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Seasons In Review
(Contents)

Introduction

1907 - 1920

1921 - 1925

1926 - 1929

1930 -1934

1935 -1939

1940 -1944

1945 -1949

1950 -1955

1956 -1959

1960 -1963

1964 -1966

1967 -1969

1970 -1973

1974 -1979

1980 - 1984

1985 - 1989

1990 - 1993

1994 - 1995

1996

1997 - 1998

1999

2000 - 2002

2003 - 2005

2006

2007

St George Dragons Rugby League History
Since 1921 - Our Proud History
1990-1993
1990:
SAINTS 12TH - WORST LADDER POSITION IN HISTORY
STEELERS BEAT DRAGONS IN FINAL ROUND
Season snapshot
In 1990, Illawarra improved to win six of their last seven matches to finish in 9th position on the NSWRL first grade ladder.
St George, however, had one of their worst seasons on record, finishing in 12th position in the 16 team competition.
Kogarah Oval, 26 August 1990: The Illawarra Steelers have defeated St George 10-6 in front of a small crowd of only 5,709 spectators. The match ended a sad season for both teams with neither ever coming into semi final contention.

CRAIG YOUNG GONE
As a result of the Dragon's poor effort in 1990, former skipper Craig Young departs as coach after just two seasons.

KOGARAH UPGRADED
1990 saw the opening a modern grand stand at the western side of Kogarah Oval, increasing it's capacity.



REPRESENTATIVE NEWS
Brad Mackay - St George rugby league historyBRAD MACKAY SCORES THREE TRIES ON TEST DEBUT
Parkes NSW, 1990: Brad Mackay, after being called into the Australia Test side to play France (as replacement for the injured Canberra player, Brad Clyde), scores three tries on debut matching the feat of another St George junior, Bob Bugden who also scored three tries on Test debut, 30 years earlier.
MORE REP HONOURS FOR RICKY WALFORD
Winger, Ricky Walford has been selected for NSW in the 'State of Origin 90'. He was also on the Aboriginal tour of Tonga in 1990 for the Pacific Cup.



1990
NSWRL First Grade
Ladder

(top 5 in semis
-playoff for 5th)
Canberra p 33
Brisbane 33
Penrith 31
Manly 30
Balmain 28
Newcastle 28
Canterbury 25
Parramatta 25
Illawarra 23
Cronulla 22
Norths 20
St George 16
Wests 13
Easts 13
Gold Coast
8
Souths
4
p = Season Premiers

St George
1990
AFTER 22 ROUNDS
Minor Premiership
Won-Lost-Draw
W
L
D
8
14
0
Points For 371
(7th best attack)
63t 57g 5fg
Points Against 399
(12th best defence)
65t 69g 1fg
MP Standing
12th

(16 teams)

Illawarra
1990
AFTER 22 ROUNDS
Minor Premiership
Won-Lost-Draw
W
L
D
11
10
1
Points For 366
(9th best attack)
59t 64g 2fg
Points Against 361
(11th best defence)
58t 64g 1fg
MP Standing
9th

(16 teams)
1991:
NEW COACH - BRIAN SMITH
Brian Smith coach - St George rugby league historyCraig Young was replaced as coach in 1991 by former St George player and former Steelers coach, Brian Smith (pic left). Smith accepted the position after a successful coaching stint with Hull in the UK.
HISTORY SPOT

WALLABIES WIN RU WORLD CUP

Season snapshot
In 1991, St George and Illawarra again failed to qualify for the NSWRL first grade semi-finals.
Both teams finished on 25 competition points with Illawarra (8th) ranked higher than St George (9th) due to a better for-and-against points differential.
SAINTS BEAT BALMAIN IN HISTORIC MATCH
Adelaide Oval, 28 June 1991: St George have defeated Balmain 16-2 at the first ever premiership Rugby League match to be played in South Australia. A crowd of 28,884 saw Saints shut out the Tigers and score three tries.

