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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
1999
KOGARAH TO KIAMA - THE 'BIG BACKYARD'
Well, when you really look at it Illawarra has produced a hell of a lot of footballers to come up and play with St George. So I do not condemn St George and Illawarra merging because Illawarra has got a big backyard down there with a lot of junior footballers coming through.

- Graeme Langlands (Wollongong junior, former St George captain-coach and Rugby League Immortal)
  3/12/2000



Map south coast NSW - St George Dragons rugby league historyIn 1999, St George and Illawarra joined forces and took the field as the St George Illawarra Dragons.
team 1999 - click here - St George Dragons rugby league history
Full team 1999, click on pic (112 Kb)
The joint venture made official a long association between the two districts that could be traced back to the 1920s.
While the Illawarra Steelers' 17 seasons in the first grade was over, the agreement ensured that top grade rugby league would continued to be played in the Illawarra as the junior base extended from Kogarah to Kiama and beyond.

The joint venture agreement (signed 1998):
  • NRL squad of 25 players: 13 from St George and 12 from Illawarra.
  • The club captaincy of 1999: co-captains Nathan Brown and Paul McGregor.
  • The co-coaches shall be David Waite and Andrew Farrar.
  • The St George jersey with the Red V shall be retained.
  • Team nickname shall be 'The Dragons'.
  • Sock and shorts will resemble the Steelers old design.
  • All juniors will be shared.
  • Illawarra shall receive much needed funding from St George.
  • Home games to be shared equally between the districts of St George and Wollongong.
  • St George and Illawarra shall retain their district first division sides.
  • The team shall be known as The St George Illawarra Dragons
1999:
NEW LOOK DRAGONS RE-UNITE WITH BRAD MACKAY
Season snapshot
In 1999, the Dragons came from sixth position in the minor premiership to qualify for grand final, eventually completing the season in second position.
St George junior, Brad Mackay has re-united with the Dragons. He left St George for the Western Reds in 1994. After the Reds' demise, he linked up with Illawarra and then did the full circle with the creation of the joint venture.
SAINTS AND PARRA PLAY AT  STADIUM AUSTRALIA
104,000 SEE LAUNCH OF NEW STADIUM
Saints v Parra - national anthem - St George Dragons rugby league history Pic above: National anthem at Stadium Australia with Brad Mackay (front) flanked by Paul McGregor, Lance Thompson, Trent Barrett.
Stadium Australia Homebush, 6 March 1999: A massive crowd of 104,583 were on hand to see Rugby League's double header and Saints and Parramatta begin their seasons at the brand new Olympic facility, Stadium Australia.
Darren Treacy became the first try scorer for the new joint venture but victory on the night went to Parramatta 20-10.

SAINTS & CANBERRA IN THRILLER
crowd 1999 - St George Dragons rugby league historyBARTRIM CONVERSION SEES SAINTS 1ST VICTORY OF 1999
Bruce Stadium, 20 March 1999: A dramatic try to Rod Wishart and late conversion to Wayne Bartrim has seen the Dragons pull off their first win of the year by 16-14 in front of a crowd of 11,096. Saints had previously lost their opening two rounds.
With just minutes remaining, Nathan Brown put up a cross field bomb and found Wishart leaping high to score out wide. Bartrim lined up the conversion and slotted the difficult kick to give Saints a two point victory.
BARRY BEATH SHOWS THE PASSION
Woolaware, April 1999: In a highly publicised incident, St George legend Barry Beath was involved in a punch up at Cronulla Leagues Club.
The former forward stepped in when Cronulla Chief Executive, Peter Gow attacked a young St George supporter with scissors and proceeded to cut up his Dragons jersey. Stunned onlookers reported that the incident was without provocation and that Gow was acting in an 'uncontrolled manner'.

Barry copped a punch in the face for his troubles but Gow was later forced to resign after investigations found that he defaced a St George jersey and assaulted a club patron.
DRAGONS MOST EXCITING TEAM OF 1999
Jamie Ainscough - St George Dragons rugby league historyIn 1999, the Dragons almost pulled off a remarkable year when they made the semi-finals and appeared unstoppable as they suddenly hit top form. Without a doubt, they were the team to watch throughout the
season as they posted some dramatic wins on the back on some excellent attacking play. Coming into the semis, Saints were in 6th position. They swept through the semis with wins over Melbourne (34-10), Easts (28-18) and Cronulla (24-8). They went into the Grand Final as favourites having defeated their opponents, Melbourne twice throughout the year. In fact, since joining the competition in 1998, Melbourne had never beaten St George and they appeared to be a team which had already exceeded their expectations by making the Grand Final.
As the forwards dominated their opponents, the backs let loose. Stand outs included  Jamie Ainscough (pic right), Nathan Blacklock who was the competition's leading try scorer, and Anthony Mundine who often showed a tremendous turn of speed to devastate his opponents.

