regularly at WIN Stadium in Wollongong, as well as at Jubilee Oval in Kogarah. From 2006 to 2018 the club was jointly owned by the St. George Dragons 50%, Illawarra Steelers 25% and WIN Corporation 25%. In August 2018 WIN Corporation purchased the Illawarra Steelers remaining 25% stake.
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| Club information | |||
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| Full name | St. George Illawarra Dragons Rugby League Football Club | ||
| Nickname(s) | Saints, Dragons, Red V | ||
| Colours | White Red | ||
| Founded | 23 September 1998 | ||
| Website | dragons.com.au | ||
| Current details | |||
| Ground(s) |
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| CEO | Ryan Webb | ||
| Coach | Dean Young (caretaker) (NRL) Daniel Lacey (NRLW) | ||
| Captain | Cameron McInnes (NRL) Kezie Apps (NRLW) | ||
| Competition | National Rugby League and NRL Women's Premiership | ||
| 2020 season | 11th (NRL) 2nd (NRLW) | ||
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| Uniforms | |||
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| Records | |||
| Premierships | 1 (2010) | ||
| Runners-up | 1 (1999, 2019 NRLW) | ||
| Minor premiership | 2 (2009, 2010) | ||
| World Club Challenge | 1 (2011) | ||
| NRL Nines | 1 (2020 NRLW) | ||
| Most capped | 273 - Ben Hornby | ||
| Highest points scorer | 984 - Jamie Soward | ||
The Dragons reached the grand final in their first season in 1999, losing to the Melbourne Storm. St. George Illawarra are one of only two clubs (the other being the Sydney Roosters in 1908) to finish runners-up in their inaugural season. The St. George Illawarra Dragons also field teams in local competitions within the St. George and Illawarra regions. In 2010, the Dragons won their second successive minor premiership and became the first team to be awarded the J. J. Giltinan Shield in consecutive years since the National Rugby League was formed in 1998.
The Dragons won the 2010 NRL Grand Final against the Sydney Roosters, defeating them 32–8 at ANZ Stadium, Sydney. They then won the 2011 World Club Challenge, defeating the Wigan Warriors 21–15 at DW Stadium in the UK. With its World Club Challenge victory, the club became the first Australian team since the Brisbane Broncos in 1992-3 to win the minor premiership, premiership and World Club Challenge simultaneously.
History
In the wake of the Super League war of the mid-1990s, and the resulting split competition of 1997, the Illawarra Steelers found themselves struggling financially and seemed unlikely to survive past 1999. The St. George Dragons largely financed a proposal for a joint venture which would see the St George Illawarra Dragons playing in both Kogarah and Wollongong. Essentially, St George would provide the money while Illawarra would provide a broader junior and fan base. With the NRL's intention to rationalise the competition from 20 teams down to 14 teams and with a $4M incentive and a relaxing of salary cap requirements for a joint venture, the Dragons and the Steelers ensured their survival by forming the League's first joint venture on 23 September 1998.[3]
David Waite and Andrew Farrar (1999–2002)
A joint venture entity being a new concept in Australian rugby league, the public watched closely in anticipation of success or failure. No-one was certain how the top players sourced from the two clubs would perform when they ran out onto the field. They were unsuccessful in their first outing, losing to the Parramatta Eels 20–10, but by the 4th round they had started to form some cohesion and would go on to achieve a top eight position on the competition ladder by the end of the regular season. In the semi-finals the Dragons won against the Melbourne Storm at Olympic Park, before returning to Sydney to dispose of the Sydney Roosters and the Cronulla Sharks to reach the Grand Final.
In the 1999 Grand Final the Dragons were leading by 14–0 at the break in front of a world record crowd of 107,999. A fairytale of a title in their first year as a joint venture seemed destined to come true; something of an advertisement to any other clubs considering the option of a joint venture, but the Storm recovered from their poor start and went into the final minutes of the game with the Dragons leading by 18–12. The Dragons were forced to perform a drop kick from their own goal line, and on the fifth tackle Brett Kimmorley kicked high towards the Dragon's corner of the field. As the Storm's winger Craig Smith caught the ball over the goal-line he was knocked unconscious in a tackle by Jamie Ainscough and lost the ball. Referee Bill Harrigan deferred to the video referee who ruled a penalty try on the grounds that contact had been made with the head, giving Melbourne a 20–18 lead and the premiership title.
In the 2000 season though they had a rough start, and in Round 5, the Dragons recorded their worst defeat for the club, losing 70–10 against the Melbourne Storm. This was the first game these two teams played against each other since the 1999 grand final, and was played at the MCG. On 3 May to the surprise and shock of fans and club officials, Anthony Mundine announced his retirement from the club and rugby league in general with immediate effect to pursue a career in boxing. The Dragons were not going well in the first half of the 2000 season, and the main coach David Waite was replaced with assistant coach, Andrew Farrar. Soon after the replacement of coaches, the Dragons recorded their best ever win. They defeated the New Zealand Warriors 54–0 in round 14 at WIN Stadium, with debutant Amos Roberts scoring a record 22 points (one try and nine goals) for any first grade player on debut. The Dragons, however, missed out of the finals series, and came 9th. Despite their poor season, Trent Barrett was awarded with the Dally M Medal.
Nathan Brown (2003–2008)
In 2003, Nathan Brown, the joint venture's first number 9 achieved the position of coach, becoming the youngest non-playing coach in premiership history at the age of 29. The Dragons finished the season 10th. Nathan Brown was also involved in a sideline incident when he had slapped Trent Barrett in Wollongong during a game against Manly, and was issued a $5000 fine.
