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All hail our first inductee |
The latest innovation for 2008 here at sang-et-or.net headquarters is the Hall Of Fame. Dragons legends will be added if they pass the rigorous criteria laid down by our tough panel of experts once their playing careers have come to an end.
Our first inductee to the sang-et-or.net Hall Of Fame ought to be an obvious choice. Can you think of any club legend who has recently retired? You want clues? A 46-cap Kiwi veteran. A Tri-Nations winner. A Golden Boot winner. The first ever Dragons club captain. It is, of course, Le Petit Genérale. |
When the club was launched, it was felt that one big marquee name was required, but it still came as a surprise when the services of a genuine, 100%, bona fide legend signed on. The signing of Stacey Jones turned the slow groundswell of interest into a runaway train. All of a sudden, the Dragons were the hottest ticket in town, severely putting USAP noses out of joint into the bargain.
Leading from the front against Hull KR
That first season, it's fare to say we didn't see the best of the wee man. A badly broken arm saw him spend 16 weeks on the sidelines and, by the time he returned, a pack that had been pounded into the ground couldn't provide enough of a platform for him to weave his magic. It was there in glimpses though.
Trotting back to his position in that great semi-final
The second season also started with him on the sidelines, but his genius could not be hidden. Masterful in the cup quarter-final at Hull as he guided the last 17 fit players at the club into the semi-finals. And then there was that semi-final. Nothing summed him up as well as that game. Conjurer-in-chief as the Dragons ran into a 22-0 lead, he needlessly got himself sin-binned, sparking a Wigan fightback. Strolling back on after his enforced break, his first touch saw him dab a delicate kick through for Jason Croker to score and send the Dragons to a major final.
Nobody reads a game like him. Huddersfield at home, he kicked a one-pointer when the Dragons were comfortably ahead going into half-time. Ultimately, that one point was the winning play. That semi-final too. The one-point ensured that Wigan couldn't get any closer than seven - a bridge too far in the end. To do it once might look like luck. Twice and you have to admit that you're in the presence of genius.
In action against Whitehaven
Whitehaven away was also a treat. The weather and the game weren't great, but to see the man surrounded by the youth of West Cumbria and signing everything that was thrust in front of him. He was there for ages.
We had the chance to interview the great man. What an absolute privilege. A quietly spoken man, it's not necessarily what he says, but the manner in which he says it. When he talks, you listen. You don't know you're doing it, but you sit slightly forward in your chair, ears pricked in an attempt to absorb everything he's saying.
The great man with the sang-et-or.net roving reporter on the turf at Wembley
Great player, great bloke, great ambassador for the game. We have enormous pleasure in naming Stacey Jones as the first inductee into the sang-et-or.net Hall Of Fame.
His last kick as a Dragon
Stacey Jones' Dragons career in stats:
Games: 44
Tries: 12
Goals: 53
Drops: 4
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