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<big>THE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS?</big>
Posted on September 30, 2010 by Tribe13
Written by Sean Fagan for Tribe13.com.auThe 2010 Grand Final has led to some debate about the Dragons – are they just “St George” or “St George Illawarra”?
Seems as far as the majority is concerned, they are one and the same club (founded in 1921), and thus it is ok to call them “St George” and talk of St George’s Grand Final history from before the merger in late 1998.
Rugby league journalist and former Steeler tragic, Steve Mascord, has made his thoughts plain, writing on BackpageLead that:
“I think it is time to form an Anti-DeSteelerisation League.
As the grand final gets closer, there are Steeler Deniers everywhere. People who say “St George” or “first premiership since 1979″ or – my personal current hate – “ALL SYDNEY GRAND FINAL” Grrrrr.”
Mascord probably simply shook his head upon seeing in The Australian a story by Brent Read [ here ] referring back to the 1975 Grand Final:
“Some days you never forget. For Sydney Roosters centre John Rheinberger, it was a mild spring day in 1975. Rheinberger only started one game in his first grade rugby league career. You guessed it — the ’75 decider against St George Illawarra.”
Many though will be surprised to learn that way back in the 1920s and 30s, the St George rugby league team were commonly referred to as “the Illawarra men” and the “Illawarraites”.
The St George district of Sydney, stretching way back in the late 19th century, was originally known as the Illawarra suburbs.
The ”Illawarra Suburbs Lawn Tennis Association” (founded 1911) is one of the few organisations that continue to remind us of that era. The “St George Cricket Association” began life in 1898 as the “Illawarra Suburbs Cricket Association”.
For example, The Sydney Morning Herald of July 9, 1934 in a rugby league match report:
St George had won comfortably over South Sydney in the first round, and it was anticipated, with the absentees from the latter, that South Sydney would have another hard task, but defeat was hardly expected again, yet the Illawarra team won by 18 points to 7.
Of course, what is also forgotten from that era is that the St George club’s nickname was not “the Dragons”.
As it does today, the dragon appeared on the club’s badge, but only in the mythical role of being slain by St George. The St George rugby league team were known back then as “the dragon-slayers”.
Today, the fans cheer for the dragon and wear the dragon emblazoned merchandise.
Ironically, the assailed has become the victor!
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if they win tomorrow, it is a win for the joint venture.
not just dragons side of it. -
It was widely accepted when we won the Premiership in 2005 that it was our first but those old men who follow the other joint venture continue to live in the past.
In fact it really should be the Illawarra St George Dragons, they train in Wollongong, most of their ‘homegrown’ players are from the Illawarra and where does the coach and the marjority of the players reside, in the Illawarra.
I actually hope that they don’t win tomorrow, go the Roosters and emulate a feat that the Western Suburbs Magpies achieved in the mid 30’s when they went from last to First in consecutive seasons, go Chookies!. -
Theyre a perfect example of what wouldve happened had the Magpies gone with canterbury, or balmain with parra
Lots of drags fans in denial…idiots
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It is interesting how well the Wests and Balmain clubs have managed to merge without too many dramas. Of course there are the usual snipes about the foundation clubs that form the basis of the merger but when I go to games and talk to supporters, they focus on the Wests Tigers as the ‘new’ entity. I think our club has a good feel about it in terms of the loyalty of its supporters to the club, the players and each other. I still remember leaving the game in Canberra a few weeks ago and all the wests Tigers supporters patting each other on the back and cheering each other up it didn’t matter whether you were ex Balmain or ex Wests everyone was a ‘Wests Tigers’ supporter and we were proud of their win that night and speaking for myself I am very proud of their achievements this year they are a great team of players and I am looking forward to next year. Go the mighty Tigers, Magpies, Tigarrrrrsssss.
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It is interesting how well the Wests and Balmain clubs have managed to merge without too many dramas. Of course there are the usual snipes about the foundation clubs that form the basis of the merger but when I go to games and talk to supporters, they focus on the Wests Tigers as the ‘new’ entity. I think our club has a good feel about it in terms of the loyalty of its supporters to the club, the players and each other. I still remember leaving the game in Canberra a few weeks ago and all the wests Tigers supporters patting each other on the back and cheering each other up it didn’t matter whether you were ex Balmain or ex Wests everyone was a ‘Wests Tigers’ supporter and we were proud of their win that night and speaking for myself I am very proud of their achievements this year they are a great team of players and I am looking forward to next year. Go the mighty Tigers, Magpies, Tigarrrrrsssss.
Here Here Cunno…the majority of supporters have embraced the Wests Tigers for what it is a true Merge of FOUNDATION Clubs to form a strong new entity…
Most ST Takeover fans to this day I know dont even acknowledge Illawarra’s exsistence
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It’s simple. If the Dragons win tomorrow, it’ll be their FIRST Premiership. End of story. Their supporters are the biggest bunch or ignoramus’ you’ll come across, failing to acknowledge the club they support was founded in 1999. Massive denial
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If Dragons win tommorow it will be St.George Illawarra Dragons’ first premiership as a joint-venture (and that is how it will be in the record books and rightly so) but to a St.George supporter before their merger it will be their 16th premiership and I can understand that. It would be the 16th premiership to the St.George District even though they would be sharing this year’s premiership with the Illawarra. The NRL can write Premierships: 1 next to St.George Illawarra in the record books (IF they win tommorow) but they can’t tell a St.George fan that they can’t recognise it as a 16th premiership to their area, nobody can. The NRL like to use the history of St.George, Illawarra, Wests and Balmain so they can’t then say that St.George Illawarra or Wests Tigers are entirely new clubs because the truth is they aren’t.
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It’s interesting that St.George were known as the ‘Illawarra men’ all those years before the merger. Maybe they were always destined to merge with the Illawarra Steelers.
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if the dragons lose the game, does the Oval name at Kogarah get a few more letters joined to it?
there fore it would become . CH-OKI
yeah I know it looks like I’ am a bad sport, but it mayl put a smile on your face!!