2004 saw the final season of the try scoring talent Nathan Blacklock. An extraordinary scoreline was seen in the round 25 clash with Manly. Trailing 34–10 after 53 minutes the Dragons came back to win the match 36–34. This was the second biggest comeback in Australian Rugby League history. Finishing 5th, the Dragons were eliminated in the first round of the finals after losing in a thrilling game 30–31 to 4th placed Penrith.
In 2005, after their worst start to a season yet (losing 5 of their first 6 games), the St. George Illawarra side finished second in a close season on the ladder at completion of the 2005 season, just behind minor premiers the Parramatta Eels on points difference. After progressing to the finals they defeated local rivals the Cronulla Sharks 28–22 in the quarter final of the finals series though the Dragons eventually fell 12–20 to eventual champions the Wests Tigers in the Preliminary Final. The Dragons broke the ground record at WIN Stadium twice in the 2005 season. First against rivals the Sydney Roosters and then at their home quarter final game against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
In early 2006, WIN Television Network bought a 25% stake in the Illawarra Steelers Club for $6.5 million, erasing most of the debt Illawarra had to St. George. This formalised the strong support the network has shown for the Steelers in years gone by and ensured that Wollongong continued to host world class rugby league matches.
After a bad start to the 2006 season, the Dragons put on a midseason 7-game winning streak. This was followed by a form slump, with a record five consecutive losses, only to return to form with a victory over the Tigers, and continue this positive form leading into the finals. The Dragons ended the regular season in sixth position.
In the finals campaign, St George Illawarra faced the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium in the first round, the Dragons won the game 20–4. In the second round, they met the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles at the Sydney Football Stadium winning 28–0. In the grand final qualifier, they played the Melbourne Storm, where the Dragons went down 24–10 bowing out of season 2006. The Dragons can take solace from the fact that they did defeat the eventual premiers, Brisbane, three times during the 2006 season – 26–12 at Wollongong in Round 4, 18–16 at Suncorp Stadium in Round 15 and the aforementioned qualifying final match.
Season 2007 saw an early injury to Mark Gasnier in the Charity Shield match against South Sydney Rabbitohs creating another poor start for the Dragons. Combined with the loss of key players such as Luke Bailey, Trent Barrett and Shaun Timmins in the off-season, the Dragons faced NRL newcomers, the Gold Coast Titans, in Round 1. The Dragons won the historic match 20–18, however lost 6 more matches after that leaving the Dragons sitting in 15th place on the NRL Ladder. This was a very inexperienced Dragons team that seemed destined for a poor injury plagued season. However, in Round 17 (vs Canberra Raiders at WIN Stadium), the Dragons scored four times more points than their previous game average, winning the match 58–16, equalling their highest ever score and their largest victory in three years. The Dragons season ended with a 28–24 loss to the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles at Brookvale Oval, finishing in 13th place, their lowest finish to date.
2008 saw the end of an era, with coach Nathan Brown's contract not renewed after yet another poor start to the season, winning 1 of their first 6 matches. The club received a boost in May when former dual-code international player Wendell Sailor joined the team. Several notable players departed at the end of the year including Jason Ryles[4] and captain Mark Gasnier. The Dragons finished the season in 7th place, however they lost in the first round of the finals to eventual premiers Manly (whom they defeated 20–18 in round 11) 34–6 at Brookvale Oval ending yet another disappointing season. The era under Brown was one of frustration for Dragons fans, as there were high expectations for the strong side, but ultimately no premierships.
Wayne Bennett (2009–2011)
2009, a new season a new coach and ground sponsor WIN at Jubilee Oval. Several new faces joined the club, including Jeremy Smith, Darius Boyd, Neville Costigan, Michael Weyman and Luke Priddis. The season opener against the Storm ended in a thrilling golden point extra time loss (17–16). Round 3 set a new crowd record with the victorious return to WIN Jubilee against Cronulla.
They were consistently placed first on the competition ladder in 2009, contributed by a continuous winning streak of seven games since their win against the North Queensland Cowboys on 14 June. They lost first position after a three-game losing streak while the Canterbury Bulldogs won all games in that period, but remain in the top three. However, in the final round of the 2009 regular season, St. George Illawarra defeated in-form Parramatta Eels 37–0, a game in which winger Brett Morris obtained a hat-trick and man of the match honours, while the Bulldogs lost 34–12 to the Wests Tigers. In the same game, St. George Illawarra five-eighth Jamie Soward surpassed Harry Bath's record for most points in a season by a St. George player. As a result, the Dragons won the minor premiership for the 2009 and Wayne Bennett's first season at the club, but the team was eliminated from the finals after losing both their finals matches, therefore becoming the first minor premiers since 1993. In the first match they were humbled in front of a packed Jubilee Stadium, before travelling to face Bennett's former team. The Broncos defeated the Dragons. Season 2010 saw the club lose seven matches – the same tally as in the 2009 home-and-away season, against eventual wooden spooners the Melbourne Storm, 2008 premiers the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, their perennial bogey team the Canberra Raiders, 2003 premiers the Penrith Panthers in round 17, the Gold Coast Titans in extra time in round 20, Bennett's old team the Brisbane Broncos in round 21 and a second time to the Canberra Raiders in round 24. The team has been placed first since round five.
The team won its second minor premiership in succession (the first NRL team to do so since the inception of the NRL in 1998) with victory against the Newcastle Knights in the penultimate round of the 2010 NRL season. The Dragons had led the competition from round five right through to the final round, spending 21 consecutive weeks on top of the ladder and therefore spending the longest period of time on top of the ladder in NRL history (not including the Melbourne Storm).
St George Illawarra met Manly in the first week of the 2010 finals and produced a 28–0 victory. The Dragons then defeated Wests Tigers 13–12 with Jamie Soward kicking the winning field goal for a place in the 2010 NRL Grand Final.
