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Congratulations Choc!
R2K would like to congratulate Anthony Mundine on becoming the WBA Super-Middleweight champion. Mundine silenced all of his critics by defeating Antwun Echols over 12 rounds at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on Wednesday night.
R2K’s Chris Dickson was at the Entertainment Centre to witness Mundine’s finest moment. "It is one of the greatest moments in St George and Australian sporting history," Dickson said. "Choc showed to all of us true fans, and even the haters out there that he is well and truly 'The Man' in all walks of life."
‘The Man’ supported the R2K movement from its origins in June 2000 to its ultimate victory in September last year. He made donations to help the R2K cause, including 10 ringside tickets, which were auctioned at the R2K Immortals Dinner.
Congratulations Choc... you are the toast of the St. George district!
Kogarah to host international
Kogarah’s Jubilee Oval will host a historic international between Greece and Italy on Saturday, September the 27th. The match will kick-off at 3pm following four St. George Junior league games.
The gates open at midday, with the Kogarah Cougars playing Renown United in the 7s and 8s. From 1:30pm, the Cougars will feature again when they clash with the Kingsgrove Colts in the 10s and 12s.
The latest edition of ‘Rugby League Review’ includes a lift-out on the historic international. Admission to the match is $10 for adults and $5 concession. Under 16s will receive free admission.
DISMAL DRAGONS DISGRACE KOGARAH TURF
Newcastle’s crushing defeat of St.George-Illawarra represents the worst performance by a Dragons side at Kogarah in 20 years. The Kogarah faithful have not witnessed a more embarrassing performance since the Dragons were thrashed 47-12 by Easts in 1983.
Sunday’s fiasco also represents the second biggest defeat of the Dragons in the history of Jubilee Oval. In 1954, Balmain recorded a comprehensive 31-5 victory against the Dragons, but this defeat has now been eclipsed by the 2003 side.
While the 1954 and 1983 sides redeemed themselves by making the finals, there is no hope for the 2003 St. George-Illawarra Dragons.
Despite their customary poor beginning to Sunday‘s game, the Dragons were only trailing by 14-8 at the half-time break. Some poor defence from Timmins and a Blacklock error led to the Knights first try, but the Dragons hit back with a sensational Creagh try following a Cooper break. A ridiculous pass from Ashton Sims led to the Knights’ second try, which took the score to 14-6. A Firman penalty goal on half-time brought the Dragons within 6 points and raised the hopes of the home crowd.
However, any hopes were quickly dimmed when Sims let Buderus through for the Knights’ third try. The Sims mistackle opened the floodgates. Within a 15 minute period, Tahu had scored a hat trick of tries for the Knights and Creagh was made to look very ordinary in the process. The Knights scored a final try in the 78th minute to make the score a humiliating 42-8.
St.George-Illawarra have now slipped to 11th place and the 2003 side runs the risk of being regarded as one of the worst Dragons’ sides since 1921. The Dragons were at their lowest ebb in seasons 1922, 1926 and 1938 when they collected the wooden spoon. However, the performance of the 2003 Dragons arguably places them in the bottom 10 teams since 1921 as their record is on a par with the teams from 1936, 1945, 1982, 1990 and 1997.
Sunday was a sorry end to a season that promised so much. The Dragons clearly need to learn the value of playing at Kogarah and the performance against the Knights was not a fair result for those who fought tooth and nail to have them returned to Jubilee in 2003.
Jubilee Oval
“Under Utilized”
Kogarah Council has stated that Jubilee Oval is currently 'under utilized' as the Dragons are only planning to play 4 home games at the venue in 2004. The Council statement comes in the wake of 3 local residents objecting to the arrival of Sydney Olympic at Kogarah for the 2003/2004 season.
Whilst Sydney Olympic are keen to play at Kogarah following their unsuccessful experiment in the Sutherland Shire, it is in Kogarah’s best interests to host soccer in order to be deemed a multi-purpose venue going forward. The Fraser Park Dragons have successfully hosted four soccer matches at Kogarah this year, but the arrival of an NSL side has a handful of residents concerned. Two of the objectors are uneasy about the possible increase in traffic, the extra burden on parking and what they would regard as a loss of pleasantness from having soccer games at Kogarah. A third objector believes that soccer attracts undesirable patrons to the area and that it may disturb the objectors’ placid lifestyle.
Despite these concerns from the trio of locals, Kogarah Council is expected to grant final consent for the use of Jubilee Oval for NSL soccer games in 2003/2004. Sydney Olympic is only expected to host crowds of between 3,000 and 5,000 for the majority of their 13 home games. Free shuttle buses will be in operation and Park Street will be closed when a crowd of 5,000 or more is expected. At this stage, Kogarah Council is not permitting any NSL night games but the fixtures from December to February will commence at 5:00pm. The extra utilization of Jubilee Oval is expected to have a favourable impact on the local area from an economic and social viewpoint.
