NRL 2022: Dragons reveal why so few players attended end-of-season presentation night

St George Illawarra Dragons boss reveals why so few players attended the club’s end-of-season presentation night.

NRL 2022 RD21 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks v St. George Illawarra Dragons - Dejection. Picture: NRL Photos

St George Illawarra chief executive Ryan Webb has described criticism of his club’s end-of-season awards night turnout as “unwarranted” and a “mountain out of a molehill.”

Just three of the Dragons’ 30-man roster attended the presentation evening – held at Doltone House, Jones Bay Wharf, on October 4 – with the club again having to fend off insinuations about player disharmony.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal up to 80 per cent of the top squad were either leaving the club, playing in the World Cup, interstate or overseas on holidays or completing family commitments.

Players were also on annual leave — which started on September 3 — when the night was held. There were only six to eight players who were actually available to attend.

Dragons management pushed the date back to allow NRLW players to attend. The club’s NRL and NRLW sides finished their playing commitments at different times this year.

The Dragons players have come under fire. Picture: Julian Andrews

Webb will further explain the alleged “snub” in a letter to club members later this week.

“I think it (criticism) is unwarranted because people haven’t really taken into account the reasons why people couldn’t go,” Webb said.

“The implication was that players weren’t getting on but it had nothing to do with that. This was a timing issue. People are putting two things together and it doesn’t make sense. It was a mountain out of a molehill.

“You’ll find most clubs will hold their presentation night right after their final game but we wanted to include NRL and NRLW so we chose to delay until the NRLW season was complete.

St George Illawarra CEO Ryan Webb.

“We knew at that time that would affect the NRL players who could attend but we thought we would make an effort to include not just players but also staff, sponsors and everyone who supports both as a whole-of-club.

“We knew we wouldn’t be able to get everyone. We just didn’t think the media would try and turn it into an issue. It’s why some other NRLW clubs separate the two, because of this. If we did it the other way the girls couldn’t come.”

The three players to attend were Ben Hunt, Zac Lomax and Michael Molo.

Media reports claimed the lack of attendance by players as a “stunning fresh snub to coach Anthony Griffin.”

While Griffin is under pressure to perform next season, Webb denied there was any internal friction inside the club.

“Covid hadn’t let us do anything this big for two years and we had a great night,” Webb said.

Dragons coach Anthony Griffin is under serious pressure. Picture: Matt King/Getty

“Next year we will tweak it, look at other possibilities and see what else we can do. The focus when we can bring all the club together … that’s important for us.”

Hunt was angry at the lack of attendance, describing some teammates who failed to show as “disrespectful”.

“It was a bit disappointing, in a way,” Hunt told 9. “But a lot of players came to me when we found out about presentation night and mentioned they’d already booked holidays away.”

St George Illawarra finished tenth on the 2022 competition table. Newcastle had separate presentation nights for NRL and NRLW. 

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