In the 2010 NRL Grand Final, St. George Illawarra defeated the Sydney Roosters 32–8, to secure the club's first grand final victory. The Dragons overcame a poor first half performance to pull a thrilling victory out of the hat. This victory made Wayne Bennett's grand final record at 7 wins from 8 and thus continuing Brian Smith's poor grand final record of 4 losses from 4. Darius Boyd won a premiership with Bennett and the Brisbane Broncos in 2006, won the Clive Churchill Medal for best on ground in the match. The Grand Final victory also ended 31 years of hurt for St. George fans as the club had lost previous finals in 1985, 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1999.[5]
St George Illawarra began their 2011 Season with pre-season wins in trials over Canterbury and South Sydney in the Charity Shield. The club also claimed its first World Club Challenge Championship, defeating Wigan Warriors 21–15 at DW Stadium. As of Round 14 2011, the Dragons have won 10 straight (excluding a 14–14 draw against Parramatta in Round 13).
It was announced in March 2011 that Bennett would leave St. George Illawarra after the 2011 season, signing a four-year deal with the Newcastle Knights from the 2012 season onwards. Steve Price was named as his successor.
Steve Price and Paul McGregor (2012 – 2020)
2012 saw the club with a new coach. The Dragons narrowly missed out on a Finals spot, finishing up in 9th position. Several notable players departed from the club at the end of the season, including Ben Hornby and Dean Young, who both retired from the sport. The start of the 2013 season saw the arrival of few key acquisitions, namely Gerard Beale from the Broncos and Tyson Frizell from the Cronulla Sharks. The season was plagued by inconsistent form, alongside injuries and speculation regarding Price's future at the club. After winning three straight matches on the lead up to the annual Anzac Day clash with the Roosters, it was announced that Price would be signed for another year with an option for a second at the clubs disposal. Despite the clubs faith in Price as well as the arrival of star fullback Josh Dugan from Canberra – in a mid-season transfer, the club was unable to string together consistent performances and finished the year at 14th position.
Star five-eighth Gareth Widdop joined the club for 2014, but by late May 2014, just after the star signing of Benji Marshall, the board sacked Price as coach due to some embarrassing defeats to start the season. Assistant coach Paul McGregor was named as his replacement until the end of the season, and was eventually employed full-time following improved results. This culminated in the club returning to the finals in 2015 and enjoying a successful year.
In the 2017 NRL Season, St George Illawarra lead the competition after the first eight rounds before a dramatic slide which saw the club record only six wins for the rest of the season. In the final match of the regular season, St George Illawarra played against Canterbury with a win guaranteeing them a finals spot and jumping ahead of North Queensland. With under ten minutes to play, St George Illawarra were ahead on the scoreboard before two quick tries gave Canterbury a 26–20 victory.[6][7][8]
The 2018 season saw the arrival of two star signings, English international James Graham[9] and the Australian and Queensland halfback Ben Hunt.[10] These signings and a successful season culminated in the club returning to the finals in 2018 and enjoyed a successful year. On 9 September 2018, St. George Illawarra Dragons won their first qualifying final in 8 years, defeating the Brisbane Broncos 48–18 at Suncorp Staudium.[11] The following week, St George Illawarra played against South Sydney in week 2 of the finals series and were defeated 13–12 in a tight game. The match was also the first time since 1984 that the two clubs had played each other in the finals.[12]
In August 2018 WIN Corporation purchased the Illawarra Steelers remaining 25% stake in the club for a "commercially in confidence" sum. The St. George Dragons and WIN Corporation now have a 50% stake each. WIN Corporation has paid off the $6 million debt the St. George Illawarra Dragons owed the NRL. The club's home venues will continue to be WIN Stadium and Jubilee Stadium.[13]
Before the start of the 2019 NRL season, St George Illawarra were expected by many to reach the finals and continue their good form from the previous year. A few weeks out from the club's first match, Jack de Belin was stood down indefinitely by the NRL in relation to an incident which happened in December 2018. On 18 April 2019, McGregor was granted a 2-year contract extension by St George Illawarra, keeping him at the club as the head coach until the end of the 2021 season after the side had won 4 of their first 6 games.[14][15][16]
St George Illawarra would then go to only win 3 of their next 17 matches which left them second last on the table above the last placed Gold Coast. On 2 September 2019, it was revealed that McGregor's position at head coach would be coming under review following the conclusion of the season. St. George Illawarra finished 15th on the ladder and did not qualify for the finals after having a horror season.[17]
On 13 August 2020, McGregor was terminated as head coach of St. George Illawarra after a poor start to the season left the club with four wins in thirteen games.[18]
Season summaries
| Competition | Games Played (FINALS) | Games Won (FINALS) | Games Drawn (FINALS) | Games Lost (FINALS) | Ladder Position | P | R | M | F | W | NRL Nines | Coach | Captain | Notes | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 NRL Season | 24(4) | 15(3) | 0 | 9(1) | 6/17 | X | X | — | David Waite Andrew Farrar | Paul McGregor | Runners Up | 1999 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | |||
| 2000 NRL Season | 26 | 12 | 0 | 14 | 9/14 | — | Craig Smith | Barrett receives Dally M medal | 2000 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | ||||||
| 2001 NRL Season | 26(2) | 12(1) | 2 | 12(1) | 7/14 | X | — | Andrew Farrar | Ainscough and Barrett represent NSW | 2001 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | |||||
| 2002 NRL Season | 24(2) | 9(1) | 3 | 12(1) | 7/15 | X | — | Trent Barrett | Barrett new captain | 2002 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | |||||
| 2003 NRL Season | 24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 10/15 | — | Nathan Brown | Nathan Brown becomes coach | 2003 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | ||||||
