The St George Illawarra Dragons won't be changing their name anytime soon according to club CEO Ryan Webb.
Select fans were sent a survey in December glossing over a wide array of topics, but the key take away from the review was ย question regarding the name and logo of the club, and whether it requires changing.
St George Dragons, Southern Dragons, Greater Sydney Dragons, The Dragons or St George Illawarra Dragons were the five options presented to diehard fans as the club grappled with their own identity.
However, their chief executive has confirmed there won't be any sort of rebrand at the club.
โThe brand and the Dragons is always going to be around,โ Webb told The Daily Telegraph.
Webb is adamant a change was never actually on the cards.
โIt was never the intent,โ Webb continued.
โIt was essentially a brand โhealth check' which we'll use to steer internal marketing and communication activities. That survey had 40 questions.
โThe name change isn't there."
It's a sigh of relief for fans of the Red V as old boys like Steve Morris threatened to walk from the club if 'Illawarra' was dropped from the title.
It's just another nail in the coffin that is the Dragons' pre-season, trapping any premiership credentials and stability deep, deep inside the casket.
'The Dragons have released a club statement' is as common as the free square on a bingo card right now, constantly compounding their fan's hopes and dreams with each off-field incident.
Luckily for the playing group, the Charity Shield was in Mudgee, because trailing 26-0 at halftime, there's every chance boos would've rang around WIN Stadium if the pre-season clash was held in Wollongong.
Plain and simple, enforcer Jaydn Su'A is sick of being written off.
โWe want to shut everyone up. Thatโs my main objective,'' the hard-running backrower said.
โItโs obviously a proud club and we've got a decent roster too.
โItโs up to us now to shut everybody up.
โIt (criticism) does throw fuel onto the fire and that makes me really excited to go out this week.
โItโs not about making a statement, but rather show each other that we've got each other's backs and through this time of adversity we can really come along and play for one another.
โObviously we didn't play the best.
โSouths touched us up on the day, but weโve had a big pre-season and we're asking the fans to stick by us.ย What better way to go out there on Sunday and show them all and gain their support again.
โI know weโve got some loyal fans and some not so loyal.
โBut Iโm sure we'll go out this weekend and be a club that the fans can be proud of.''
Easily the club's best forward in the Charity Shield, Sunday's clash with the Gold Coast Titans will double as a reunion for Su'A, after David Fifita's switch to the left edge put the pair on a collision course.
The two damaging back-rowers played 11 NRL games together at Red Hill before Jaydn moved to South Sydney midway through the 2019 season, and he's hoping Fifita shows mercy.
โWeโre good friends from our Broncos days,'' Su'A said.
โItโs going to be good going up against him.
โHeโll be looking to run over the top of me. It's a good battle for me to show that I can be one of the top second rowers in the comp.
โHopefully he eats a bit the night before and he doesnโt have too many runs.''
