The smoke cleared, ridding the area of evil spirits and bringing good luck to the St George Illawarra players who were watching on.
The Dragons officially launched their season at the Jumbulla Aboriginal Discovery Centre atop the Illawarra escarpment yesterday, greeted by custodians of the Dharawal tribe performing the traditional indigenous cleansing ceremony.
The gathering followed a series of community events in the Wollongong and Kogarah communities, carefully designed to promote the positive side of rugby league.
Full coverage of the Dragons And as the code continues to deal with off-field turmoil, the launch was certainly a welcome sight for the NRL. The Dragons, too, will be grateful for all the luck they can get, as they begin their 30-week campaign in round one against the Eels at Parramatta Stadium on Friday night.
Star five-eighth Jamie Soward, who scored the winning try for the Indigenous team in last month's inaugural All Stars clash on the Gold Coast, said the launch represented a shift in the game.
"It's great for me personally as an indigenous player, but it shows just how far this club has come," Soward said.
"We had a launch like this last year and again this year we're doing things in the community and I think everyone respects that.
"It's just making everyone aware that indigenous people are doing great things in the community and for me and Dell (Wendell Sailor) and Letty (Dragons winger Michael Lett) here today, it's an honour for us to be here and showing the boys a bit of our culture."
A Wagga Kangaroos junior, Soward's Aboriginal roots are connected to the Wiradjuri people of the Riverina.
Earlier in the day, Soward and Dragons ambassador Sailor, who retired after playing for the Indigenous All Stars, were at St George Special School, interacting with severely physically and mentally disabled youngsters.
"It was an eye-opener," he said. "I walked away pretty sober and thinking about how I can help them a bit more." Soward's comments show that the boozy NRL season launch is fast becoming a thing of the past. The code is still reeling over the sexual assault allegations levelled at Wests Wollongong junior and Manly superstar Brett Stewart after last year's Sea Eagles preseason function.
NRL rivals Newcastle are picking up the pieces after props Danny Wicks and Chris Houston resigned in the wake of drug supply charges.
But under the theme of "making a difference", there was no mistaking the message from the Dragons' blitz of school visits, Clean Up Australia Day activities, women in league promotions and traditional indigenous ceremonies.
"If you look at it as an obligation, you don't get much out of it," Dragons prop Dan Hunt said after picking up rubbish at Wollongong City Beach. "You've got to look at it as helping the environment and helping kids when you're at school events. "It puts things in perspective and when you do get in and have a go it is rewarding."
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