| 2004 NRL Season | 24(1) | 14 | 0 | 10(1) | 5/15 | X | — | Dragons have a 24-point comeback | 2004 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | ||||||
| 2005 NRL Season | 24(2) | 16(1) | 0 | 8(1) | 2/15 | X | — | Gasnier Centre of the year | 2005 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | ||||||
| 2006 NRL Season | 24(3) | 14(2) | 0 | 10(1) | 6/15 | X | — | Gasnier Centre of the year | 2006 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | ||||||
| 2007 NRL Season | 24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 13/16 | — | Various | Sign Jamie Soward | 2007 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | ||||||
| 2008 NRL Season | 24(1) | 13 | 0 | 11(1) | 7/16 | X | — | Mark Gasnier | Nathan Brown not renewed as coach for 2009 | 2008 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | |||||
| 2009 NRL Season | 24 (2) | 17 | 0 | 7 (2) | 1/16 | X | X | — | Wayne Bennett | Ben Hornby[19] | Minor Premiers | 2009 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | |||
| 2010 NRL Season | 24(3) | 17(3) | 0 | 7 | 1/16 | X | X | X | — | Minor Premiers, Premiers | 2010 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | ||||
| 2011 NRL season | 24(2) | 14 | 1 | 9(2) | 5/16 | X | — | World Club Challenge Champions | 2011 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | ||||||
| 2012 NRL season | 24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 9/16 | — | Steve Price | 2012 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | |||||||
| 2013 NRL season | 24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 14/16 | — | Ben Creagh | Sign Josh Dugan | 2013 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | ||||||
| 2014 NRL season | 24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 11/16 | Pool Stage | Price --> McGregor | Sign Gareth Widdop, Benji Marshall | 2014 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | ||||||
| 2015 NRL season | 24(1) | 12 | 0 | 12(1) | 8/16 | X | Pool Stage | Paul McGregor | Made Top 8/ Finals for the first time since 2011 | 2015 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | |||||
| 2016 NRL season | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 11/16 | Pool Stage | Gareth Widdop | Sign Tim Lafai, Tariq Sims | 2016 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | ||||||
| 2017 NRL season | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 9/16 | Pool Stage | Sign Paul Vaughan, Nene MacDonald, Cameron McInnes | 2017 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | |||||||
| 2018 NRL season | 24(2) | 15(1) | 0 | 9(1) | 7/16 | X | — | Sign Ben Hunt, James Graham | 2018 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | ||||||
| 2019 NRL season | 24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 15/16 | — | Sign Corey Norman, Korbin Sims | 2019 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | |||||||
| 2020 NRL season | Season in progress | Runners Up | McGregor --> Young | Cameron McInnes | Sign Trent Merrin. McGregor resigns as coach | 2020 St. George Illawarra Dragons season | |||||||||
Colours and jerseys
Name and Emblem
The team colours of the St. George Illawarra Dragons are red and white, colours shared by both the St. George Dragons and Illawarra Steelers. The merged entity's logo was taken directly from that of St George, with the addition of "Illawarra" to the bottom of the emblem. The emblem reflected the rich history of the St George Dragons, including an incredible 11 consecutive premierships, and the future strength of the club with the Illawarra.
The club name Dragons, is a shortened version of "Dragonslayers", the original nickname of St George. The emblem features a red shield with a silhouette of St. George, overlaid with a white stylised Dragon, with the words "ST. GEORGE" and "ILLAWARRA" above and below the shield respectively. It was originally intended for St George to face right and the Dragon to face left.
Jerseys
When the St George Illawarra Dragons were formed in 1998, it was decided that the jersey of St George (first used in 1945), the famous "Red V" on white, would become the main jersey for the new club. The red used was changed to the scarlet tone used by the Steelers.
The alternate jersey initially used by the club was red and white horizontal stripes, similar to the 1921 St George Jersey known as the "blood and bandages". Since 2006, this Jersey has been reserved for use as the St George Illawarra Heritage Jersey for special occasions. This Jersey is worn during Heritage Round, when the Dragons confront fierce local rivals the Bulldogs RLFC.
In 2004 and 2005, the club used a jersey similar to the Steelers main jersey for Heritage matches, acknowledging the rugby league history of the Illawarra region, though not as a full-time alternate strip. This jersey was predominantly red with white stripes on the sleeves. With Adidas producing the club's official merchandise from 2006, a generic Adidas design – predominantly red with three white stripes down the sleeves – was adopted as the full-time alternate strip; before another re-design in 2008, which better reflected the old Steelers jersey.
Reebok produced supporter and team kits from the 2010 season. Again the Red V was the Main jersey and the Alternate jersey was a red design with white slash marks. XBlades became the main jersey supplier for the 2018 season and onwards.
- St George Illawarra – Jerseys
Main Jersey (1999–)
Home grounds
The Dragons have two home grounds, reflecting the joint nature of the club:
- WIN Stadium (1999–present)
- Jubilee Oval (1999, 2003–07, 2009–present)
Half of the Dragons home matches are played at WIN Stadium (previously the home ground of the Illawarra Steelers) and the half at Jubilee Oval (previously the home of the St George Dragons).
The club has previously played Sydney home games out of the Sydney Football Stadium (2000–2002) and Stadium Australia (2008), as well as the Sydney Cricket Ground on special occasions.
The club has taken their home ground advantage away from their usual home grounds to the Sydney Football Stadium for the Club ANZAC Game against the Sydney Roosters in the 2004, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018 seasons. In 2002 when the match was first held, the Sydney Football Stadium was, at the time, one of the Dragons' main home grounds, whilst in 2008 the match was played at ANZ Stadium, a very unpopular move amongst supporters.
Right Game Right Venue Strategy
In 2013, the club entered into a four-year agreement with the NRL to move 4 of their 12 home games to one of the major Sydney stadiums (Allianz Stadium, Sydney Cricket Ground, ANZ Stadium).