As Kogarah Council has stated, Jubilee Oval is currently under utilized. It’s unfortunate that St. George-Illawarra has only allocated 4 home games to the venue in 2004. This is a direct consequence of the Dragons’ participation in the ANZAC game at Aussie Home Loans Stadium and the Club’s agreement with the Wollongong Sportsground Trust to play a minimum of 7 home games per year at WIN Stadium from 2002 to 2005. From an equity viewpoint, Kogarah’s Jubilee Oval should be granted a minimum of 7 home games per year for the seasons 2006 to 2009. The extra utilization of Kogarah will assist in future attempts to obtain Government and community funding.
Kogarah's Future Looks Set In Stone
R2K's Lachlan McLean recently caught up with Robert Stone (Executive Officer - St. George DRLFC) who outlined what the future holds for OKI Jubilee Stadium and his thoughts on the successful return of the Dragons to the venue in 2003.
Do
you have a favourite Jubilee Oval memory and when did you play your last
1st Grade game at the ground?
Two favourite memories come to mind. The first one was the first game
I played at Kogarah and also the first time I captained St. George. In
that game I lasted 20 minutes and dislocated my shoulder. My last match
was in 1985 and from memory it was against Canberra in Reserve Grade.
Are you happy with the results from Stage 1 of the Jubilee Oval upgrade?
You can always find problems with any kind of building work. Generally
speaking, I believe it's very functional and I believe it works for the
crowd. We have been able to accommodate our 700+ corporate patrons. This
was one of the problems of going back to Kogarah. Generally speaking,
I believe the money has been intelligently spent. Most people have been
very positive about Stage 1 of the upgrade to Oki Jubilee Stadium.
When is the Legends Walk likely to be completed?
We've just received the plans. The actual landscaping on the outside of
the ground is to be completed by Kogarah Council and funded by JOCA.
The Council has set the schedule and wishes to ensure that the Walk is
a quality project. It's fair to say that the initial surveying will be
completed by the Warriors game. There is a great deal of landscaping to
be done on the outside of the oval and the Walk needs to be integrated
into this landscaping. It's going to be a total package. I'm disappointed
that the Walk has been held up, but we're going to do it right.
Some critics have claimed that parking has always been an issue at
Kogarah. Have supporters been utilising the new parking stations in Kogarah
itself and the shuttle buses from those facilities on match day?
I've never supported the claims of the critics. I think that Oki Jubilee
Stadium is one of the better places to park. You can park down near the
golf course and it's a 5 minute walk. You can park in Gray Street and
it's a 5 minute walk and you can park near Ramsgate Road and it's a 10
minute walk. I think the fact that the parking stations have been built
in Derby Street and at Kogarah Station has been beneficial. Supporters
have parked in the new parking stations and have used the shuttle buses.
Parking has also been a financial bonanza for the Carlton South Public
School and the State Rail Authority have helped the transport issue by
allowing trains to stop regularly at Carlton Station.
How has the St. George Junior Rugby League responded to the return
of the Dragons to the local area?
The Junior League is tickled pink. I think there will be a resurgence
in our junior development. As I said to my board when we decided to return,
any money we spent at Oki Jubilee Stadium will be well spent because it
will be reflected in the number of kids playing rugby league in 5 years.
I still believe this! The number of kids at Carlton South Public School
who went out to the SFS would have been minimal. I am sure that there
are a greater percentage of these pupils now attending OKI. I also believe
that playing at Kogarah will help us to retain local players.
Last year you went on a fact-finding mission to learn about stadiums
in the UK. Were you able to apply any of the knowledge you picked up in
the UK to the Jubilee Oval return and upgrade?
We looked at 5 grounds. I came back convinced that for rugby league
to be successful in the future, it must be a total event rather than just
going to watch a game. The game I attended in Castleford was a prime example
of this. 10,000 people at a substandard ground going absolutely crazy
ensured a great atmosphere. One thing I learnt over there is that the
future of rugby league stadia will encompass the use of the land for other
facilities. When we went to Castleford they had an education centre, which
doubled during the game, as a facility where supporters could have food
and a beer. One of the grounds we went to had a motel, which was turned
into corporate boxes during on game day. They also had childminding facilities.
The ultimate at Kogarah would be to bring facilities like 'Meals On Wheels' and other such groups into the precinct. Anything we do at Kogarah should include these sorts of community facilities.
What are the main obstacles to permanent lighting being installed
for the 2004 season?
Funding is the main obstacle at this stage, but we will need lights
sooner rather than later. We're working constantly to try and find the
required funds. We are interested in the new style of lighting that internalises
the light rather than the old style lighting, which sends it out on the
community. Lighting is an issue we will be working on in the near future.
How will the arrival of Sydney Olympic at Kogarah benefit the venue
going forward?
