THE hatred between Cronulla and St George Illawarra has gone to a whole new level with Sharks legend Mat Rogers dropping a bombshell on the eve of the Shire Derby on Thursday.

Rogers has revealed his father and Sharks legend Steve told him his three seasons wearing the giant Red V were the worst of his career.

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Steve, who passed away in 2006, played 200 first grade games for the Sharks over a decade before switching to the enemy for the 1983-85 seasons. As his son Mat puts it, it was the nadir of his illustrious career.

Round 20

“To be honest the only reason my dad left Cronulla to play for St George, is not because he wanted to play for St George, I can assure you of that,” Rogers told foxsports.com.au.

“It was for one reason. Cronulla went broke and he didn’t want to take us (his children) out of school and St George was the only option so he didn’t have to move the family.

Cronulla legend Steve Rogers with his young sons Don and Mat in the sheds. Source: Supplied

“I’ll tell you now, he told me it was the worst three years of his life in football.

“You can print that for all the St George fans.

“That’s the reality. It’s (Cronulla) such a good place to live.”

You don’t have to support either club to appreciate the rivalry between the two teams.

The Sharks were always known as the ‘little brother’ and it would drive the players crazy.

It’s a bitter feud which spans more than 50 years.

Long before Josh Dugan signed his deal with Cronulla or Shane Flanagan plucked Jack Bird from St George Illawarra’s lower grades, the player poaching spans back to the beginning.

It’s gone both ways.

Shane Flanagan is a Dragons junior. He made his first grade debut for the club back in 1987.

Now he’s the Sharks’ head coach.

Former St George-Illawarra player Brad Mackay as a child with Steve Rogers during his time with the Dragons. Source: News Corp Australia

But he’s not the first to jump to leave.

Dragons legend Craig Young, spent his entire career in the giant Red V with more than 200 first grade games to his name and he recalls the day Dragons life member Norm Provan jumped ship.

“There were a lot of ex-Dragons, back as far as Norm Provan who went over there coaching,” Young said.

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“Players who went over, coaching staff and Shane Flanagan is an example.”

Aside from the player trades every team goes through, the rivalry runs much deeper.

The games themselves sparked hatred, fast finishes and for a rookie Rogers, this game left a lasting memory that still haunts him to this day.

It was 1995, Rogers’ first season in the NRL with the Caringbah product playing fullback against a Dragons side with Anthony Mundine running riot and a young Raging Bull at his damaging best.

“One particular game I remember very well. We got beaten fairly handsomely. Gorden Tallis played 20 minutes and got man of the match,” Rogers recalled.

“They came out and blew us off the park. I played fullback and in the first couple of minutes Gordie made a break and was charging straight at me.

“I thought ‘should I tackle him? Or should I pull what’s in my pants out and throw it at him?’ because I shat myself.

“They were brutal encounters. There’s been some tough losses but great wins too.”

While Rogers’ memories are vivid, Young couldn’t isolate just one match.

Young feature in more than 20 of these bitter clashes and said as long as there’s time on the clock, the game could be won.

“You’re never dead, that’s the thing I remember the most,” Young said.

“They were all very competitive. You could be three tries behind but either side had the capability of winning the game is what springs to mind.”

Rogers agrees.

Dragons legend Craig Young (centre) after winning the 1979 Premiership. Source: Supplied

The day former Queensland State of Origin forward Craig Greenhill broke his neck is one Rogers likened to a Bledisloe Cup.

It was Round 2 of the 1998 season.

Down on the scoreboard and troops, the Sharks came from behind with their busted players pulling off some inspirational moments.

“We won over at Kogarah one day. We had our back up against it and I think Craig Greenhill broke his neck that day,” Rogers said.

“We had players down. That game brought out a lot of emotion. You’d see guys go to the next level.

“I remember when he broke his neck. He got back up and made another tackle with a broken neck. It was those sorts of things I look back on and think ‘wow’; you don’t get that in too many games. Origin has that level of emotion.

Mat Rogers on ground injured after high tackle during a game against the Dragons. Source: News Corp Australia

“I’ve played in Bledisloe Cup games which have that emotion but very few club games have that emotion and rivalry between two supporter bases that live on top of each other.”

Greenhill finished the evening at the Prince of Wales Spinal Unit with a fractured the fifth and sixth vertebrae.

While the NRL has tightened up their act around injuries, both teams on Thursday night will be looking for their own flashes of inspiration.

It would be too fitting if it was Dugan who could provide it as he lines up against his former teammates for the first time.

“Players want to perform well against the club they’ve came from,” Young said.

“It’s a bit of an ego thing amongst them all from both sides of the fence.

“(Josh) is naturally competitive. Even in a game of touch. It’s his natural instincts. We expect that from Josh.”

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