The strategic intent was to replicate the success of the annual game played against Sydney Roosters on ANZAC day. As part of this initiative, the club and the NRL sought to introduce an annual Heritage Round game against South Sydney at the SCG.
In 2017, the club announced that the NRL had only provided three appropriate games to support this initiative for the 2017 season.
It was announced that from the 2018 NRL season that all games (except for the ANZAC clash Vs the Sydney Roosters and one other round) would be shared equally between Kogarah and Wollongong.
Stadium records
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Highest Attendances at WIN Jubilee Oval
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Highest attendances at WIN Stadium
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Current squad
| Top 30 Squad - 2020 Season | Development Players | Coaching Staff | |||||||
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Head coach
Assistant coaches
Updated: 14 August 2020 | |||||||
Coaches
- David Waite 1999–2000
- Andrew Farrar 1999–2002
- Nathan Brown 2003–2008
- Wayne Bennett 2009–2011
- Steve Price 2012–2014
- Paul McGregor 2014–2020
- Dean Young (caretaker) 2020–
Leagues clubs
As well as having two administrative offices, St. George Illawarra are supported by two separate Leagues clubs – one in each of the St. George and Illawarra areas.
St. George Dragons Leagues Club
The St. George Leagues Club is located on the Princes Highway at Beverley Park close to the northern home ground of Jubilee Oval at Carlton. Established in 1963, St. George was one of the first Super Leagues clubs developed in the 60s and was commonly referred to as the Taj Mahal because of the use of white marble in the original building.[20] Very little of the original building is still there today after extensive refurbishing and redesigning the entire club to make it one of the most superbly fitting clubs in Australia.
Illawarra Steelers Leagues Club
Situated in the middle of the City Beach precinct, the Steelers Club is located adjacent to WIN Entertainment Centre and WIN Stadium. It is directly across the road from the grounds Western Grandstand. Established in 1990, the club has struggled financially against much larger and more popular leagues clubs in Wollongong, such as Collegians, Dapto Leagues Club, Wests Illawarra Leagues Club, and Shellharbour Workers Club in Shellharbour. However, after a major restructure of its operations, the Steelers Club has trading profitably over the last 12 months. Twenty percent of the club premises were sold to Bermuda-based Billionaire and owner of WIN Corp, Bruce Gordon. The sale fetched $2.6 million.[21]
Supporters
Many supporters of the Dragons mainly come from the club's local areas, the suburbs of the St. George district in Sydney (the Hurstville, Bayside, and Kogarah Council regions), and the Illawarra on the south-coast of NSW. The St. George Illawarra Dragons also have a huge following in south-east Queensland, as a significant number of the club's 'Red V' memberships are from people in this area. The Dragons also have a large number of supporters from all over NSW, with the club receiving record crowds at away games at ANZ Stadium (Stadium Australia) at Sydney Olympic Park. Some notable supporters of the team include Sally Fitzgibbons, John Stanley, Alexander Volkanovski, Dave Gleeson, Morris Iemma, Graham Richardson, Barrie Unsworth, Ian McNamara, Stephanie Magiros, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Bryan Brown, Bob Simpson, Mark Taylor, Kerry O'Keeffe, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Jurman, Billy Dib, Jihad Dib, Melissa Perrine, Tony Squires, Lara Pitt, Ken Rosewall, Geoff Harvey, Mike Dalton, Drew Morphett, Matt Moran, Stephen Jones, Graham Perrett, John Hewson, John Howard,[22] Mark Latham[23] Robert McClelland[23] and Brett Lee.[24]
Rivalries
Due to St George enjoying great success over the years, the St George Illawarra Dragons have inherited several fierce rivalries, while also creating a few new ones since forming the joint venture.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
St George Illawarra has a fierce rivalry with neighbor the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. The Bulldogs were founded in 1935, 14 years after St George. St. George inflicted a RL record 91–6 defeat of Canterbury in 1935 but Canterbury enjoyed premiership success first, however St. George recorded 11 straight premierships in the years following (1955–1966). It was also the Bulldogs who put an end to their Premiership run in 1967, when the Bulldogs beat them by 1 point in the preliminary final to face the Rabbitohs in the Grand Final. Since then, both clubs have inflicted Premiership defeats on the other, St George defeating the Bulldogs in 1979, Canterbury returning the favour in 1985.[25] The two sides are rivals in the NRL Heritage Round. The Bulldogs and the Dragons also unofficially have a territorial rivalry, with fans from both teams coming in large amounts around Arncliffe, Earlwood, Kingsgrove, Marrickville, and Panania.
Parramatta Eels
The St. George Illawarra Dragons and Parramatta Eels rivalry stretched back to 1977 when the St. George Dragons and Parramatta played out the first ever drawn Grand Final result. Parramatta, seeking their first minor premiership after they finished the season on the top of the ladder at the end of the regular season, were beaten 22-0 in the Grand Final Rematch by St. George, who won their first Grand Final since 1966.
There were many controversial matches between the St. George Illawarra Dragons and the Parramatta Eels. Firstly, in Round 18 2005, the Parramatta Eels won 40-14 in a match which saw Trent Barrett and PJ Marsh trade blows after Marsh’s crude charge-down attempt at Barrett, sparking an all-in brawl whitest, the Eels' Wade McKinnon sprinted to score a match-turning 80 metre try.
A less memorable match saw no points scored between the two teams in Round 13 2006 in the first 70 minutes of play before the Eels slotted a field goal with nine minutes remaining, before the Dragons struck back with two one-pointers to take a 2-1 lead. The Dragons then scored a try through Matt Cooper with mere seconds remaining on the clock to claim an 8-1 victory.
