The Leagues Club now offers all St George Illawarra fans a one-stop shop for all Dragon apparel with a new merchandise outlet opened at the club.

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The already delicious catering offerings at St George Leagues Club just got a huge boost, with the opening of a new Chinese restaurant on the first floor.

Teams of builders have worked hard to complete the landmark new Crown Dragon Restaurant, which veteran restaurateur Ricky Char promises will cater the very best “true blue Chinese” offerings.

With 30 years in hospitality and several leading club restaurants behind him, Ricky knows how to entice new diners as well as the all important task of keeping his regulars happy.

To this end, visitors to the club’s sprawling new restaurant are able to choose from a wide and varied yum cha or á la carte lunch menu, and a special á la carte menu at dinner.

Crown Dragon is a huge undertaking, with seating for 250. It is open seven days and nights and offers a high level of service. Ricky promised that the combination of amazing food “cooked with love” and his highly trained, welcoming staff would provide a new level of dining experience for Leagues Club members and guests – be they looking for a special event dinner or a quick yum cha feast.

“Our team wants to turn this new dragon into the place of choice for Chinese cuisine lovers in this area,” he says.

And while there are all the favourites, such as sweet and sour pork or popular yum cha delights like dim sims and spring rolls, Ricky’s extended menu of swimmingly fresh seafood and traditional Chinese offerings will draw both the gourmet and the adventurous.

His specials menu include an enticing white bait and king prawns in chilli salt as well as the classic two course Peking duck including delicious pancakes and a rich broth.

Ricky has been running Chinese restaurants for more than 30 years and his Tingha Palace chain now spreads as far as Lithgow Blacktown Workers Club in the West, south to Unanderra and north to Tweed Heads.

“Crown Dragon is going to be my first new restaurant in 30 years in Sydney’s south, after I started my first one in the 1970s at Miranda RSL,” he says.

“I am looking forward to showing everyone in the area just how good Chinese food can be.”

New head chef Ross Hardman brings three decades of skill to his role. It’s often tempting for a new chef to overhaul the menu and make their mark straight away, but with his long history working in clubs, Ross Hardman knows slow but steady is key.

“We have some very regular clients that come here for special dishes and these will definitely be staying on the menu,” Ross promises of the catering offerings at St George Leagues Club.

“But we are also trying to encourage them to try something new, some things that are a bit different but that will also hopefully appeal to some new clientele.”

So, diners will still be able to get all their old favourites such as lambs fry, crumbed brains and Bobby’s curried prawns – which have been putting satisfied smiles on St George faces for the past 30 years.

“They love those things and it would be crazy to try to take them off the menu,” Ross says.

Ross – who took over running the Club’s two kitchens and 12 full time chefs in December – had an indication of just how popular the regular offerings are early in the piece.

“We had a call from someone the other day asking if we had the curry prawns on the menu. He was calling from Manly and said that he had a big group and he would bring them in, but only if the prawns were on,” Ross explains.

“Of course they were on the menu. So they came in and had a great lunch.”

Ross said there would also be a range of new offerings.

“We’re looking at introducing a schnitzel bar, a range of fresh pastas – which we have negotiated with local business Pastabilities to supply, and they’re really good,” he says.

Born and bred in the Sutherland Shire, Ross is no stranger to the area and even did his apprenticeship at Sutherland District Trade Union Club.

“I have been in clubs the majority of my life. I know clubs and I love clubs,” he explains.

In fact, except for a recent three year stint with the Defence Force, training army cooks, Ross has spent his entire career meeting the unique challenge of turning out great food in clubs. And he has gained plenty of knowledge that he is ready to share.

“I also do a lot of guest speaker roles, every month helping out with various programs like Rotary and the Lions Club,” he says.

“I talk to them mainly about hospitality and how it’s a great industry to get involved in. I like talking to these types of groups because they have influence with the next generation, with their kids and grandkids, and they can help steer them towards food.

“I’m an absolute advocate for the industry and getting behind the people and improving the training. I just love the business and I want to help other people see what a great career they can have.”

Some would say season 2009 marks a new era in the history of the St George Illawarra Dragons with six-time Premiership winning Coach Wayne Bennett taking up the reigns as Head Coach after 21 years at the Brisbane Broncos.

The Dragons began pre-season training in early November for the 2009 NRL Telstra Premiership.

However, new Head Coach Wayne Bennett did not begin his tenure until December 1 due to his coaching involvement with the World Cup winning Kiwis.

Whilst admitting things were perhaps a little different, Bennett suggested that nothing had really changed too much for him.

“I put the different coloured shirt on this morning, looked in the mirror once and thought that looks alright lets get on with it,” he said on his first day. “I’m still a coach and I know what needs to be done.

“The Dragons are a club in the NRL like others so I don’t see too many things being different,” he added.

The move from Queensland to Sydney is indeed enormous with many puzzled as to why the most successful coach in the modern game would take up such a challenge.

“An opportunity presented itself at the appropriate time and I have always been a closet Dragons fan all my life,” was Bennett’s response when asked.

“I have always had great respect for the Club. From the outside the Club has a very strong brand and I don’t say that lightly.

It is a great Club that genuinely is an iconic brand within Australian sport and it generates a lot of interest,” he added.

“The Club has a great history, great players and great people.”

When questioned about his fondness for the Dragons, Bennett lamented that it was difficult to single out any favourite players and moments because there were so many.

“I have a lot of favourite players and memories of the Dragons from when I was a kid,” he said.

“Whilst I didn’t know a lot about football in Sydney, names like Gasnier and Raper were never far from your conversation and I certainly knew about Graham Langlands, he was a great player and someone that I did have the opportunity to play against, he was dominant in that era”.

When considering the present Dragons, Bennett indicated that much of his early time has been spent observing.

“I don’t need to come here and turn the place upside down,” he said. “They do and have done a lot of great things here at this Club, it is a matter of keeping the things they do well and improving the things they don’t do so well.

“I know what I have got to do here, there is a process involved and we will keep at it until we get to where we want to go,” he added.

“I need to spend some time with the players, I need to watch them train and play. I know what players like Matt Cooper for example are capable of, but there are others that I haven’t seen a great deal of so it is important for me to see these guys in action.

In relocating from Queensland to New South Wales Bennett walks into a very different environment and business model.

Unlike the privately owned Brisbane Broncos, the Dragons, like all New South Wales Rugby Leagues Clubs are backed by Leagues Clubs and Bennett understands the importance and history of this vital association.

“Leagues Clubs have been instrumental to the success and development of the game of rugby in league in New South Wales for many many years,” said Bennett. “Everyone is well aware of the difficulties these Clubs have been placed under in recent times due to the introduction of smoking bans and increasing poker machine taxes and it is a harsh reality of these times that these businesses are not as profitable as they once were.

“In saying this, the St George Leagues Club appears well equipped to deal with the challenges due to the planning and processes that have been in place previous and now.

“The St George Leagues Club is synonymous with rugby league in this district and I am reliably informed that nothing will change in this regard which is comforting.

“St George Leagues Club and WIN Jubilee Oval are legendary in our game and I am very much looking forward to being a part of both of these places throughout this season,” said Bennett.

“I have obviously been at the ground as an away Coach but to now come here as the home Coach in the heartland of the Club will be something special.” Bennett said. “The facility looks great and it is certainly one of the great boutique grounds in Australia where players love to play and spectators love to watch.”

The first opportunity for Dragons Partners, Red V Members and fans to see the Dragons at the newly developed WIN Jubilee Oval will be on Sunday, March 29 for the local derby against the Sharks.