British flankman, Martin 'On Fire' Offiah was one of the try scorers for the Dragons. On loan for one year from Wigan, Offiah's occupation was listed as 'professional rugby league player' which in 1991 was considered a rarity.

St George had a better season in 1991 finishing in 9th position while 'kindred spirits', Illawarra finished in 8th position and on equal competition, both teams two points shy of the semis.


REPRESENTATIVE NEWS
Scott Gourley
Scott Gourley in pre-season 1994 - St George rugby league history Click on image for larger pic
SCOTT GOURLEY BECOMES DUAL INTERNATIONAL
St George forward Scott Gourley gained selection for the Test series against Papua New Guinea, late in 1991.

Son of former St George prop Robin Gourley, Scott has achieved a rare feat of being a dual international in both the Rugby Union and Rugby League.



1991
NSWRL First Grade
Ladder

(top 5 in semis
-playoff for 5th)
Penrith p 35
Manly 29
Norths 29
Canberra 28
Canterbury 27
Wests 27
Brisbane 26
Illawarra 25
St George 25
Cronulla 19
Easts 19
Balmain 17
Newcastle 15
Souths 14
Parramatta 12
Gold Coast
5
p = Season Premiers

St George
1991
AFTER 22 ROUNDS
Minor Premiership
Won-Lost-Draw
W
L
D
11
8
3
Points For 388
(7th best attack)
65t 64g 0fg
Points Against 320
(6th best defence)
50t 59g 2fg
MP Standing
9th

(16 teams)

Illawarra
1991
AFTER 22 ROUNDS
Minor Premiership
Won-Lost-Draw
W
L
D
12
9
1
Points For 451
(4th best attack)
77t 70g 3fg
Points Against 291
(2nd best defence)
49t 46g 3fg
MP Standing
8th

(16 teams)
1992:
Illawarra win pre-season cup
The Steelers kicked off the 1992 pre-season in fine style, winning the Tooheys Challenge. Led by captain Chris Walsh, Illawarra defeated the Brisbane Broncos 4-2 in a tryless final at Dubbo.

ILLAWARRA DEFEATS ST GEORGE IN DEBUT SEMI-FINAL APPEARANCE
Season snapshot
In 1992, St George were runners up while Illawarra finished third, both teams battling it out in the NSWRL semi-finals.
Sydney Football Stadium, 6 Sept 1992: Illawarra have defeated St George 18-16 in their debut semi final appearance.

A crowd of 28,521 saw the Steelers down the Dragons and therefore qualify for the major semi final and two bites at Grand Final qualification.
Paul McGregor 1992 semis after scoring against St George - rugby league history
(pic above) Paul McGregor, try scorer 1992

Centre, Paul McGregor starred in Illawarra's victory.

Saints recovered to defeat Newcastle 3-2 in front of 38,772 people in a tryless minor semi-final (12/9/92).

Meanwhile, Illawarra went down to Brisbane 22-12 in front of 38,859 spectators in the major semi (13/9/92) thus setting up a showdown between the two neighbours in the preliminary final.


SAINTS DEFEAT STEELERS 4-0 IN PRELIMINARY FINAL
Ricky Walford scores the only try of the major semi final Saints v Steelers - St George rugby league history
Ricky Walford, try scorer 1992

Sydney Football Stadium, 20 Sept 1992: In another low scoring and tight semis match, St George have come away as victors over Illawarra by just one try, 4-0 in front of 38,921 spectators.

The match had it's share of controversy with referee David McCallum disallowing at least three Illawarra tries following forward pass rulings.


Popular Dragons winger, Ricky Walford was the only try scorer of the day.




Mark Coyne speaks - click hereWAV (247 Kb) click on speaker to hear Mark Coyne talk about 1992 preliminary final in an interview in the late 1990s.