In the 2009 NRL Finals Series, The St. George Illawarra Dragons finished as the Minor Premiership and faced the Parramatta Eels who finished 8th on the ladder, A week earlier at the same venue, St. George Illawarra had defeated Parramatta 37-0 but in the finals game, Parramatta won 25-12 with Parramatta player Jarryd Hayne scoring a brilliant solo try. As of the 2019 NRL season, this has been the last time where St. George Illawarra and Parramatta have met in a finals series.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
St George Illawarra's fiercest rivalries is with their Southern neighbor, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. The Sharks originally were part of the St George juniors area, and the Sharks are often referred to as St George's "little brother".[26] The Dragons have had the same amount of success as the Sharks, who have also won one premiership. In fact, since the Dragons entered the competition in 1999, both the Dragons and Sharks have finished higher than the other six times apiece. The rivalry increased in 2005 when they met in a final at a sold out WIN Stadium; the Dragons winning 28–22. Cronulla finished the 1999 season as minor premiers, but the Dragons beat them 26–8 in the preliminary final to progress to the 1999 NRL Grand Final at the Sharks' expense. The Dragons trailed 0–8 at halftime.
Both clubs have been accused of poaching players from the other, and compete for fans in the same region. In 1999, the Cronulla CEO infamously cut up a St George Jersey after a match at Toyota Stadium. During the Super League war, Cronulla-Sutherland was one of only 3 Sydney teams to join the rival competition, entrenching further spite from Dragons fans (Both the St George Dragons and the Illawarra Steelers were loyal to the ARL during the Super League War).
In 2009, former Dragons captain Trent Barrett switched to the Sharks after two years in the Super League. In his return match to Kogarah in round 3, 2009, Barrett was injured and with him went any hopes Cronulla had of winning the premiership (in the preceding year, the Sharks had finished equal-first) that year. Other players to have switched clubs include Lance Thompson and Jeremy Smith (Dragons to Sharks), Beau Scott, Sam Isemonger and Matt Bickerstaff (Sharks to Dragons) and Colin Best (Sharks to Dragons and then back again, as of 2011). In another match in 2009, Sharks captain Paul Gallen was found guilty of a racial slur involving then Dragons forward Mickey Paea.
South Sydney Rabbitohs
St George won 15 premierships before merging with Illawarra. In 2010 they won their first NRL premiership as a merged entity. The South Sydney Rabbitohs have won the most premierships with 21, the Sydney Roosters next on 14 premierships. The Rabbitohs and Dragons met several times in grand finals prior to the merger and being the north-eastern neighbours of St George, had many fierce encounters. The most significant match of this rivalry is the Charity Shield, a pre-season fixture between the two sides that was abandoned after the 1999 match but was revived after Souths were re-admitted to the NRL in 2002.[27]
Sydney Roosters
St George has another strong rivalry with the Sydney Roosters. St George's first premiership was a 31–14 victory over Easts in the 1941 NSWRFL season Grand Final. During 1995, the Roosters had secret discussions to merge with the Dragons, with the Dragons jersey and emblem to disappear. Fans were outraged, and the attempt aborted. St George Illawarra annually contests the Club ANZAC Game against the Roosters, a tradition dating back to the 1970s, but has been contested regularly since 2002.[28] The Dragons achieved their first NRL premiership by defeating the Roosters 32–8 in the hotly contested 2010 NRL Grand Final.
Brisbane Broncos
Prior to the joint-venture, both St George and Illawarra had created strong rivalries with Brisbane in the early 1990s. St George and Brisbane Broncos contested the 1992 and 1993 Grand Finals, creating a fierce rivalry (see New South Wales Rugby League season 1993). Also, Illawarra had produced some memorable performances against Brisbane, including the infamous 1989 Panasonic Cup Final (which Brisbane won) and the 1992 Tooheys Challenge Cup Final (won by Illawarra).
The St George Illawarra Dragons had the longest winning streak against the Brisbane Broncos than any other club (eight, from round 23, 2005 to round 4, 2009 inclusive, including one final in 2006), across five years. With former Brisbane Broncos coach Wayne Bennett at the helm of St George Illawarra, and Wendell Sailor, a popular face in the NRL and a former Bronco, the rivalry only increased. In 2009, the Dragons defeated the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium early, and were then beaten in Wollongong by the Broncos later on in the season. One game a piece, the two sides met up in Brisbane in the finals, where they lost to the Broncos 24–10, thus ending the Dragons season and also that of Wendell Sailor's career. Ironically, his first and last games for the Dragons were both against the Broncos.
Some memorable matches between the Dragons and the Broncos have included:
- Round 11, 2002: Brisbane were at the top of the ladder undefeated at the time until they ran into the Dragons at Aussie Stadium on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The Dragons won 28–20 to inflict Brisbane's first defeat of the season, but in round 17 the Broncos got them back with a 34–22 victory at ANZ Stadium.
- Round 26, 2003: The Dragons were out of finals contention and the Broncos the previous week had lost a then club-record breaking sixth straight loss when the two teams came together at Suncorp Stadium in the final round of the 2003 season. The second-string Dragons side, without more than half of its first grade side stunned the Broncos 26–25 with hooker Mark Riddell kicking an improbable penalty goal with just over 90 seconds remaining. This condemned the Broncos to their seventh loss in succession and gave Dragons fans some hope for the 2004 season.
- Round 12, 2004: Not even an early try from Mark Gasnier (who was dropped from the New South Wales State of Origin team for disciplinary issues) could inspire the Dragons as they lost by just two points, 24–22.
- Round 23, 2005: In a potential Grand Final preview, scores were locked at 0–0 for the majority of the first half before the Dragons broke away in the second half to record a 24–4 win and instigate Brisbane's then-traditional late-season poor form.
