Willow's Word

In the end, the scoreboard said 28-12 and the StGeorge Illawarra Dragons were never going to lose against a disorganised rabble like the Sharks. But as great as any victory is, it was the lead-up to the actual match day experience that blew us away. Afterall, we're back at Kogarah Jubilee Oval and that's what it's all about.

The battle for Kogarah has been long and arduous. In 1999, Saints were booted out of their spiritual home. We were told the ground didn't meet the NRL criteria. Truth is, the plan was to move the Dragons to Wollongong fulltime. This contradicted the promised 50/50 split between the two districts. The notion that no games would be played in StGeorge was considered unacceptable by the hardy few who refused to give up.

To understand this passion for 'home', we have to first appreciate that Jubilee has been the home ground of St George for 50 years. Between 1950-1999, Saints enjoyed a 70% success rate at Kogarah. They had a winning streak there which lasted a mind-staggering 13 years.

This passion endured when in 1999, Saints played what was to be their 'farewell' match at Kogarah. Some supporters refused to leave. One fan sat on the pitch only to be threatened with eviction by security. It took player, Lance Thompson and another supporter to encourage the fan to finally depart. He said his goodbyes and like many others, never expected to see Saints playing there again. But like most fans, he never really gave up.

Almost immediately, supporters group R2K began the charge back to Kogarah. They had running battles with the club. With little resources to speak of, R2K spearheaded a campaign which eventually saw Councils, the Dragons Football club and finally, the StGeorge Leagues Club seeing the light. There were countless people who were instrumental in getting the Dragons back to StGeorge, in particular, Lachlan McLean from R2K and Robert Stone from the Football Club. They sometimes opposed each other but there's no doubt that both worked long hours with one aim in mind… to get back to Kogarah.

The 'return' match on May 4th 2003 was greeted with the same passion that had existed before. The impending gloom of rain didn't dampen the spirit as fans showed up in force with a sellout crowd of over 17,000. We waited in the drizzle for the gates to open and once in, we started to soak up the atmosphere. The rain, as if fearful of our presence, was kept at bay.

The curtain-raiser saw Saints score first and go on to victory. Despite the weather, the mood was raised even higher. The whole area was enveloped in storm clouds and occasional downpours. But just before the main fixture, the clouds parted and this imperfect bowl that is Kogarah Jubilee Oval was flooded with a bright beam of light.

At this point, the 15 'Legends' were announced. Great players from Matt McCoy to Mark Coyne made their way onto the pitch. Norm Provan stood tall and was surrounded by Billy Smith, Graeme Langlands, Johnny Raper, and Reg Gasnier to name but a few.

I was fortunate to be sitting next to Tony… the very same supporter who was almost forcibly removed when saying his goodbyes in 1999. He just kept saying, "How good is this… how good is this?" - and the main match hadn't even started.

Finally, first grade kicked-off. With the wind at their backs, Saints went on a rampage, dismantling their opponents.

With the match in the bag, I decided to check out the new concrete 'slab' that had been laid only days before. As I hit the steps, I saw Johnny King. Now inducted as a Dragons 'Legend', King scored the first try I ever saw when my father took me to see Saints in the 1960s. I was only a small boy but I remember the try like it was yesterday.

Seeing my boyhood hero, I thought to go and say "g'day" - it was afterall, that sort of day. But as I approached, I saw that Johnny King was looking misty-eyed over the Oval. He was a million miles away. I decided instead to leave him to his thoughts.

I returned to my possie and settled in for the second half. A short time later, a huge rainbow appeared on the horizon. From where I was sitting, it formed a perfect arch over Jubilee. I heard myself saying, "How good is this?"

For information on home ground issues and the search for a St George home ground - click here