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There’s a dark cloud hovering above the Dragons of St George Illawarra again this season and it’s not the playgroup or the coaching staff.
It’s the NRL club’s board of directors, which is never held responsible for questionable decisions frustrating their rusty supporters.
I want to start what you are about to read by emphasizing that the Dragons hold a special place in my heart as I grew up in the St George area and really enjoyed sitting among the passionate supporters on the famous Kogarah hill.
That being said, I still have a hard time understanding how they allowed one of their best and most consistent players and someone who was raised to captain last year, Cameron McInnes, to signing with their closest and fiercest rivals, the Cronulla Sharks. .
We’re talking about a guy who is held in high regard by all of his teammates and paying club members, but the folks running the show were happy to let him waltz the freeway and sign a four-year contract with the Sharkies. .
I know there is no more loyalty in the rugby league, but what about respect?
I really feel for McInnes, who not only has to leave the Dragons at the end of the season, but the hooker will also be forced to watch from the stands after breaking his ACL during the preseason.
It is sometimes a cruel game.
The decision to sign veteran whore Andrew McCullough from the Brisbane Broncos came with a lot of question marks and rightly so, given he’s in the twilight of his career; but in the end, the recruiting staff turned out to be a lucky move, with a player like McInnes now missing all season.
The question remains, however: would you rather hang on to a player like Cameron McInnes, who still has a lot to offer in the NRL, or someone like McCullough, who is likely to hang up his boots at the end of the year or to end his career abroad?
Then you have the side-show that came with Israel Folau and his potential return to the NRL. Were the Dragons really serious about signing him or were they just stifling the silly decision to allow McInnes to sign with the Sharks?
They’ve certainly done the rest of the competition a favor by showing the other 15 clubs the circus that comes with signing someone like Folau, who still hasn’t removed his offensive social media post suggesting gay men and others ” sinners will go to hell.
If you have listened to me on Radio 2GB over the years you will know that I am a strong advocate for the need for free speech in this country, but when you become a role model and earn a salary as an athlete professional. , you are responsible for your comments, whether fair or offensive.
Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo keep telling us that we are an “inclusive game”, so how do we envision the idea of ​​Folau coming back?
The Dragons are set to celebrate the start of a new season and a new approach under the leadership of coach Anthony Griffin, whose record speaks for itself. Rather, they dominated the back pages of newspapers and TV news bulletins because of the stupid decisions made by the club officers.
I have asked to speak to their CEO Ryan Webb on several occasions, but the boss must be petrified by the TV cameras and his cell phone because he is never available when I am bombarded by supporters demanding answers.
I was relatively optimistic when the St George Illawarra Dragons recruited Griffin as a coach, having known the respected mentor over the past two years on the Continuous Appeal team, but it is clear to me that ‘his hands are tied.
Red V supporters lack patience and if they don’t turn things around quickly, the signs are going to demand a change again.
I’d just like them to start focusing their attention on the real Dragons problem – and it’s the board members who are obviously a protected species.
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