NRL 2023: The six years of blunders that set St George Illawarra up for failure
The St George Illawarra Dragons have had no shortage of talented footballers on their books in recent seasons – but they let too many leave and those that remained have not delivered.
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It was once ranked up with the greatest brands in Australian sport.
Now it’s time for the St George Illawarra Dragons to put up or shut up and show long suffering fans they have finally turned the corner.
Because right now this is a club viewed as a graveyard for rugby league talent.
After another off-season marred by controversy, backed up by a shocking Charity Shield performance, Aaron Woods came out and declared it was time to “get our shit in order”.
Well, here’s their chance, starting with Sunday’s first up clash against Gold Coast Titans.
HOW THE RED V BECAME A LAUGHING STOCK
Let’s go back over the last six years and dissect the Dragons’ recruitment and retention strategy since Ben Hunt arrived in 2018.
That was also the last year the Dragons made the finals.
Where the Dragons are today is a sad reflection of what the mighty Red V once stood for.
When famous names like Raper, Langlands, Provan and Gasnier became Immortals.
Today it’s a recruitment and retention policy that has become the laughing stock of the game.
At least this year Wests Tigers have signed Api Koroisau, Isaiah Papali’I and John Bateman to give their fans new hope.
Meanwhile, the Dragons bank on lesser knowns like Jacob Liddle and Zane Musgrove from the Tigers, and Ben Murdoch-Masila from the Warriors, to make the difference to a squad that missed the finals last year.
While Liddle will add much needed dummy half spark, it hardly fills you with any great confidence as off-contract coach Anthony Griffin fights to save his job.
Will they prove us wrong? Here’s why history is against them.
SEASON 2018
GAINS: James Graham, Ben Hunt, Jeremy Latimore, Luciano Leilua, Zac Lomax, Darren Nicholls, Jordan Pereira, Reece Robson
LOSSES: Josh Dugan, Will Matthews, Russell Packer, Joel Thompson, Kalifa Faifai Loa, Josh McCrone, Jake Marketo, Taane Milne
FINISHED: 7th
ROSTER RATING: B
The Dragons paid overs for Hunt initially but he came as a grand final halfback and has well and truly earned his keep in the years since, it’s just a shame more around him don’t always play with as much passion.
Graham was another positive signing, a bit long in the tooth at that point, but you again can’t question the champion prop also did his absolute best to try and change the culture.
That year under Paul McGregor they were equal competition leaders up until round 20 but scored just four wins in their final 11 games with several key players struggling with injuries.
Despite that they made it to week two of the finals where they went down fighting 13-12 to the Rabbitohs. They’d kill for that result this year.
SEASON 2019
GAINS: Mitchell Allgood, Jackson Ford, Josh Kerr, Corey Norman, Lachlan Maranta, Patrick Kaufusi, Jonus Pearson, Mikaele Ravalawa, Korbin Sims, Tristan Sailor, Jason Saab
LOSSES: Leeson Ah Mau, Nene McDonald, Kurt Mann, Jason Nightingale, Hame Sele
FINISHED: 15th
ROSTER RATING: E
This was the year it really started to unravel. They bought Norman from Parramatta who went from an $850,000 marquee man to basically unemployable within three years.
As for the season, it was a train wreck from the moment de Belin was stood down in February. It didn’t help losing Widdop to a shoulder injury in round three.
But even though they still had five Origin players (Norman and Hunt for Queensland along with Frizell, Vaughan and Tariq Sims for the Blues) they could only manage to finish one place off the bottom of the ladder, their worst finish since the joint venture was formed.
SEASON 2020
GAINS: Eddie Blacker, Billy Brittain, Adam Clune, Kaide Ellis, Max Feigai, Tyrell Fuimaono, Issac Luke, Trent Merrin, Cody Ramsey, Jayden Sullivan, Brayden Wiliame
LOSSES: Jai Field, Luciano Leilua, Jonus Pearson, Reece Robson, Gareth Widdop, Mitchell Allgood, Patrick Kaufusi, Jeremy Latimore, Lachlan Maranta, Darren Nicholls
FINISHED: 12th
ROSTER RATING: D
Another season marred by a string of suspensions and more off field drama that ultimately cost McGregor his job.
At that point you could probably make some sense of why the club wanted to keep McInnes over young gun dummy half Robson given McInnes was the skipper and so admired by his peers. In hindsight you would say they should have found room to keep both with Robson now a legitimate NSW No 9 contender, while the Dragons are still searching for answers elsewhere.
