@tomcat said:
mate that's absolute crap.. i was there as well , and i wouldn't say they were vastly out numbered at all. there were just as many roosters fans as there were saints…
Dream delivered for true Dragons believers
BY BRETT KEEBLE
04 Oct, 2010 12:00 AM
AT last. The Dragons are chokers no more.
In what veteran coach Wayne Bennett described as a victory for the true believers, St George Illawarra ended an 11-year dry spell and a 31-year drought for any Dragons team by swamping the Sydney Roosters 32-8 in the NRL grand final at rain-soaked ANZ Stadium last night.
As they did against Wests Tigers in the preliminary final eight days earlier, the Dragons trailed at half-time last night.
But they quickly turned an 8-6 deficit into a 12-8 lead with the first of winger Jason Nightingale's two tries, then broke the game open with two converted tries in three minutes midway through the second half for an unassailable 24-8 lead.
**Dragons fans outnumbered their Roosters counterparts in the crowd of 82,334 by at least three to one** and despite being saturated by the heavy showers that fell throughout the afternoon and evening, they stood and cheered and chanted and sang during the final 20 minutes.
Having won six titles from six grand finals in 21 years at the Brisbane Broncos, Bennett never promised anything when he arrived at the Dragons but in only his second season he has delivered the premiership for which some foot soldiers in the red and white army have been waiting a lifetime.
As St George only, the Dragons had not won a premiership since defeating Canterbury in 1979.
They endured agonising losses in title deciders in 1985 to Canterbury, 1992 and 1993 to Brisbane and 1996 to the Manly Sea Eagles, before joining forces with Illawarra in 1999 and losing a seemingly unlosable grand final to Melbourne.
The Dragons were minor premiers last year but lost consecutive games in the finals to be the first No.1- ranked team since the introduction of the McIntyre system to be eliminated in the second week of the finals.
They won a second straight minor title this year and were favourites to win last night but that was never going to be enough to satisfy their legions of long-suffering fans.
"It's been a long time coming for them and this team's earned it and they've deserved it," Bennett said.