We're working with a State Government organisation called the 'Venue Management
Taskforce' who will manage the funding of State venues going forward.
Any funds handed allocated by the State Government in the future will
go to venues that are multi-purpose. This is the reason why soccer is
here. I'd have to say that Sydney Olympic is also making a significant
financial contribution to the venue.
The St. George Leagues Club's licence on Jubilee Oval ends in 2011.
Considering their recent $538,000 investment, is the Leagues Club planning
to extend this licence beyond 2011 in the near future?
We're working with Kogarah Council at the moment on an upgrade on
the current lease. The arrival of Sydney Olympic has expedited the need
to have a look at the lease again. We have made the decision that we are
going back to Kogarah to stay and an extended lease would consolidate
this.
Kogarah Fortress Raided
The St. George-Illawarra Dragons have suffered a disappointing 1 point loss to the Canberra Raiders at Kogarah (July 13th). The Raiders prevailed by 19-18 after the Dragons had several opportunities to secure victory.
The Dragons began the match in style with a try to John Wilshere following a Clinton Schifcofske error and a missed tackle by Ruben Wiki. Firman converted the Wilshere try with a brilliant kick from the grandstand sideline.
However, the Raiders gained the ascendency before half-time after 2 poor passes by Firman. The Raiders capitalised on both turnovers with tries to Ryan O’Hara in the 17th minute and Adam Mogg in the 31st minute.
Behind by 12-6, the Dragons were inspired by an awesome dummy-half burst from Mark Riddell. Following Riddell’s break, Firman split the Raiders defence, only to be brought down by Schifcofske a metre out from the Raiders’ line. Schifcofske was penalised for going on with the tackle and clearly should have been sent to the sin-bin. Riddell barged over from the ensuing penalty to bring the Dragons back to 12-10 at half-time.
Three minutes into the second-half, the Raiders extended their lead to 8 points after a trademark Brent Kite knock-on. Kite, who was out to prove his critics wrong, only confirmed doubts about his future in the top grade.
To their credit, the Dragons soon hit back with an entertaining try to Reece Simmonds. The final pass from Henry Perenara to Simmonds was something special. The conversion by Riddell narrowed the gap to 2 points, which raised the hopes of the Kogarah faithful.
Within 5 minutes, St. George-Illawarra was on the attack again but an illegal hit by the Raiders’ Ben Cross on Riddell ruined the Dragons’ attacking flow. Riddell was forced to leave the field and Firman added a penalty goal to level the score at 18-18.
Canberra’s Brad Drew smartly added a field goal in the 68th minute, which was to be the last score of the game. The Saints had their opportunities to win the game, none more obvious than when John Wilshere butchered a try in the 72nd minute by failing to pass to Nathan Blacklock.
The defeat places the Dragons precariously outside the top 8 and gives them a 1 from 3 record at Kogarah for 2003. The Dragons also had a 1 from 3 record at WIN until recent victories against Souths and Brisbane. With their Origin players back, it is expected that the Dragons can defeat New Zealand and Newcastle at Kogarah in the remaining games of the season.
The match attracted an excellent crowd that was officially announced as 14,204. The ground was packed and the actual crowd looked in excess of 16,000. Channel 9’s Andrew Voss backed this up. Voss stated, “There are still patrons coming in, 14 minutes into the contest. It will be close to capacity by the 20 minute mark of this match.”
Regardless, the attendance is another victory for Kogarah, which has an average official attendance of 14,811 in 2003.
R2K Points - Saints vs Raiders:
3 - Mark Riddell
2 - Reece Simmonds
1 - Henry Perenara
Olympic Sharks Circling Kogarah
The Olympic Sharks are set to abandon Shark Park for the 2003/2004 NSL season and have made an ambitious bid to relocate to Jubilee Oval. It is understood that the perennial nomads of the NSL competition have made a formal application to the St. George Leagues Club for the use of the venue. While a decision on the application is imminent, the appropriateness of having Olympic based at Kogarah needs to be investigated. In recent times Olympic have played at a variety of grounds such as Barton Park, Leichhardt Oval, Belmore Oval and Shark Park. While playing out of Kogarah may be beneficial for Olympic, there is no guarantee that Olympic is willing to commit long-term to the St. George district and contribute to the maintenance and improvement of Jubilee Oval.
After
the Olympic rumours began to surface, R2K caught up with Ian Baddock from
the Fraser Park Dragons. Fraser Park is a Sydenham based side that plays
in the NSW Winter Super League. They represent the Sydney Portuguese community
and were formerly known as the Fraser Park Jets. However, due to Baddock’s
influence, Fraser Park changed their emblem to a Dragon and has adopted
a predominantly red and white strip. The team now plays a number of their
home games at Jubilee Oval and have been well accepted by the St. George
community since their transition from being the Jets.
