More than three decades after he first proudly pulled on a Steelers jersey, former Illawarra captain John Cross is confident that rugby league in the region has never been in safer hands.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Port Kembla product was a key figure in Illawarra sides from 1991 to '94, highlighted by the chance to skipper the Steelers against the touring Great Britain team at WIN Stadium in 1992. Illawarra that year fell one game short of a grand final, losing a heart-breaking preliminary final to St George.
This weekend, Cross is buoyed by the opportunity to reunite with several of his old teammates as the Steelers celebrate their 40th anniversary. It's a time to share tall stories and reflect on how much has changed in the past four decades.
With the recent announcement that a new $50 million high performance centre will be built for St George Illawarra at the University of Wollongong's Innovation Campus, and with several Steelers juniors now lining up for the red v in the NRL, Cross is excited about the sport's future in the Illawarra.
"The Steelers have been a massive part of Wollongong. People still talk about it and there's still people who would love to see the Steelers still standing alone, but that's obviously not meant to be. But it's good that we still have the opportunity to have first-class rugby league played in the area," Cross said.
"I think it's massive that the Dragons are going to team up with the uni and build that centre of excellence. I think if you look at all of the clubs having success at the moment, they're all based around a centre of excellence and being able to bring juniors through. And that's what the Steelers was back in the day, it was a place where we could bring our juniors through.
"We've got a great nursery here and if they can get the best facilities and get the opportunity to show how good they are, I think it's a great thing that can only help the area and the club going forward."
Cross and another Steelers great Michael Bolt met with Dragons players and Illawarra juniors Blake Lawrie, Jack Bird and Mathew Feagai for a tour of the Port Kembla Steelworks on Wednesday. It was a chance for three generations of talent to rub shoulders, with the St George Illawarra trio sporting specially designed Steelers jerseys that the club will wear for Sunday's clash with the Raiders at WIN Stadium.
"I played for the Illawarra Steelers in the Harold Matts and SG Ball system coming through the junior ranks, so to now pull on the heritage jersey for the 40 years means a lot," Lawrie said.
"A couple of my coaches in Paul McGregor and Shaun Timmins had conversations about the Steelers coming through, and then to meet two former Steelers in Crossy and Bolty today, it means a lot. I'll be going out there on Sunday to do the jersey proud."
To read more stories, download the Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.
Sign up for breaking news emails below.
Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