UNDERDOGS ST GEORGE AGAINST THE MIGHT OF BRISBANE
Sydney Football Stadium, 27 September 1992: Observers gave Saints little chance of
Ian Herron - St George rugby league history
Ian Herron
making the 1992 Grand Final but they did so in fine fashion under the guidance of coach, Brian Smith.

Saints did well in the first half but the star-studded class of the Brisbane Broncos showed in the second half and they ran away winners to the tune of 28-8 in front of 41,560 people.

Scorers for St George: Ricky Walford try, Ian Herron 2 goals.

1992
NSWRL First Grade
Ladder

(top 5 in semis)
Brisbane p 36
St George 30
Illawarra 27
Newcastle 26
Wests 25
Easts 24
Canterbury 22
Manly 22
Penrith 22
Balmain 21
Norths 21
Canberra 20
Cronulla 16
Souths 14
Parramatta 13
Gold Coast 11
p = Season Premiers

St George
1992
AFTER 22 ROUNDS
Minor Premiership
Won-Lost-Draw
W
L
D
15
7
0
Points For 401
(6th best attack)
67t 63g 7fg
Points Against 283
(3rd best defence)
44t 52g 3fg
MP Standing
2nd

(16 teams)

FINALS
W
L
2
2
Points For 31
Points Against 48
Final Standing
2nd

TOTALS
26 matches
W
L
D
17
9
0
Points For 432
73t 66g 8fg
Points Against 331
52t 60g 3fg

Illawarra
1992
AFTER 22 ROUNDS
Minor Premiership
Won-Lost-Draw
W
L
D
13
8
1
Points For 318
(12th best attack)
Points Against 259
(1st best defence)
MP Standing
3rd

(16 teams)

FINALS
W
L
1
2
Points For 30
Points Against 42
Final Standing
3rd

TOTALS
25 matches
W
L
D
14
10
1
Points For 348
55t 62g 4fg
Points Against 301
49t 51g 3fg
1993:
SAINTS & CANTERBURY TOP OF THE TABLE
Season snapshot
In 1993, St George were runners up for the second year running. Illawarra (7th) were struck hard by injuries and failed to qualify for the NSWRL semi-finals.
The Dragons and the Bulldogs shared the top of the table after 22 rounds on 34 pts each. Canterbury are awarded the minor premiership by virtue of having a better for-and-against.

Nathan Brown - St George rugby league historySAINTS SIGN ANTHONY MUNDINE, NATHAN BROWN
HISTORY SPOT
THE EDDIE

MABO DECISION
The Dragons boasted a magnificent team in 1993 which included 1992 signings, Gorden Tallis, Jason Stevens Noel Goldthorpe, new 1993 signing Nathan Brown from MacLean in NSW (pic left) as well as experienced Scott Gourley and Mark Coyne, to name but a few. The club and players were stung by criticism at the beginning of the year that they didn't have what it takes to go one better in 1993. Punters and bookies had Saints at long odds of making the semis and even longer odds of 20-1 of winning the premiership.
Anthony Mundine - St George rugby league historyIn 1993, Saints also debuted promising centre/five eighth, Anthony 'Choc' Mundine (pic right). The son of champion boxer, Tony Mundine, 'Choc' immediately makes an impression.

ILLAWARRA SHUT OUT GOLD COAST
WIN Stadium, 25 July 1993: The Steelers have thrashed the Gold Coast 26-0 in the round 17 match in front of 8,926 people. This was a highlight in an otherwise dismal year for the Steelers.
Illawarra finished on 7th position and were unable to make the semis.

