St George Illawarra last night rejected the NRL's financial carrot to move Sunday's home semi-final to the Sydney Football Stadium.
It means their qualifying final opponents, Parramatta, return to Kogarah's WIN Jubilee Oval just nine days after their 37-0 thumping from the Dragons on Friday.
The NRL last week offered St George Illawarra a $250,000 cash incentive to switch the game from their Kogarah base to the SFS, which holds 25,000 more fans.
However, St George Illawarra chief executive Peter Doust and the board last night made the decision, with the backing of the Dragons players, to play Sunday's clash with the Eels at WIN Jubilee Oval.
Nominate the Dragons' player of the season"I can understand the NRL's desire to maximise commercial returns for everyone, but at the end of the debate the Dragons' long-term future and success is with our people," Doust said.
"Loyalty to our corporate partners, Red V members, supporters, staff and players will have a significant associated financial return.
"We believe playing the home qualifying final that we have earned at WIN Jubilee Oval is the most appropriate decision for everyone involved and associated with our club."
Winger Brett Morris, who scored three tries in the victory over Parramatta to snatch the NRL's top try-scorer title, claimed the Dragons would be "silly" to switch venues and diminish the home ground advantage.
"Look at the crowd we had (on Friday) - it was packed out with Dragons fans," Morris said.
"I don't think we should move it. I think we've got the best fans in the comp - they're very vocal and they support us 100 per cent.
"I wouldn't want to play anywhere else.
"We've worked hard all year to get where we are and I think giving up a home semi-final would probably be a bit silly."
The Dragons paraded the JJ Giltinan Shield in front of their fans on Friday night after snatching the minor premiership in dramatic fashion - with their big victory over Parramatta and the Bulldogs' shock loss to the Wests Tigers.
Newcastle's 35-0 hammering of Penrith ensured the Eels would finish eighth and return to Kogarah in what will be a cut-throat elimination game for them.
St George Illawarra will have the chance to march straight into a preliminary final by beating Parramatta, having already brought the Eels' stunning late-season run to a halt on Friday night.
Morris finished on 22 tries, one ahead of Wests Tigers winger Taniela Tuiaki and two clear of twin brother and Bulldogs centre Josh.
The 37-0 thrashing of Parramatta saw the Dragons shorten into $3.25 premiership favourites, ahead of the Bulldogs, Manly and the Melbourne Storm.
The Dragons board had previously made the decision to host the game at Kogarah - instead of Wollongong's WIN Stadium - because of Jubilee Oval's recent grandstand redevelopment, which was unveiled at the start of the season.
Under NRL guidelines, the first week of semi-finals is played at club home venues, with the second round to be played at regional venues.
A Dragons preliminary final would be played at either the SFS or ANZ Stadium, which will also be the venue for the grand final.
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