Baddock questions the logic of Olympic relocating to Kogarah. "St. George needs a team that truly embraces the district. St. George needs a team that will look to the long term and commit to a future at OKI Jubilee Stadium," Baddock said. "Olympic didn't represent the Sutherland community as they compromised an idea. They were meant to be the Sharks and yet couldn't let go of their old Olympic ties. It's about having a St. George team that represents St. George."
In a further show of faith to the St. George district, Baddock confirmed that the Soccer Dragons would contribute towards the improvement of Jubilee Oval once established in the NSW Premier League. Baddock stated "We have every intention of donating a certain percentage of our gate towards funding a long-term lighting solution at Jubilee Oval."
The Fraser Park Dragons have gained some powerful backing since their move into the St. George district. The Club patrons include Cherie Burton (Member for Kogarah) and ex-Socceroo Captain Paul Wade. St. George-Illawarra Red V members have also backed the Fraser Park Dragons at Kogarah and have enjoyed a 50% discount on general admission tickets.
Baddock believes that Olympic need to make compromises to their identity if they are to be considered as part of the St. George community. "If they embraced the community and wanted to become a true part of St. George, I would accept it. They would need to adopt the red and white colours and should seriously consider dropping the name Olympic. They should also make a 5 year commitment to Kogarah."
While Olympic need to adopt the St. George culture if they are to succeed at Jubilee Oval, there are obviously some positives if their application to play at Kogarah is approved. Having an NSL side at Kogarah may help attract Government funding for additional improvements such as permanent lighting. The St. George district has around 6,000 junior soccer players and a Kogarah based NSL side would provide those juniors with a local side to aspire to that competes at the highest level. The St. George district has a high percentage of Greek Australians and it is likely that the locals will be able to relate to Olympic at Kogarah, as they did when Olympic were based at Barton Park. It is clear that Olympic would benefit from the move to Kogarah but it is also essential that Jubilee Oval benefits in the long-term. The Fraser Park Dragons adopted Jubilee Oval at a crucial time when the venue needed to be promoted as a multi-purpose venue to help obtain State Government funding. Perhaps Olympic should have expressed an interest 12 months ago instead of continuing on with their failed Shark Park venture.
* The Olympic Sharks were contacted by R2K for a comment on their Kogarah plans. However, no comment was forthcoming at the time of this release.
The Next Frontier : Light Up Kogarah
Following the transfer of the Broncos home game from Kogarah to WIN Stadium, R2K has been researching the subject of stadium lighting. Although Stage 1 of the Jubilee Oval redevelopment is complete, with the exception of the Legends’ Walk, there was no provision for permanent lighting in the initial stage of the refurbishments. The St. George-Illawarra Management decided to transfer the Broncos game, as they only wanted to play Sunday games at Kogarah in the first year of the return and had no desire to bring in temporary lighting. The lighting issue needs to be resolved by St. George-Illawarra and Kogarah Council for the 2004 season.
In earlier seasons, a company called 'Musco Lighting' provided the temporary lighting for Jubilee Oval night games. However, temporary lighting is relatively expensive for any club, as the cost is around $6,000 per bank. Until last year, Musco had 4 purpose designed lighting banks that met Channel 9 requirements for lighting. Due to a lack of demand in Australia, Musco recently sent 2 of their 4 lighting towers overseas to assist with their busy European office. Although there are only 2 towers currently available, Musco still has other equipment which can be rigged to cranes to provide 4 banks.
Temporary lighting is not the long-term answer and every effort needs to be made to ensure that permanent lighting is installed during the off-season. As well as being specialists in temporary lighting, Musco are a leader in the provision of permanent lighting. In general terms, TV quality lighting for a rugby league ground costs between $500,000 to $700,000. Musco have worked with Channel 9 for the past 10 years and can design a permanent lighting system to suit Kogarah that will meet and exceed the NRL and Channel 9 requirements.
Musco's resume is exceedingly impressive. They provided the necessary TV broadcast lighting for 19 of the 26 sports for the Sydney 2000 Olympics; temporary lighting services on hundreds of major motion pictures including Titanic and Pearl Harbor and they operated lighting trucks at the September 11 disaster site so that work could continue through the night.
However, it is Musco's expertise in the area of 'community friendly' lighting that is of most interest for Jubilee Oval. A proposal for permanent lighting at Jubilee Oval would require a Development Application through Kogarah Council. A number of dwellings surround Jubilee Oval in Park and English Street, and some residents may be concerned over issues such as light spill and glare. Musco understands these concerns and have developed patented systems that have been applied and refined over 25 years to help satisfy local residents. Obligation free design assistance is provided to all Musco customers during the planning stages of projects to ensure that the lighting is designed to suit all participants: neighbours, players, spectators and TV broadcasters.
Musco Lighting can resolve the lighting issue at Kogarah and they should be strongly considered for the tender when the time comes for the installation of permanent lighting. Due to the cost of permanent lighting it is essential that all St. George-Illawarra stakeholders continue to contribute to the Jubilee Oval Community Appeal.
