Dragons legend Matt Cooper has launched a scathing attack on his old club after a tumultuous period, claiming there is no pride in the Red V jersey anymore.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Cooper, who was a member of the Dragons’ last premiership winning side in 2010 under Wayne Bennett and played nearly 250 games for the club, traces the decline back to the departure of the master coach in 2012.
“There’s no pride in the jersey anymore,” Cooper told The Daily Telegraph.
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“It’s disgraceful. It’s terrible, where the club is right now.
“From 2001-2011 we only missed the finals twice. Since then, we’ve only made them twice.
“Obviously it changed when Wayne Bennett left. It all starts from the top… that’s where the culture comes from.”
The Dragons are reeling after just two players attended their end of season awards night amid claims coach Anthony Griffin has lost the dressing room.
Meanwhile, two of the club’s brightest prospects in Tyrell Sloan and Jayden Sullivan have twice asked for releases from their multi-year deals to join the Dolphins and Bulldogs respectively.
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While both players are now happy to stay after receiving assurances form the club over their futures, Cooper believes they never should have got to the stage of asking for releases.
“In the old days, kids would do anything to wear the Red V,” Cooper said.
“They grew up with that dream to play for the Dragons.
“There’s no pride in the jersey now, no team-first attitude.
“You can see that when players are asking to be released – and I’m not blaming them. There’s a reason they want to go elsewhere.”
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Cooper also took aim at club chairman Craig Young for using the Dragons’ letterhead to write a reference for Brett Finch, who is fighting to avoid a jail term for his alleged involvement in an online service that distributed child abuse material.
“For the chairman of the board to give a reference to a person who used a sex chat service to send sick messages about young boys is just disgusting,” Cooper said.
“To do it on a club letterhead is even worse. If I was still a player I would have spoken up about it. In fact, I’d even have to consider my position at the club.”