- Round 15, 2006: With the Dragons trailing 16–12 with two minutes remaining, Dragons winger Brett Morris scored his first-ever first grade try in the corner in the dying minutes after catching a Mathew Head bomb. The try was allowed, leaving Dragons hooker Aaron Gorrell (in a twist of irony, he later went on to play for the Broncos) with the sideline conversion to win the game. Gorrell nailed it and the Dragons won the match 18–16.
- 2nd Qualifying Final, 2006: The Dragons upset the Broncos 20–4, the third time the Dragons defeated Brisbane in that year. The Broncos ultimately went on to win the premiership.
- Round 13, 2008: Wendell Sailor played his first game for the Dragons against the Broncos, but was rested just before halftime following a jaw injury suffered in the first half. The Dragons won 34–16.
- Round 23, 2008: Sailor marked his return to Suncorp Stadium with his first try since coming back to rugby league in a win to the Dragons, 24–20.
- Round 4, 2009: Wayne Bennett, Darius Boyd and a host of others opposed the Broncos for the first time in their lives. Despite conceding an early try to Israel Folau, the Dragons won 25–12 with Wendell Sailor appropriately scoring the match winning try.
- 2nd Semi-Final, 2009: The Broncos ended the Dragons season with a 24–10 win, and the Dragons became the first minor premiers in 16 years to be eliminated in just the 2nd round of the Finals.
- 2nd Semi-Final, 2011: The Broncos beat the Dragons 13–12 field goal kicked by Darren Lockyer in overtime, Darren won the game with a fractured cheekbone that he received late in the game, this also turned out to be Darren Lockyer's last game for the Broncos and Wayne Bennett (coaching) and Mark Gasnier's last for the Dragons.
- Round 1, 2018: In the season opener, Ben Hunt played his first game for the Dragons after leaving the Broncos the year before, the Dragons beat the Broncos 34–12 with Hunt scoring an intercept try off a poor pass from Broncos recruit Matt Lodge.
- 2nd Elimination Final, 2018: In their first finals meeting in seven years, the Broncos were widely tipped to beat the Dragons, after a arm wrestle for most of the 1st half, the Dragons inspired by a Tariq Sims hat trick went on to hand the Broncos their worst finals loss at Suncorp winning 48–18 and eliminating the Broncos in the process. It was also Ben Hunt's first game in Brisbane since leaving the Broncos for St George Illawarra.
- Round 3, 2019: In their only meeting for 2019, both sides struggled to get the upper hand until former Bronco Corey Norman slotted a field goal right on full time to give the Dragons a 25–24 win after Jamayne Isaako missed a field goal attempt only moments earlier.
Players who played for the Dragons who have won premierships with Brisbane include Darius Boyd and Luke Priddis, who also won a premiership with Penrith in 2003. Others of note include Nick Emmett who was brought to the club by Wayne Bennett, and Neville Costigan, who was sacked just before the Broncos' 2006 success.
Melbourne Storm
These two teams played in the Grand Final in 1999. It is remembered for the penalty try conceded by Dragons winger Jamie Ainscough that cost the Dragons the premiership. It was the Dragons' first NRL Grand Final appearance as a merger and the Storm's first Grand Final appearance in just its second year in existence. The Dragons had led 14–0 at halftime only for Melbourne to come back and claim a controversial 20–18 win following the penalty try two minutes from time.
The two teams have also had some memorable, not to mention controversial matches in the decade that followed, none more so than the Grand Final rematch in 2000 which saw the Storm annihilate the Dragons 70–10 at the MCG (this remains St George Illawarra's biggest defeat as a joint-venture to date). In the lead up to that match, then-Dragons five-eighth Anthony Mundine had claimed that the Storm were not worthy premiers, sparking anger from the Storm's fans and players, thus the catalyst for the huge win. The Dragons however did claim revenge later that year with a 50–4 win at WIN Stadium (that also remains the Storm's worst ever defeat to date).
The 2009 season opened with these two teams going head to head in another much talked about match. Dragons five-eighth Jamie Soward was labelled a 'rag doll' in defence whilst trying to stop the Storm's Greg Inglis scoring a try, however ever since that match Soward's game has matured. The Dragons lost 17–16 in extra time, with Inglis scoring the match winning field goal. In the return match, Soward was also the centre of attention as he used his foot to prevent Inglis again from scoring, resulting in an eight-point try and Soward being put on report (he was reprimanded for this). The Dragons won this match 26–12. In round 4, 2010, the Dragons were the last team to lose premiership points to the Storm before their salary cap scandal was revealed.
The rivalry re-ignited when the Dragons were also involved in a controversial loss to Storm at the start of the 2014 season. In their round 6 game at AAMI Park, a refereeing and timekeeping error resulted in Storm scoring a try after the siren had gone, to win them the match. In the 80th minute, Dragons were ahead 24–22. The full-time siren sounded in the 80th minute, prior to the Storm player in possession being tackled. After the tackle was completed, the referees allowed play to continue, rather than ending the match, which gave Storm the chance to spread the ball in an elongated play, which resulted in a try and conversion in the 81st minute, giving them the win, 28–24.
Club records
(As of the end of the 2019 season)
Player records
Head to head record
Since the foundation of the St. George Illawarra Dragons, the club has achieved the following Win/Loss Record:[29]
| Games | Wins | Drawn | Loss | Points For | Points Against | +/- | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 533 | 271 | 6 | 256 | 11,308 | 10,453 | +855 | 51.41 |
|
Biggest winning margins
Most consecutive wins
Biggest comeback
|
Biggest losing margins
Most consecutive losses
Worst collapse
|
Honours
Sponsorship
|
Major Sponsors
|
Minor (Icon) Sponsors
|
|
All official Dragons merchandise is produced by ISC as of 2014.
