By Paul Ellercamp
St. George & Sutherland Shire Leader
August 22nd 2002
The Dragons are “very, very confident” they will play home games at Kogarah next season, following the NRL’s much anticipated inspection of the ground last week.
That was the assessment of Saints general manager Robert Stone as the club awaited formal reports from the NRL and broadcasters Channel 9 and Foxtel on the improvements required.
On the Dragons’ website, CEO Peter Doust said of the meeting: “It was generally agreed, while there was work to be done, a positive outcome could be achieved.”
But the ground may not be known as Jubilee Oval.
Kogarah Council will consider selling naming rights to the ground and the grandstand to help pay for the improvements.
Following a joint meeting last week, councillors from Kogarah, Hurstville and Rockdale agreed the “Dragon ‘em back” campaign should be shouldered by all three councils as a regional project.
“Without the Dragons playing at Kogarah, the area does lose some of its identity,” said Kogarah general manager, Gary Sawyer.
The three mayors - Vince Badalati (Hurstville), Shaoquett Moselmane (Rockdale) and Jim Taylor (Kogarah) - are expected to meet within the next week to discuss the next moves.
These are likely to include setting up a working group including the councils and the Dragons to work out how to raise money to help pay for ground improvements.
Kogarah Council is expected to consider the issue at its August 26 meeting, including whether to apply to the state government for a grant of up to $350,000. Kogarah would have to match the grant dollar-for-dollar.
Kogarah Mayor, Cr Jim Taylor, has said his council will neither put up the cash nor borrow to support the campaign.
While the issue was discussed at last week’s joint council meeting, there was no decision on how the councils would contribute.
Mr Sawyer said a community “partnership” was needed which “can’t just be verbal, it would have to be a material partnership too”.
Mr Sawyer said private individuals and local businesses had contacted the council to offer their support.
In a minute to Rockdale Council, the mayor, Shaoquett Moselmane, described the “Dragon ‘em back” campaign as the “one issue that is likely to galvanise the region”.
“Councils need to respond to the call of the community and take what reasonable measures are necessary to bring the team back home,” Cr Moselmane said.
But while Rockdale “had no specific funds” available now, the mayor said it should be considered when next year’s budget was being prepared.
Hurstville mayor, Cr Vince Badalati, said the councils had still to consider how they would contribute.
“It might be money, or it might be in-kind, “ he said. such as providing labour and plant and equipment.
Any working group set up to manage the issue would be expected to look at how community and corporate support could be garnered to ease the burden on the councils themselves.
The Saints’ Robert Stone said the ground inspection last week had raised no new issues.
The Dragons will have to expand and improve media facilities, particularly for broadcasters, and add four corporate boxes, as well as work outlined earlier.
The Dragons board is expected to meet next week to consider the return to Kogarah. The Dragons are looking to play five of their home games at Kogarah next season.