Dragons legend Matt Cooper has revealed he was never invited to the St George Illawarra Dragons’ 15-year premiership reunion held at Kogarah Oval, resulting in his absence from the celebration against the Roosters in round 19. Cooper, who is regarded as one of the greatest players in the club’s history, was not alone; several other prominent figures, including Jamie Soward, Ben Hornby, Mark Gasnier, and Darius Boyd, also did not attend. The club’s former coach, Wayne Bennett, confirmed he too was not asked to join the event.
Taking to social media, Cooper addressed the influx of messages questioning his absence. “I’ve been away all week, but my phone has been blowing up non-stop about the so-called Dragons 15-year grand final reunion and why I wasn’t there,” he explained. “It’s simple – I never got invited. That’s why I wasn’t there. It seems like that happened to a lot of players. It was probably an unofficial gathering, a spur-of-the-moment thing.”
Only four players from the 2010 grand final team made it to the reunion: assistant coach Dean Young, club employee Jason Nightingale, pre-game announcer Michael Weyman, and board member Ben Creagh. Dan Hunt, who was not part of the 17 in the final, also attended.
Cooper, who made 244 appearances for the club, placing him fourth for all-time games played, holds the record for the most tries scored while wearing the Dragons’ colours. Meanwhile, he has expressed his desire to remain involved with the club despite past tensions with former CEO Peter Doust, who resigned but still sits on the board. “I don’t have issues with the club, just with the CEO when I retired and how it affected my life,” he clarified. “I’m at peace now and genuinely wish to be part of the Dragons.”
He praised the current CEO, Tim Watsford, expressing hope for a future return to the group. This sentiment echoes that of his former teammate Soward, who recently shared feelings of never having been truly welcomed back into the club post-retirement.
The club’s 2010 premiership team boasts notable players including Darius Boyd, Brett Morris, and Jamie Soward, with Bennett as coach, further emphasizing the legacy of this successful era for the Dragons.