Dragons nightmare continues as 40-year sponsor follows Jason Ryles rejection

The St George Illawarra Dragons were already having a horror day after being rejected by the coach they coveted, but it just got worse.

It's been a horror day at St George Illawarra. Photo: Getty Images

If there’s an NRL fan who didn’t think it was already bad at the St George Illawarra Dragons before today, the day from hell has sent the club to rock bottom.

Last on the NRL ladder — and not just by points differential — heading into the Origin period, the Dragons had already sacked coach Anthony Griffin, with eyes seemingly only for Roosters assistant Jason Ryles.

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The belief was that the deal was as good as his if he wanted it but Ryles rejected as reported four-year $3.2m deal to take over the club to line up behind Storm coach Craig Bellamy in a role in Melbourne’s pathways and development system and be anointed as the supercoach’s successor.

Fox League’s James Hooper said the deal was “all but a done deal barring any last-minute U-turns at the negotiating table” but even an $800,000 a year deal could lure the coach who has not yet been a head coach at NRL level.

But surely it couldn’t get any worse — right?

Who would have thought Ryles’ rejection would be the tip of the iceberg. Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Unfortunately for Dragons fans, it could indeed.

The Daily Telegraph revealed that major sponsor St George Bank, who had supported the club over the past 40 years, would end its sponsorship deal at the end of the 2024 season.

It was originally meant to end this season but the Sydney Morning Herald reported that the bank had extended its contract — worth a reported $1m a season — for one more year to allow the club to find a replacement.

“We can confirm that 2024 will be the final season of St George Bank’s sponsorship of the St George Illawarra Dragons,” A St George Bank spokesman said.

“The partnership has been an important sponsorship for the bank, but the time is right to pursue new opportunities for our communities, business and customer priorities. We will continue to support the Dragons through 2024 as they assess their future sponsorship arrangements.”

The Telegraph reported that club officials are trying to save the relationship with a less lucrative deal.

But it wasn’t just the current predicament that had the bank looking for an exit as it is believed to be a combination of the bungled attempt at luring Ryles, the team’s poor performances and off-field incidences including the players’ BBQ during Covid and that only three players turned up to the end-of-season presentation night last year.

Jack de Belin captained the Dragons in their last clash. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Dragons fan and 2GB Drive host Chris O’Keefe tweeted: “It’s extremely difficult to stomach, that the state of the club is such, that we can’t convince a bloke who has never coached a game of NRL, to be the Head Coach of the club he once played for, that happens to be based in the place where he lives.”

Ryles lives in Wollongong and previously played 156 games of his 249 NRL matches for the club.

Editor of rugby league website Zero Tackle Scott Pryde said: “I’d love to say I never saw Jason Ryles turning his back on the Dragons over a board decision to not grant control coming, but … The Dragons haven’t made a good off-field decision since 2009. That’s how bad it is.”

Sporting News’ Liam O’Loughlin added: “St George losing the one-horse race for Jason Ryles is the most on brand rugby league story of 2023.

“No idea where the club goes now. I would assume Hornby becomes the priority target unless they look outside the box at someone like Cheika, Wane or Potter.

“Shambles.”

Sydney Morning Herald league reporter Andrew Webster told SEN Mornings “the Dragons only have themselves to blame”.

‘The Dragons have been dithering on this for the past few weeks,” Webster said.

“Ryles was asking for a five-year deal and a big say in who the GM of football and head of recruitment would be.

“They thought it was a little bit too much and the problem with the Dragons is that they are a split club.

“Their dithering has cost them Jason Ryles.”

It may have also cost them their major sponsor.