SAINTS, BRONCOS IN GRAND FINAL AGAIN
HISTORY SPOT
ALLAN BORDER GREATEST RUN GETTER
Sydney Football Stadium, 26 September 1993: Saints were determined to go one better in 1993 and came into the semis as the form team of the competition. Their opponents, premiers Brisbane had a hard run into the semis and were beaten by St George in the final round of the competition, 16-10 at QEII stadium in front of 58,593 people, thereby forcing the Broncos into the dreaded sudden death fifth spot position.
In their run to the Grand Final, St George disposed of Canberra 31-10 (4 September) and Canterbury 27-12 (12 September). Brisbane won their three matches also in convincing fashion but appeared to be struggling against Canterbury in the latter stages of the preliminary final which suggested that they may have be succumbing to rigors of elimination football.
The 1993 Grand Final, played in front of 42,329 spectators, was later reported as the day the Dragons saved their worst game until last. Injuries to prop Jason Stevens (broken thumb in the opening minute) and centre Mark Coyne (knee cartilage after 25 minutes) put Saints on the back foot early in the match. Brisbane slowed down play with a huge defensive effort and effectively controlled much of the play close to the ruck. Saints were unable to respond and eventually went down without scoring a try.
Score: Brisbane 14-6. Scorers for Saints: Ian Herron 3 goals

Brad Mackay and Tina Turner - St George rugby league historyBRAD MACKAY WINS CLIVE CHURCHILL MEDAL
Brad Mackay has been awarded the post grand final Clive Churchill Medal. He is the club's first ever recipient of this honour. (pic right: Brad Mackay congratulated by Tina Turner, the US entertainer who performed at the 1993 Grand Final)


ST GEORGE DRAGONS, GRAND FINALISTS - 1993 SQUAD PHOTO
St George 1993 thumbnail - St George rugby league history
Click on the pic for larger image (336 kb)
(Top row to bottom row, left - right) Noel Goldthorpe, Damien Chapman, Wayne Collins, Rex Terp, Phil Blake, Nathan Brown, Andrew Walker, Mark Coyne, Jeff Hardy, Sean McVean, Jason Stevens, Brad Mackay, Ricky Walford, Jason Donnelly, Tony Smith, Gorden Tallis, Neil Tierney, Ian Herron, Scott Gourley, Michael Potter, Tony Priddle, Graeme Bradley, Scott Park, David Barnhill, Matt Elliott
Mark Coyne speaks - click hereWAV (445 Kb) click on speaker to hear Mark Coyne talk about 1993 Grand Final.

MICK POTTER RETIRES AT THE END OF 1993
Mick Potter - St George rugby league historySt George fullback and skipper, Michael Potter has announced his retirement from rugby league. The former Canterbury fullback came to Saints in 1989 and played 100 games, scoring 14 tries. Mick was always safe up back and was noted for his strong returns. Twice winner of the Dally M best player award (1984 and 1991). He was NSW rep before coming to Saints and missed out narrowly on national selection in the 1992 World Cup.

poste script: Potter was to come out of retirement for one final year in 1995 with the Western Reds.
1993
NSWRL First Grade
Ladder

(top 5 in semis)
Canterbury 34
St George 34
Canberra 33
Manly 32
Brisbane p 32
Norths 29
Illawarra 24
Easts 23
Newcastle 20
Cronulla 18
Parramatta 18
Penrith 14
Wests 14
Souths 12
Balmain 11
Gold Coast
2
p = Season Premiers

St George
1993
AFTER 22 ROUNDS
Minor Premiership
Won-Lost-Draw
W
L
D
17
5
0
Points For 418
(6th best attack)
Points Against 258
(4th best defence)
MP Standing
2nd

(16 teams)

FINALS
W
L
2
1
Points For 64
Points Against 36
Final Standing
2nd

TOTALS
25 matches
W
L
D
19
6
0
Points For 482
79t 78g 10fg
Points Against 294
49t 48g 2fg

Illawarra
1993
AFTER 22 ROUNDS
Minor Premiership
Won-Lost-Draw
W
L
D
12
10
0
Points For 373
(7th best attack)
68t 49g 3fg
Points Against 253
(3rd best defence)
38t 48g 5fg
MP Standing
7th

(16 teams)
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