Steelers legend Michael Bolt has rejected proposed moves by the Dragons to drop the Illawarra moniker from the joint venture name.
St George Illawarra have asked members to change the name to the St George Dragons, and Wollongong fans are angry.
“It looks like a case of jealousy and sour grapes,” said Bolt, an Illawarra Steelers star in the 1980s.
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“The players almost all live here (in the Illawarra), they train here, the new $50 million center of excellence is here and it seems the people coming back to St George are not happy.
“But I can tell you one thing, they are removing the Illawarra name from the title and there will be no more joint venture.
Ben Hunt and the Dragons looked despondent. (Getty Images)
“Wollongong fans won’t stand for it.
“Anyway, we’ve felt short for much of the life of the merger and they’re going to want to be very careful what they do.”
Club members were given an extensive survey this week that included the possibility of a possible name or logo change.
Fans were asked “what naming convention should the St George Illawarra Dragons use as their formal identity”.
Options included: St George Dragons, Southern Dragons, Greater Sydney Dragons, The Dragons or St George Illawarra Dragons.
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