To ensure that Jubilee Oval receives its 5 home games in 2003, St. George-Illawarra may need to hire the temporary lighting for the round 25 Newcastle game if the NRL announce that it will be staged on a Friday night. Switching the game to WIN, Aussie Stadium or any other venue would be deemed as unacceptable by St. George-Illawarra supporters.
For more information on Musco’s innovative lighting solutions, visit their website.
ROCKDALE CONFIRMS $50,000 JUBILEE OVAL DONATION
Despite the efforts of Councillor Anne Edwards, Rockdale Council tonight (25/6/2003) reaffirmed support for the redevelopment of Jubilee Oval by authorising the payment of a $50,000 donation.
The donation had originally been proposed by Rockdale Council in late February and was part of Council’s Draft Management Plan & Budget for the period 2003 to 2006. Rockdale Council invited submissions from the public on the Draft Management Plan & Budget and 65% of the submissions were positive feedback in favour of the Jubilee Oval donation.
While there was no negative feedback in relation to the Jubilee donation, Councillor Anne Edwards decided that the donation should be scaled back from $50,000 to $30,000. Councillor Edwards believed that $20,000 should be withdrawn and redirected to building the St. George Athletics Club a running track. Councillor Edwards’ sole supporter was the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Liz Barlow, who made the negative remark that Rockdale Council is "stuck with this donation."
The proposal of Councillor Edwards amounted to nothing, as experienced Councillor Peter Bryant brought her into line. Councillor Bryant, who has been keeping ratepayers informed for decades, reminded the Council meeting of the wording of the original Council minutes. A review of the minutes confirmed that the payment was mandatory at 1 July 2003 and this meant that Councillor Edwards was unable to lodge a rescission motion.
Councillor Edwards was forced to lodge her running track proposal separately, which will be considered by Council in due course. While the idea has merit and would be a boost for St.George Athletics, it shouldn’t have been proposed at the expense of the Jubilee Oval refurbishment.
The Jubilee donation will be made at the beginning of July, and Rockdale Council will request the Administrators of the Jubilee Oval Community Appeal to report on "the utilisation of the $50,000."
The Rockdale Council donation increases the Jubilee Oval Community Appeal Fund to $1,791,000. However, this doesn’t include the OKI naming rights sponsorship, as these funding details are yet to be disclosed. Stage 1 of the redevelopment is complete, with the exception of the Legends’ Walk.
Councillor Pickering fails to stop Jubilee Oval donation
Hurstville Council tonight (18/06/2003) endorsed their Draft Management Plan and budget, which included a $50,000 donation to the Jubilee Oval Community Appeal. The Jubilee Oval donation is now a part of the final budget and it should be signed off just after the beginning of July. Following the meeting, a Hurstville Councillor informed an R2K representative that it’s very unlikely that the donation will be rejected in the final budget.
The budget meeting was quite fiery, with Councillor Pickering attempting to convince the other Councillors to vote against the Jubilee Oval donation. Pickering believed that the money would be "better spent in other forms" and argued that the funds should be allocated to the Library as the "books have just about had it." Councillor Pickering also brought up the recent Hassan Saleh incident as a reason why Jubilee Oval shouldn’t receive the funding.
Councillor Steve McMahon replied to Pickering’s statement and listed the benefits of having the Dragons based in the St.George area. Councillor McMahon was supported by Councillor Joanne Morris, who was clearly impressed by the St.George-Illawarra supporters who had made submissions to Hurstville Council in support of the Jubilee donation. Councillor Morris remarked that of all the items in the draft budget, this was the only one where there had been any public feedback and it was all positive.
The budget was easily passed when it became time to vote. Councillor Merv Lynch JP didn’t vote on the donation, as he is a member of St. George DRLFC and declared an interest.
$100,000 at stake for Jubilee Oval
R2K strongly encourages St. George-Illawarra fans to write in support
of both Rockdale & Hurstville Council's Draft Management Plans for
2003 to 2006. Both Rockdale & Hurstville have allocated $50,000 towards
the Jubilee Oval Community Appeal in their draft budgets,
which are subject to public comment.
The Rockdale Council 'Draft Management Plan and Financial Plan' can be viewed at:
http://www.rockdale.nsw.gov.au/
Written comments on the Rockdale Plan should reach Council by Tuesday, the 17th of June 2003. They can be sent by:
- Email to lchinner@rockdale.nsw.gov.au
- Fax on 9562 1653
- Or mail to:
Lia Chinnery
Rockdale Council
PO Box 21
Rockdale NSW 2216
The Hurstville Council 'Management Plan and Budget' can be viewed at:
Written comments on the Hurstville Plan should reach Council by June the 10th 2003. They can be sent by:
- Email to hccmail@hurstville.nsw.gov.au
- Fax on 9330 6223
- Or mail to:
John Patterson
The General Manager - Hurstville Council
Civic Centre, City Mall, McMahon Street
Hurstville NSW 2220
Please ensure you add your residential address to any comment you make.
