St George Illawarra Dragons fans face a dismal season with nine games played, zero wins, a points differential of -185, and just two points on the board. The club has organized a members-only forum to address the frustration, inviting supporters to question the leadership directly.
Forum Quickly Reaches Capacity
Management emailed members last Friday at 1:04 p.m., inviting them to hear from CEO Tim Watsford, COO Ben Creagh, and head coach Dean Young. Demand surged, with capacity reached in just 39 minutes, prompting a follow-up email.
Strict Rules for the Event
The invitation specified that the event suits adults only, excluding children. No online streaming will be available. Attendees face a ban on filming or recording to maintain an in-house atmosphere.
CEO Tim Watsford confirmed the adult-only policy and recording restrictions. “We want to keep it very much in-house,” he stated. “That’s the way we want to do it from an exclusivity perspective. I do like to speak transparently and openly, and there is trust there.”
Expectations of Fiery Exchanges
Watsford anticipates intense questions from passionate fans. “Our fans are up and about and rightly so,” he said. “We might get a few curly ones, absolutely, but we wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t front up.”
He acknowledged potential criticism, especially on recruitment. “Fans want answers, they want to win, and I can’t argue with that,” Watsford added. “My job is to fix it.”
The CEO emphasized the club’s trajectory. “We have a lot of hard work in front of us,” he noted. “We’re not where we need to be, and we know that.”
Ongoing Team Struggles
The Dragons’ winless run extends to 13 matches. Head coach Dean Young recently introduced eight-hour training days to shift the club’s culture. However, the team conceded 106 points across losses to the Newcastle Knights and Sydney Roosters in their latest outings.
