St. George Dragons

The St. George Dragons are an Australian rugby league football club from the St George District in Sydney, New South Wales that played in the top level New South Wales competition and Australian Rugby League competitions from the 1921 until the 1997 ARL season, as well as the unified 1998 National Rugby League season. On 23 September 1998, the club formed a joint venture with the Illawarra Steelers, creating the St. George Illawarra Dragons team which competed in the 1999 NRL season and continues to compete in the league today. As a stand-alone club, it fields teams in the NSWRL underage men's and women's competitions, Harold Matthews Cup, S.G. Ball, Lisa Fiaola Cup, and Tarsha Gale Cup.

Entering the New South Wales Rugby Football League in 1921, the St George club won 15 premierships including 11 in succession between 1956 and 1966, still an equal current world record for sporting competitions (shared with Bayern Munich). The Dragons thus are equal second along with the Sydney Roosters, to the South Sydney Rabbitohs in terms of total premierships won in the NSW Rugby Football League. Following the Super League war and formation of the NRL in 1998, the club still remains in a joint venture with the Illawarra Steelers known as the St. George Illawarra Dragons.

On Friday, 28 February 1908, at Rockdale Town Hall, a meeting mainly instigated by St George rugby league pioneers, W. Munn and Joe McGraw, was attended by officials of the recently formed New South Wales Rugby Football League and rugby players from the local district. NSWRFL president Henry Hoyle gave a convincing address and a St. George club appeared likely to form, However, the club's application was later rejected due to an insufficient number of players. Undeterred, the St George Rugby League Football Club took form in 1910 when a team played in the NSWRL 3rd Grade Competition. The club's first game took place against Newtown at Sans Souci and St George were victorious 36–0.^{[citation needed]}

With the demise of Annandale Rugby League Club, St George was successful in November 1920 in petitioning the NSWRL for promotion. In February 1921, at the Kogarah School of Arts, the St George District Rugby League Club was founded. The first President was Arthur Yager, with Joe McGraw chosen as Secretary, Arthur Moymow named Treasurer and Allan Clark as the first club delegate to the NSWRFL. Baden Wales was delegate to the Juniors.

The club's inaugural captain was Dual-code rugby international, Herb Gilbert who joined the club at aged 33 as captain-coach.

The club's inaugural first grade appearance was on St George's Day, 23 April 1921 against Glebe at the Sydney Sports Ground. The first St George team to take the field was: Lyall Wall, Norm Shadlow, Reg Fusedale, Herb Gilbert (c), George Carstairs, Frank Gray, Tommy Burns, Tony Redmond, Clarrie Tye, Sid Field, Roy Bossi, Ernie Lapham and Jack Clark. Glebe won the encounter 4–3. St George won only two matches in their first season and finished equal second last in the premiership.

Before the start of the 1921 season, trial matches were played at Sans Souci and training took place at the Drill Hall in the Sydney suburb of Arncliffe. During the 1921 season games were played at Hurstville Oval. In 1925 the club started using Earl Park at Arncliffe as its headquarters and home ground. The club played at Earl Park until the end of the 1939 season.

The new club struggled during the 1920s finishing last in 1926 and eight points behind the next placed team. The hiring of another 33-year-old veteran leader in Frank Burge saw a change in the club's fortunes. In 1927 under Burge, the "Dragon Slayers", as they were then known, qualified for their first final but were beaten by South Sydney. For each of the next three seasons the Dragons qualified for the semifinals and in 1930 they beat Wests in the final, only to suffer a return loss when Wests exercised their prerogative of the time as minor premiers to request a Grand final challenge rematch.