SEASON 2021
GAINS: Daniel Alvaro, Talatau Amone, Gerard Beale, Jack Bird, Billy Burns, Poasa Faamausili, Mathew Feagai, Jaiyden Hunt, Freddy Lussick, Andrew McCullough, Josh McGuire, Tyrell Sloan, Jamayne Taunoa-Brown
LOSSES: Euan Aitken, Eddie Blacker, Billy Brittain, Tyson Frizell, James Graham, Jacob Host, Tim Lafai, Issac Luke, Cameron McInnes, Jason Saab, Tristan Sailor, Korbin Sims
FINISHED: 11th
ROSTER RATING: E
Look at the list of gains above and you tell me if it was destined for success or failure?
Of the three former Broncos Griffin recruited only Bird remains.
But letting McInnes walk to bring in McCullough was the call that really infuriated many fans.
In his prime McCullough was one of the bravest in the game.
But to recruit him at the backend of his career when he’d lost any zip he ever had, especially at the expense of McInnes, was seriously flawed thinking _ even allowing for the fact the Broncos were paying a reported $200,000 of McCullough’s $600,000 salary).
McGuire was another signing always destined for trouble.
SEASON 2022
GAINS: George Burgess, Jack Gosiewski, Moses Mbye, Tautau Moga, Michael Molo, Francis Molo, Johnathon Reuben, Jaydn Su’a, Moses Suli, Aaron Woods
LOSSES: Gerard Beale, Adam Clune, Matt Dufty, Kaide Ellis, Poasa Faamausili, Freddy Lussick, Trent Merrin, Corey Norman, Jordan Pereira, Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, Paul Vaughan, Brayden Wiliame
FINISHED: 10th
ROSTER RATING: D
Griffin’s Moneyball strategy continued, bringing in the likes of Burgess, Mbye and Woods, all past their best in footy years but they came at a bargain price.
Still, it all chews up money on the cap.
But did it work?
Let’s be fair, the Dragons finished above where most tipped them last year, but still missed the play offs.
And this is what I find hardest to cop: that the Dragons almost point to the fact they finished above most predications as something of a ‘up yours’ to their critics.
The question I ask on the back of that is whether consistently not even making the play offs is good enough for this club and their fans?
Or should the Dragons be striving to be a genuine premiership threat every year like the Rabbitohs?
SEASON 2023
GAINS: Jacob Liddle, Nick Lui-Toso, Ben Murdoch-Masila, Zane Musgrove
LOSSES: George Burgess, Jackson Ford, Jack Gosiewski, Andrew McCullough, Josh McGuire, Johnathon Reuben, Tariq Sims
PREDICTION: Bottom 4
ROSTER RATING: D
No one is saying the Dragons don’t have a squad capable of fighting for a top eight finish.
It’s just that the system has continually failed to bring out the best in players either recruited or developed, so how can you have faith now?
Aside from Hunt, you’d struggle to argue that one other player on that entire list above has seen their careers really excel beyond the expectations of their talent while at the Dragons.
It’s worth noting Hunt is the only current Origin player left in this squad. When he arrived there were a stack of rep players.
MAKING THE MOST OF LOCAL TALENT
And on that front Lomax is the pin-up boy of unfulfilled expectation after arriving with the rugby league world at his feet but at 23 has not near reached his potential.
In comparison, look at Souths as a club that has a recent history of unearthing unheralded players like Cody Walker and Damien Cook and turning them into out-and-out superstars.
While locally produced Kangaroos Cameron Murray and Campbell Graham are two more terrific examples of what a good system can do for outstanding talent. You are entitled to wonder where players like Lomax and Tyrell Sloan would be if they came up through different systems.
This is the year the Dragons really need the likes of high paid forwards de Belin, Su’a and Bird to really aim up, while Lomax and Sloan need to lead the charge from the young guns.
If Lomax plays to his potential he is an Origin class centre, but he can’t continue to allow frustrations to get the better of him.
Meanwhile, Sloan’s performance in the Charity Shield has made him a huge target for rival teams in the early rounds, with Cody Ramsey’s season-ending illness leaving Griffin with no other option to play fullback.
There is also huge pressure on young Sullivan to take some of the pressure of Hunt.
Make no mistake, the Dragons can’t afford a slow start or else the pressure gauge on coach Griffin will explode.
Can the Dragons turn it around this year?
Time will tell.
But as Woods put so succinctly, it really is time to stop finding excuses and get their “shit in order”.
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