Your written comments will have more validity if you reside in the relevant
Council area, but please contact both Councils regardless of your locality.
It is important that Oki Jubilee Stadium receives the donations, as funds
are still required to complete Stage
1 and to ensure that improvements will be made in the future.
Should you have any queries or require any additional information, please send an e-mail to mclean@r2k.info
Let There Be Lights!
R2K Comment: The below St. George-Illawarra press release confirms the Dragons have decided to switch their home game against the Broncos from Jubilee Oval to WIN Stadium. To offset the loss, Jubilee Oval has been allocated the round 25 match against Newcastle, which is a reasonable swap under the circumstances.
However, the main concern is that the Dragons can't guarantee that the Newcastle match will be played on a Sunday afternoon at Kogarah. Despite this, the St. George-Illawarra Club need to honour their commitment to their St. George based supporters and ensure that the Newcastle match is played at Kogarah regardless of when the NRL schedules it for that weekend.
The switching of the Broncos game emphasises the necessity for the Dragons and Kogarah Council to press ahead with Stage 2 of the Jubilee Oval redevelopment. Although Stage 1 has been completed, there can be no room for complacency and now more than ever, we need to guarantee the future of Kogarah Oval and elite rugby league in the St.George district. It is essential that Kogarah gains permanent lighting for season 2004 to ensure that this is no longer an issue in the future.
"Turn up the lights; I don’t want to go home in the dark." - William Sydney Porter (American short-story writer)
Dragons to Switch Venues for Broncos Night Game
(from www.dragons.com.au)
3 June 2003The St George Illawarra Dragons have moved the Broncos game announced today by the NRL to be played on Friday night, July 4, from Oki Jubilee Stadium to WIN Stadium.
The Dragons have switched the round 17 match at Oki Jubilee Stadium with the round 25 match against Newcastle scheduled for the weekend of August 29-31 at WIN Stadium.
Dragons Chief Executive Officer Peter Doust said the Dragons made it clear their preference was to schedule Sunday (day) games when they returned to Oki Jubilee Stadium in 2003 because they believed it was the "best fit".
The Stage One refurbishment of Oki Jubilee Stadium has been completed, however, adequate lighting is not in place and Doust believes a night game should not be programmed there yet.
"The lighting issue needs to be resolved going forward and the Club is in the process of making appropriate applications to avoid similar transfers in 2004," Doust said.
"We appreciate Channel Nine has the rights to schedule NRL games and that we have been chosen as the best match of the round, however, we have the opportunity to move between our two communities to achieve the 'best fit'. I understand some people may be disappointed, however on the other hand some people will be pleased."
Dismal Dragons outgunned by Cowboys
The St. George-Illawarra Dragons have crashed to a disappointing 36-16 defeat against the North Queensland Cowboys at Kogarah.
The Cowboys carved up the weak Dragons' defence three times in the first
fifteen minutes to spring to an 18-0 lead and virtually put the game beyond
St.George-Illawarra`s grasp. The Dragons conceded
a fourth try before half time but also managed to hit back through a fortuitous
try to Brett Firman and another slick four-pointer to Amos Roberts.
Down 22-10 at half time, St. George-Illawarra had their opportunities to get back into the game in the second half, but poor execution in attack ensured that the 2 competition points would be going back to Townsville. The Cowboys posted further tries in the second half to Ty Williams and Glenn Morrison, which killed off any hope of a Dragons' comeback. The only joy for the Saints in the second stanza was a well-deserved try to Lance Thompson in the 75th minute.
Thompson, Shaun Timmins, Luke Bailey and Ben Hornby are the only players who can be proud of their effort after the Cowboys debacle. Unfortunately, Mark Riddell was only given around 25 minutes of game time by Nathan Brown and was therefore unable to make his usual impact. While Riddell missed a tackle on Ty Williams in the lead-up to the Cowboys' first try, he did not deserve to be benched for the majority of the game by Brown.
The main positive from the match was the crowd of 13,517, which is a record attendance for a home game against the Cowboys. The return to Kogarah continues to be a success story.
R2K Points - Saints vs Cowboys:
3 - Lance Thompson
2 - Shaun Timmins
1 - Luke Bailey
A Glorious Return To Kogarah
The Dragons experienced an extremely successful return to Kogarah yesterday afternoon (4/5/2003) with a decisive 28-12 victory over the Sharks.
Running with the wind in the first half, St. George-Illawarra completely dominated their hapless opposition. Two tries to Matt Cooper and tries to Mark Riddell and Ben Hornby virtually put the match out of reach of the Sharks at half-time, who found themselves down by 24-2. Mark Riddell’s opening try was the first at Kogarah since Nathan Blacklock’s try against Penrith in the last game at Kogarah in 1999.