SAINTS LOSE GRAND FINAL 20-18
RECORD CROWD 107,000 - CONTROVERSIAL FINISH
Nathan Blacklock bursts through in 1999 Grand Final - St George Dragons rugby league historyStadium Australia, 26 September 1999: In what was perhaps the most controversial Grand Final in living memory, Saints have lost the lead and the match just minutes from full time courtesy of a penalty try.

The first half belonged to the Dragons with a try to Craig Fitzgibbon and a brilliant 70-metre solo try to
Nathan Blacklock (pic left). Blacklock showed his class from the stand-in position of fullback when Storm half back, Brett Kimmorley thought he saw Blacklock standing too deep and he decided to chip-kick ahead. Dramatically, Blacklock swooped on the bouncing ball on his 30 metre line and within the space of a second was bursting through for an unopposed run to the line - bringing the crowd of 107,999 to it's feet.
At half time Saints were dominating and it was 14-nil.

Melbourne came out in the second half all fired up and got back to 14-6 down. A try to Paul McGregor put Dragons up by 18-6 and with 20 minutes to go, Dragons supporters could almost touch the trophy.

However, in an incredible turn of events, Saints let their grasp slip as Melbourne were given almost free rein by referee Bill Harrigan. While there is no disputing the match winning penalty try and Storm's ability to get back into the match, supporters were alarmed by the high rate of referee errors which favoured Melbourne in the second half.
Ainscough 1999 grand final head high - St George Dragons rugby league historyThe final controversy was heart breaking for Saints supporters when the referee correctly ruled a head 
high tackle against Jamie Ainscough on Smith who would have scored [pic right]. The subsequent penalty try saw the Storm with a conversion right in front and a two point victory. Afterwards, there was barely enough time for the kickoff.
StGeorge-Illawarra Dragons 18
(Fitzgibbon, McGregor, Blacklock tries. Bartrim 2/3, Fitzgibbon 1/1 goals)

Melbourne Storm 20
(Martin, Roarty tries + Smith penalty try. Smith 3/4, Geyer 1/1 goals)

Referee: Bill Harrigan

TEAMS
ST GEORGE-ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
Luke PATTEN, Nathan BLACKLOCK, Paul McGREGOR (c),
Shaun TIMMINS, Jamie AINSCOUGH, Anthony MUNDINE, Trent BARRETT, Wayne BARTRIM, Lance THOMPSON, Darren TREACY, Craig SMITH (c), Nathan BROWN, Chris LEIKVOLL

Interchange: Craig FITZGIBBON, Colin WARD, Brad MACKAY, Rod WISHART.

Coach: David WAITE & Andrew FARRAR
MELBOURNE STORM

Robbie ROSS, Craig SMITH, Aaron MOULE, Tony MARTIN, Marcus BAI, Matt GEYER, Brett KIMMORLEY, Tawera NIKAU, Stephen KEARNEY, Paul MARQUET, Rodney HOWE, Richard SWAIN, Glenn LAZARUS (c), Interchange Matt RUA, Russell BAWDEN, Ben ROARTY, Danny WILLIAMS
Coach: Chris ANDERSON


WHEN THEY SCORED:
14min Dragons 6-0 (C Fitzgibbon try, W Bartrim goal) 23min Dragons 8-0 (C Fitzgibbon goal) 30min Dragons 14-0 (N Blacklock try, W Bartrim goal) 42min Dragons 14-2 (C

Smith goal) 54min Dragons 14-6 (T Martin try) 56min Dragons18-6 (P McGregor try) 58min Dragons 18-12 (B Roarty try, C Smith goal) 64min Dragons 18-14 (C Smith goal) 77min Storm 20-18 (C Smith penalty try, M Geyer goal)
1999
NRL First Grade
Ladder

(top 8 in semis)
(St George-Illawarra joint venture.
Gold Coast & Adelaide gone).
Cronulla 40
Parramatta 38
Melbourne p 36
Easts 36
Canterbury 35
St George 34
Newcastle 33
Brisbane 32
Canberra 31
Penrith 27
Auckland 24
Souths 24
Manly 23 
Norths 20
Balmain 20
North Qld 13
Wests 10
p = Season Premiers

Dragons
1999
AFTER 26 ROUNDS
Minor Premiership
Won-Lost-Draw-Bye
W
L
D
B
15
9
0
2
Points For 588
(3rd best attack)
Points Against 416
(6th best defence)
MP Standing
6th

(17 teams)

FINALS
W
L
3
1
Points For 104
Points Against 56
Final Standing
2nd

TOTALS
00 matches
W
L
D
B
18
10
0
2
Points For 692
121t 104g 0fg
Points Against 472
80t 75g 2fg
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