54 matches [1967-1996; 1998]
15 wins, 38 losses, 1 draw
Stats: themightypanthers.com/results_headtohead_stgeorge.htm
The St. George Dragons were a former premiership team that were based in the southern suburbs of Sydney, and were established in the early 1920s.
By the time the Panthers were admitted into the competition in 1967, the Dragons had won an unprecedented 11 straight premierships from 1956 to 1966.
Based on that reputation alone, they arrived at Penrith Park early in the 1967 season, with the newcomers given little hope. However, Penrith stunned the rugby league world with a well-deserved 24-12 victory – over 50 years later, the magnitude of the victory has not been lost, and is still viewed by many as one of the club’s finest ever wins.
However, the Dragons would win the next 14 straight meetings, until their second meeting of the 1974 season at Penrith Park. The Panthers won a tight encounter 22-21 but is perhaps best remembered for Peter Langmack’s five tries, which to this day remains a club record.
In the final round of the 1975 season, the Panthers seemed consigned to the wooden spoon when they trailed 19-0 with only 16 minutes remaining, but remarkably would score 5 converted tries to over run the Dragons and score a 25-19 victory.
Victories would continue to become a rarity for Penrith up until the end of the 1980s, with Penrith only winning 7 of the 26 meetings from 1976 to 1989, along with one draw at Penrith Park in 1987.
Come the 1990s, the Panthers would get the better of the the Dragons, winning 6 of the 9 meetings from 1990 to 1996, including a hard fought 8-6 win at Kogarah Oval in 1994, which was only the second win in 21 visits to the venue.
Both teams would compete in separate competitions in 1997, with St. George in the ARL and Penrith in the Super League.
St. George’s last season would be in the first season of the reunified National Rugby League, with the Dragons winning a high scorinf affair at Penrith Stadium 30-24 in April.
Later in the year, St. George would agree to a merger with the Illawarra Steelers to form the St. George Illawarra Steelers, with the Dragons providing the financial clout and Illawarra providing a broader fan base and juniors base, as well as splitting home matches between Sydney and Wollongong.
St. George still exist in the junior grades, but has not fielded a senior team in the NSW Cup since 2000.
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