Why Albanese's seal of approval has Dragons brimming with optimism
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has officially opened a new era for the St George Illawarra Dragons as optimism abounds the club has turned the corner on and off the field.
Hope and optimism were the prevailing themes on Friday morning as the Dragons unveiled the $65 million Bruce Gordon Centre. The building has been years in the making and has already played a key role in helping the club land a number of high-profile recruits for 2027.
Such is the upbeat mood in Wollongong, you wouldn’t know the team is 0-10 entering Saturday’s clash with the Warriors and staring down the barrel of St George Illawarra’s first wooden spoon.
First take: Dragons v Warriors
Albanese has seen this story play out before, as a board member when the Rabbitohs re-entered the NRL and played a key role in the historic club’s emergence from an existential crisis into a premiership heavyweight.
It’s a trajectory he's confident the Dragons are currently on as they look to emerge from a challenging period.
“I have no doubt this will be the day in which people look back and say that’s when the Dragons went from where they are today into the success that historically they have had,” Albanese said.
Match: Dragons v Warriors
Round 12 -
home Team
Dragons
17th Position
away Team
Warriors
2nd Position
Venue: St George Venues Jubilee Stadium, Kogarah
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
While the club has struggled on the field, there has been plenty of reason for hope and optimism in the past few weeks.
Interim coach Dean Young has brought a fresh outlook to the playing group and shaken up their training routines in a bid to deliver a breakthrough victory.
The Dragons have continued to rebuild around a young core of talented local juniors, with the Couchman twins, Hamish Stewart and Dylan Egan headlining a promising crop of forwards.
Mighty Helpful player of the round: Toby Couchman
The youngsters continue to improve and have been among the side’s standout performers this year.
“I don’t have to do too much with them,” Young said. “They’re hungry, they’re motivated, they’re disciplined and they’re professional.
“I just need to support them and if they’re getting off track, we’ll get them back on track. I don’t have to coach those young guys much, they are doing it all themselves.
“We know we’re heading in the right direction with that core group but we can’t just expect they’re going to turn it around. Everyone needs to buy in and make sure they’re focused on the job. From there, we get better.”
Off the field, Dragons staff have been busy as they look to complement a talented core of local juniors with high-profile recruits.
Keaon Koloamatangi was the first representative star to sign before Christmas and has been joined by Phil Sami, Scott Drinkwater and, most recently, Luke Metcalf.
Hamish Stewart Try
The new high-performance facility has played a key role in luring the group to Wollongong and Young said it’s not hard to see why.
“If I’m a player on the outside and I’m looking at the young players we’ve got,” Young said. “I’m looking at this facility and then I’m looking at Keaon, Drinkwater, Philip Sami walking through the door.
“You can tell the club’s on the improve and I’m sure it has an impact.”
Amid the excitement of moving into a shiny new building, comes the recognition this is just the beginning.
Young has been eager to stress results won’t automatically flow now the squad is in a state-of-the-art complex. Instead, the players must work hard to make the most of the facilities on offer to them.
“It doesn’t guarantee anything,” he said. “It’s a nice to have. From a connection side, this is the first time that admin and the football department have worked under the same roof and that’s special.
“As a whole club we want to be connected and to have something like this, there’s no excuses now.”
