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St George Illawarra Dragons (Rugby League)
Last year could not have started better for St George Illawarra, crowned world champions after beating English champions Wigan in the World Club Challenge at the DW Stadium last February.
The Dragons followed up their drought-breaking premiership win in October 2010 by beginning 2011 with a bulging trophy cabinet containing the Summons-Provan Cup as NRL premiers, the JJ Giltinan Shield as 2010 minor premiers, plus the WCC trophy and Charity Shield.
The Dragons came from 8-0 down to beat Wigan, with Kiama junior Brett Morris the two-try hero and named man of the match.
Then-Dragons coach Wayne Bennett returned home from England for family reasons just days before the final, but his assistant Steve Price showed he was ready for the top job in a dominant Dragons win.
Just weeks into the season, Price was named as Dragons coach for 2012 after Bennett quit to join Newcastle.
St George Illawarra led the NRL for the first half of 2011 but slumped in the final two months to finish sixth.
Narrow back-to-back losses to the Wests Tigers and a Darren Lockyer-inspired Brisbane in the semi finals ended their season.
On the representative front, Beau Scott made his Kangaroos debut against Wales in the Four Nations, while Darius Boyd won back his spot in the Australian squad.
Jason Nightingale and Nathan Fien were part of the New Zealand squad.
Losing Wayne Bennett, plus Darius Boyd to the Knights, plus their premiership defence falling short ensured that while 2011 started with the ultimate success for the Dragons, it finished in disappointment.
New coach Price faces a big challenge this season, but St George Illawarra have been a premiership threat every season since 2005 and will undoubtedly again prove hard to beat in 2012.
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| Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images |
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