The Dragons held their own in the 2nd half and an intercept try by Hassan Saleh in the 57th minute guaranteed that the Saints would be marching home with the 2 points.
In contrast to the Sharks, all 17 St. George-Illawarra players put in excellent performances. The tough Dragons’ defence set the platform for the victory, with Luke Bailey and Lance Thompson the pick of the forwards. Other top performers were Mark Gasnier, Brett Firman and Matt Cooper. Cooper’s performance is one of his best in the red and white colours while halfback Brett Firman thoroughly outplayed Brett Kimmorley. Kimmorley had a dismal game and is justifiably under fire from senior league commentators.
The return to Jubilee Oval was a massive victory in itself, but to top it off with a victory against the Sharks in the opening game was a sensation. For the St.George-Illawarra management, the first game back at Kogarah was a public relations success story. The match was the first sell-out of the 2003 season and those who campaigned long and hard for the return have been entirely vindicated. As Andrew Voss stated on the Channel 9 commentary, "Rugby league in the suburbs of St. George is back." For St. George supporters, that’s almost everything.
The next game at Jubilee Oval is on Sunday the 1st of June at 2:30pm, when the Saints play the North Queensland Cowboys.
R2K Points - Saints vs Sharks:
3 - Luke Bailey
2 - Brett Firman
1 - Lance Thompson
Dragons vs Cowboys/Oki Doki
The details of St. George-Illawarra's 2nd game of 2003 at Jubilee Oval have been announced by the NRL. The Saints will play the North Queensland Cowboys on Sunday, the 1st of June at 2:30pm.
While we narrowly defeated the Cowboys in 1998 and 1999 at Kogarah, we still owe the Cowboys for that embarrassing defeat that they inflicted on the Saints in 1996 at Kogarah, prior to the semi-finals. Cancel all your other plans, and watch the Saints march in at Kogarah against the Cowboys.
In other news, the Dragons have announced that Kogarah's Jubilee Oval has been given a corporate name for the 2003 season. The below St.George-Illawarra press release confirms that Oki has become the naming rights sponsor and that the name of the ground will now be referred to as Oki Jubilee Stadium. The contribution by Oki provides a much-needed cash injection to the Jubilee Oval Community Appeal and will contribute to Jubilee Oval being a viable venue in the years ahead. However, i! t should be noted that the formal name of the ground is still Kogarah Park (Jubilee Oval). In order to execute a legal change of the specific name, an application would need to be made to the 'Geographic Names Board of NSW'. In other words, Kogarah's Jubilee Oval has been granted a corporate nickname but the existing name still remains legally.
Click on the following links for websites of the Geographic Names Board and OKI Australia.
Players to meet fans on Saturday in Kogarah
Kogarah Mayor Jim Taylor has confirmed that Sunday's home game against the Sharks will go ahead at Jubilee Oval. However, the construction work is not entirely completed due to the consistent rain that the St. George District has experienced over the past month. Despite this, the essential work will be completed by Sunday and all major work will be finalised within the next two weeks.
To celebrate the return of the Dragons, Kogarah Council have invited the Dragons to a lunch at the Council chambers on Saturday afternoon. At 2pm, the players will be available to meet with fans at the forecourt outside the Council chambers. They will then walk along Railway Parade in Kogarah to meet with the local business community and shoppers.
Let's all get along to the Council chambers on Saturday at 2pm to ensure
that the players are welcomed home. The chambers are located near the
corner of Railway Parade and Belgrave Street in Kogarah.
R2K DRINKS - THE NIGHT BEFORE
To celebrate the return of the Dragons to Kogarah's Jubilee Oval, R2K has organised a drinks night at the St. George Leagues Club on Saturday, May 3rd. The drinks night will commence in the Riviera room from 7:30pm and is occurring on the night before the Dragons' long awaited return to their spiritual home.
The return to Kogarah will mark one of the more significant days in the Club's history. The refurbishments to Jubilee Oval have transformed it from a neglected suburban ground with a rich history to a community asset with a bright future. The improvements to Kogarah have therefore secured the future of elite rugby league in the St. George district.
R2K has organised the drinks night to celebrate the historic return and all supporters are encouraged to attend the night. Drinks are priced at standard Leagues Club prices.
For additional information about the R2K drinks, you can contact:
Naming rights for Jubilee Oval
The announcement of a naming rights sponsor for Jubilee Oval appears imminent with Kogarah Council to meet in closed session on Monday night to consider endorsing a naming rights proposal.
Kogarah Council is holding this meeting in a closed session because it believes that it would be "contrary to the public interest to consider this information in open session because of the commercial ramifications for Council."
