However, the Dragons have stayed drama free this year.

Dual international winger Sailor, who spent two years on the sidelines because of a drug ban before joining St George Illawarra, said the senior players had a major role to play in the club's public image.

"I think we have a good core group of guys," Sailor said.

"Ben Hornby, Matt Cooper, Dean Young, Jeremy Smith, these are the sort of guys you want to be in the trenches (playing) with, but they're also good family people.

"The younger players can bounce stuff off us and Wayne (Bennett) and (chief executive) Peter (Doust) have put the onus on us to do the right things.

"We're grown men and I showed off the field a couple of years ago, you don't want to be in trouble for the wrong reasons."

Wendell Sailor made a surprise appearance at a development clinic for St George Illawarra's High Performance Unit juniors at WIN Stadium yesterday.

After turning 35 on Thursday, Sailor spoke to the players about his life experience and the expectations of NRL players.

Sailor is a leading ambassador for rugby league since his return last year and is auctioning off his playing boots, a pair of cycling great and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong's Nike "Live strong" brand, for the Joanne Mackay Foundation.

The Dragons raised more than $30,000 for the foundation, formed by former St George and Illawarra great Brad Mackay after his wife passed away from breast cancer in 2002.

"Dell's been fantastic for the game in the Illawarra region," Mackay said.

"He puts himself out there as a player and wants to be a part of the community.

"I think of him in the highest regard in the work he has done for the foundation, I just can't enough for the what he has done."

Last week Sailor, with the Flames cheerleaders' silver pom-poms in hand, delivered an impromptu dance at a Red V members day at WIN Stadium.

The Dragons have earned a tremendous amount of goodwill in the community this year.

Poore last night held a fundraiser for the Hope Rwanda charity after he made an off-season pilgrimage to help rebuild the war-ravaged country.

The Dragons, have visited 69 schools and conducted 774 clinics in the region as well as drug and alcohol education, cultural, environmental and women in league community programs.

The flow-on effect from the Dragons' success is having a huge impact in the Illawarra, according to WIN Stadium general manager Stuart Barnes.

In a time of global financial crisis and high unemployment in the region, Barnes believes the Dragons' success has helped boost the sense of community, as well as the economy.

A crowd of 16,792 watched the victory over Manly, while the arrival of Bennett and the redevelopment of Kogarah's WIN Jubilee Oval has boosted the club's standing amongst the business community.

Sleeve sponsor Southern Cross Constructions, the company behind the Kogarah upgrade, got its money's worth when Sailor flashed the logo at television cameras after scoring a try earlier this year.

"You wouldn't have gotten a hotel room without paying top dollar for it on Sunday," Barnes said.

"The flow on effects the Dragons ... and the (NBL franchise Wollongong) Hawks have on the community is hugely significant, that's the power of major events."