Steelers remains a dirty word

The letters, spelling out what it is, are even right there, branded on its chest.

D-U-C-K.

Yet, whatever you do, only refer to it as ‘variety of bird’.

This was the somewhat surreal, certainly frustrating situation at the Illawarra Rugby League Football Club launch, the official name of the team replacing the Cutters this year.

Here we were on Friday, at the Steelers Club, with players Levi Dodd and Jacob Hind wearing the scarlet and white jumper, with the word S-T-E-E-L-E-R-S across the front.

It was the closest thing to a throwback to a promotional shot of John Dorahy or Paul McGregor seen in the past two decades.

But it was managed so officials, sponsors and players alike could carefully work their way around the issue.

With great respect to everyone at the St George Illawarra club, they’ve missed a trick here.

Officially, as Illawarra chairman Sean O’Connor explained to the Mercury, the point of it is keep the team in its place, in the great pathway from local footy to the NRL. Using the Steelers brand could result in the team taking on a life of its own in the Illawarra. 

Which is kind of the point.

In an era where fans in Wollongong continue to be offered only four games per year in the NRL, having the Steelers around in any national form would energise the supporter base.

It’s not as if hordes of fans are going to desert the NRL to only focus on the reserve grade team. But it would create a cult following and drag some of the die-hards back to the footy, many who have been disgruntled ever since the Super League war.

Rejecting moves to bring the Steelers back is anything but a unanimous decision in the NRL club’s camp. 

There are a number of Illawarra people who at best are disappointed, if not insulted.

“People are going to call it what they want,” one said.

“If they want to call it the Steelers, we’re not going to correct them.”

Kogarah fans still have the NRL team. There are five games at Kogarah this year and they still wear the famous Red V the majority of the time. And my memory might not be the greatest, but there was never any level of animosity between the Dragons and the Steelers.

The biggest moment came in 1992, where St George qualified for the grand final with a 4-nil win at the Sydney Football Stadium.

If social media was any guide, old Steelers fans were in a lather about the prospect of the old name being resurrected, some bitterly disappointed when it was clear it wouldn’t be.

There are a couple of issues at play as to why the move to establish the Steelers in the NSW Premiership competition has been rejected. The sponsorship situation came about quickly and officials have had to make plans on the run before kick-off on Saturday afternoon.

Illawarra Coal, taken over by company South 32 mid last year, ended its sponsorship in rugby league, leaving officials to chase new deals.

To their benefit, they now have three separate packages, for the state team, the senior competition and the juniors. Which is how, backed by TAB Corporation, the Steelers Club logo came to be on the jersey.

However, one of the other major considerations is what happens when the rugby league structure changes next year, after the demise of the try-fest that is the under 20s. It will instead become a state-based competition, falling down the pecking order as the NSW Premiership formally becomes the breeding ground for the NRL. 

The whisper is the Dragons are considering making their feeder team St George Illawarra next year.

The team would wear the same jersey as the NRL, complete with logo and Dragons name.

Which if true, would explain the hardened resistance to making this year’s team the Steelers, despite the previously stated case for it.