The decision to potentially scrub 'Illawarra' from the Dragons team name has sparked fury from fans and prompted a response from the club's CEO.

The name change idea stemmed from a survey of Dragons members asking them to pick from a list of potential future names for the club - including three that did not include any mention the Illawarra region, and one with a standalone St George option.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 31: Ben Hunt of the Dragons and team mates look dejected after a Cowboys try during the round 20 NRL match between the St George Illawarra Dragons and the North Queensland Cowboys at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, on July 31, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

The reaction from fans of the joint Sydney venture has been one of collective rejection.

“It just seems a case of jealousy and sour grapes,” Illawarra Stealers legend Michael Bolt told Wide World of Sport. 

“The players almost all live down here (in the Illawarra), they train down here, the new $50 million centre of excellence is down here and it seems the people back up at St George aren't happy.

“But I can tell you one thing, they take the name ‘Illawarra' out of the title and there will be no more joint venture.

“The fans in Wollongong won't stand for it."

A similar sentiment was felt by Dragons historian and author, Geoff Armstrong.

“In my view the great St George Illawarra brand, the big city club and the nearby region has an opportunity to be a powerhouse if only the club had embraced all the things that make it so special. Instead they seem to want to run away from the things that make them special," Armstrong said via SEN.

“It almost spooks me out as a fan. I just wish that St George Illawarra would stop thinking of themselves as two separate factions.

"To say that the era of St George and the Steelers has passed, those clubs live on in the joint venture. They're an important part of the joint venture and it really frustrates me when the current administration wants to run away from that.”

Fans also took to social media to express their displeasure with the suggested name change:

The backlash from the proposed name change has forced Dragons CEO, Ryan Webb to comment on the controversial suggestion.

“As a club we often talk about the strength of our brand and the number of connections we have,” Webb stated per The Illawarra Mercury. 

“(Dropping Illawarra from the name)It's not something that is talked about.

“It's trying to get a snapshot of what people think we are and what we stand for now.

“We've been around for 23 years now and it's still not clear right across our fan base. So we're just looking to see what people think and getting their feedback.

“This is just a brand health check I guess that most businesses do and everyone's focusing on one question which doesn't work.”