If a naming rights sponsor is announced, R2K hopes that the name 'Jubilee' is retained alongside the name of the corporate sponsor.
A naming rights sponsor would provide a much-needed cash injection to the Jubilee Oval Community Appeal and would contribute to Jubilee Oval being a viable venue in the years ahead. However, the move could upset some traditionalists who may feel that the Jubilee name should not be compromised.
The return of the Dragons to Kogarah continues to gain momentum and the first game against the Sharks is only three weeks away. General Admission tickets for the first game go on sale this Monday at 9 am. Tickets can be purchased at the receptions of the St. George Leagues Club and the Steelers Leagues Club or by calling 02 4224 8744.
Club and Council increase Jubilee Oval contribution
Today’s (06/03/03) edition of the ‘St. George Leader’ reports that Kogarah Council and the St. George Leagues Club have each put in another $138,000 to the Jubilee Oval upgrade.
Kogarah Council have now contributed $278,000 to the upgrade, while the St. George Leagues Club have increased their commitment to $538,000.
The ‘St. George Leader’ reports that “The increased contributions from Kogarah Council and the leagues club follow more detailed costings of work required to refurbish Jubilee Oval ready for the Dragons’ return there in early May... When more detailed work was done, it was found the construction work would cost more than anticipated.”
To date, over $1.65 million dollars has been raised by the Jubilee Oval Community Appeal. In addition to BHP Steel Lysaght, Bexley’s United Stone and Hyform Constructions have made in-kind donations. Bexley’s United Stone are donating the pavers for the Legends Walk, while Hyform Constructions have carried out excavation work.
In other news, Kinsley Constructions has been contracted to carry out the upgrade work, while Jamie Durie (Backyard Blitz) will landscape the entrance to Jubilee Oval.
Rockdale Council Donation
Rockdale Council tonight (26/02/03) approved a motion to donate $50,000 to the upgrade of Jubilee Oval. The funds will be donated at the 1st of July as part of the 2003/2004 budget.
The donation is another bonus for the Jubilee Oval Community Appeal,
which has been boosted this week by the publicity generated by Phil Gould's
article in the Sun-Herald and the donation by BHP Steel
Lysaght. Rockdale Council are to be congratulated on this donation and
hopefully it will help to rebuild the Council's tarnished image as well
as Jubilee Oval.
R2K calls for Hurstville Council to make the same donation to the upgrade that will see Jubilee Oval become a showcase of public recreation. Jubilee Oval will become a multi-purpose venue, with rugby league, rugby union and soccer being the main beneficiaries.
The donation by Rockdale Council emphasises the importance of the
Dragons to the entire St. George district. During their history, the Dragons
have played at venues in all three Council areas that comprise St.George:
Hurstville Oval, Arncliffe's Earl Park and Kogarah's Jubilee Oval.
The return of the Dragons to an upgraded Jubilee Oval will significantly
help to raise the profile of the St. George region. The
Dragons are a regionally identifiable icon; an icon that will allow the
three St.George Councils to promote the identity of St. George as a distinct
region within Sydney.
GLORIOUS NIGHT AT KOGARAH
Kogarah’s Jubilee Oval had a glorious return as an elite rugby league venue when the Dragons All-Stars hosted the USA Tomahawks on Wednesday night (12/02/2002). The Dragons were victorious by 42-18, but the match was a victory for all that were involved.
Brad Mackay and David Niu
Photo taken by John Butler
There were a number of top performers for the Dragons including Anthony Mundine, Paul McGregor, Scott Gourley, Mick Potter and Brad Mackay. Mackay kicked an excellent conversion following the first try and later crossed for a try himself to delight the enthusiastic crowd.
However, the highlight of the night was Anthony Mundine’s solo try in the final minute. Mundine bamboozled the Tomahawks fullback with a great display of evasion and pace before completing his trademark somersault.
There can be no doubt that David Niu is doing an excellent job in developing rugby league in America and the night provided the Tomahawks with the opportunity to display their skills at the ground that Niu called home when he was a Saint in the early 90s.
A solid mid-week crowd of around 4,000 provided plenty of atmosphere and ensured that the ‘Joanne Mackay Helping Hand Cup‘ was a financial success. Jeff Hardy and David Niu deserve the highest praise for organising an event for such a worthy cause and it is hoped the game will become an annual fixture at Kogarah to raise funds for breast cancer research. Hopefully the Tomahawks will be granted automatic entry to the World Sevens in 2004 which will guarantee another tour of Australia.
A packed St. George Leagues Club witnessed major celebrations well into the night, with supporters looking forward to the next game at an upgraded Jubilee Oval in May.
The Dragons 42 points consisted of:
Tries: Michael Potter 2, Scott Gourley, Craig Wilson, Brad Mackay, Harry Eden, Graham Bradley, Anthony Mundine.
Goals: Brad Mackay 2, Ian Herron 2, Harry Eden 1.