NRL Women's team
In December 2017, the St. George Illawarra Dragons expressed their interest in applying for a licence to participate in the inaugural NRL Women's season.[30] In March 2018, they were awarded one of four licences for the league's inaugural season, to commence in September of the same year.[31] Daniel Lacey was appointed to coach the side.[32]
In June 2018, Sam Bremner, Kezie Apps and Talesha Quinn were unveiled as the club's first three signings.[33]
Current squad
- Kezie Apps
- Ngatokotoru Arakua
- Shaylee Bent
- Brittany Breayley
- Keeley Davis
- Aaliyah Fasavalu-Fa'amausili
- Maitua Feterika
- Teuila Fotu-Moala
- Nejvada George
- Rikeya Horne
- Takilele Katoa
- Alexandrea Kiriwi
- Stephanie Mooka
- Kimiora Nati
- Tiana Penitani
- Jessica Sergis
- Maddie Studdon
- Sarah Togatuki
- Shakiah Tungai
- Botille Vette-Welsh
- Maddison Weatherall
- Holli Wheeler
Season Summaries
| Competition | Games Played (FINALS) | Games Won (FINALS) | Games Drawn (FINALS) | Games Lost (FINALS) | Ladder Position | P | R | M | F | W | NRL Nines | Coach | Captain | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 NRL Women's season | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4/4 | X | — | Daniel Lacey | Sam Bremner | |||||
| 2019 NRL Women's season | 3(1) | 2 | 0 | 1(1) | 2/4 | X | X | — | Runners Up | |||||
| 2020 NRL Women's season | Winners | Sam Bremner, Kezie Apps |
See also
- St George Dragons
- Illawarra Steelers
References
- Warne-Smith, Drew (2 October 2010). "Saints face test with nerves of Steelers". The Australian. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
- Wilson, Andy (3 October 2010). "Wigan prepare to slay Dragons after crushing St Helens in Grand Final". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
- "NRL predicts more teams to seek $4m merger bonus". Illawarra Mercury. Australia: Fairfax. 29 September 1998. p. 44. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
- Webster, Andrew (21 June 2008). "Ryles quits Dragons". Illawarra Mercury. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
- "Dragons romp to sweet 16th". www.abc.net.au.
- "Did the Dragons really choke?". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- Brundson, Simon (3 September 2017). "Dragons v Bulldogs NRL: 2017 finals series, Will Hopoate stats". Fox Sports.
- Parkinson, Andrew (4 September 2017). "Widdop labels season a 'failure' after Dragons miss finals". St George & Sutherland Shire Leader. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
- Stanton, Tanisha (2 March 2018). "Graham giving Dragons pack extra beef and belief". National Rugby League. Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- Ryan, Nathan (20 January 2017). "Brisbane halfback Ben Hunt accepts St George Illawarra's lengthy multi-million dollar deal offer". Fox Sports Australia. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- Chammas, Michael (9 September 2018). "Sims stars as battered Dragons upset Broncos". National Rugby League. Archived from the original on 31 December 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- "Rabbitohs pip Dragons to book preliminary final berth". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 15 September 2018. Archived from the original on 17 September 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- "What the changes mean for St George Illawarra". The Daily Telegraph.
- Walter, Brad (18 April 2019). "Why McGregor's the man to lead Red V to glory". NRL.com. Archived from the original on 14 May 2019.
- "De Belin proclaims innocence after being stood down". NRL.com. 28 February 2019. Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
- "ARL Commission announces 'no-fault stand down policy' for players facing serious charges". NRL.com. 28 February 2019. Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
- Chisholm, Ed (2 September 2019). "Paul McGregor facing the axe as St. George Illawarra Dragons coach following horror season". Sporting News. Archived from the original on 1 October 2019.
- "'I wasn't dealing with it': Sacked Mary breathes fire at Dragons over selection fiasco". www.foxsports.com.au.
- "Wayne Bennett appoints Ben Hornby as captain of St George Illawarra". Fox Sports. AAP. 5 March 2009. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2009.
- Trembath, Murray (18 July 2013). "St George 'Taj Mahal' hits half century". St George & Sutherland Shire Leader. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
- Thompson, Angela (27 October 2008). "Steelers Club approves $2.6 million bailout". Illawarra Mercury. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 19 March 2014.
- "Former PM John Howard sounded out to overhaul rugby league, chair commission". The Australian. News Limited. 7 October 2009. Archived from the original on 9 October 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
- Dodson, Louise (24 August 2004). "Latham has a stack of influential support". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Digital. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
- Lee, Brett (5 October 2003). "Bat and ball? We're all talkin' league today. . ". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Digital. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
- Fagan, Sean. "Canterbury Bulldogs". RL1908.com. Archived from the original on 1 June 2009.
- Fagan, Sean. "Cronulla Sharks". RL1908.com. Archived from the original on 30 August 2009.
- "Rabbitohs and Dragons Launch 25th Charity Shield". Rabbitohs official site. 31 January 2008. Archived from the original on 15 January 2009.
- Fagan, Sean. "Rugby League & ANZAC Day". RL1908.com. Archived from the original on 1 June 2009.
- "St George Illawarra Dragons Win-Loss Records". Rugby League Tables & Statistics. Archived from the original on 26 January 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
- "Dragons confirm interest in women's competition". Dragons official website. 6 December 2017. Archived from the original on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- "Dragons granted NRL Women's Premiership licence". Dragons official site. 27 March 2018. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- "Dragons confirm key Women's Premiership staff appointments". Dragons official website. 22 March 2018. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- Stanton, Tanisha (5 June 2018). "Dragons trio ready to light up NRL Women's Premiership". NRL.com. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
External links
Official NRL Sites
News items