Saints Pride Outlasts Knight Benny | Thebigtip

They had been labelled everything you could imagine throughout the year. Apparently they were soft and they didn’t have the mental toughness to fight fire with fire. They didn’t have a dangerous enough attack to worry any of the top sides. Mark Gasnier was too old, Jamie Soward too weak and Wayne Bennett didn’t care.

All of these things may have been correct at some point during an arduous 2011 for the defending premiers. But in their final hour on Saturday night, the St George Illawarra Dragons dug deep within themselves to find that championship grit that had put them on top of the NRL mountain.

The Dragons weren’t given a chance by anyone that wasn’t wearing the big red V proudly across their chests. This wasn’t going to be about Gasnier or Bennett or to put the throng of doubters in their places.

It couldn’t have been scripted any better for one last stand from the Dragons.

50 000 people sat in the coliseum that is Suncorp Stadium. Baying for the blood of the invaders from the South. Demanding they fall to the hands of their great leader Darren Lockyer and his warriors.

The once mighty champions were expected to be slaughtered in front of a salivating crowd. Worshiping Lockyer’s every move and condemning his opposition to eighty minutes of sporting hell.

Suncorp Stadium at capacity is something only a visiting player can really understand. 50 000 people become one giant wave of noise. A brutally intimidating feeling for anyone not wearing a Brisbane Broncos jersey.

So for the seventeen Dragons players that sat in the away dressing rooms prior to kick-off on Saturday, this must have been the biggest mental test a professional sportsman could have.

They were the slaves. Forced to fight with the promise of freedom for the survivors.

The chance to prove to Australia that they were still the right and proper defending premiers of the National Rugby League. If they fought they would get the freedom they craved.

What followed was the gutsiest display from any team in the competition all year.

The Broncos hit them time and time again expecting them to fold and collapse. Everyone knew the Saints would fight early but perhaps fade away as the game went on.

But human beings are strange creatures and proud people always stand up. Adversity wasn’t just in their face, it was scratching their eyes out. They stood firm.

This wasn’t for Wayne Bennett. The super coach so super, that he was already having meetings with the Newcastle Knights days before the game on Saturday night. He had lost the respect of his players months ago. They would never admit it, but Bennett was the last thing on their minds as they continued to get up off the canvas on Saturday night.

Dragons legend Graeme Langlands knows why they have been broken.

"I don't think the coach announcing he was leaving would have helped. It should have all been kept hush hush until the end of their season" Langlands said.

“And the same thing with (Mark) Gasnier. Has it had an effect on the players? Well, I suppose it would have because he's been such a good coach for them.

"As for Gasnier, it cost St George two very good forwards (Jeremy Smith and Neville Costigan). I don't think that went over too good."

Bennett could have kept the move to the Knights quiet until post season. But that’s not how he does business. The quiet Queenslander loves nothing more than seeing himself all over the newspapers. This is why many believe he came to Sydney in the first place. He loves the attention.

Saturday night was about the players and the respect they wanted back. They got it.