Team of the Decade (2010s): Wingers
Wingers get a bad rap. Depending on who you ask wingers are pretty boys with clean jerseys, a low work rate and certainly nowhere near as tough as their counterparts in the forwards.
But the Dragons were blessed with some of the finest wingmen of the 2010s; some of which remain fan favourites to this day, long after their departure from the club.
Our St George Illawarra fan-voted Team of the Decade (2010s) player position votes are aimed to help Red V members and fans navigate, and distract, through these harrowing times.
Offering up a great opportunity to look back at not only the club's 2010 premiership success, the Team of the Decade will reflect on a whopping 48 players who traversed the triumphs, the trials and the tribulations in the years that followed.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram and stay tuned to Dragons.com.au for not only the latest on the Team of the Decade but all Red V-relevant news.
Voting for your favourite wingers of the 2010s closes at midnight, Sunday, April 12. This Team of the Decade (2010s) vote is proudly brought to you by Deicorp.
Wingers of the Decade (2010s) nominees
Nene Macdonald (2017-18)
Dragons appearances: 46
Standing at 194 centimetres tall and weighing in excess of 110 kilograms, Nene Macdonald wasn't your typical winger by traditional standards. That didn’t stop the skilful flank from producing some of the best finishes seen at the Dragons over the past decade. Macdonald's seemingly impossible put-down against the club's local derby Sharks rivals in Round 2, 2018 was a sure-fire hit among Dragons fans, with his two seasons at the Red V cementing the Cairns product as a household name. The PNG international joined the Dragons in 2017 after stints with the Roosters and Titans before his departure to the North Queensland Cowboys in 2018.
Kurt Mann (2016-18)
Dragons appearances: 60
Mann earned the reputation as the Dragons' Mr. Fix-It in his three seasons at the Red V. Joining the club from the Melbourne Storm, Mann made his mark across in a number of positions at the Red V but none more so than on the wing and in the halves. No stranger to fullback, centre, lock or bench utility, in the halves was where Mann found himself most comfortable. Although, 15 of Mann's 20 tries at the Dragons were scored while playing on the flank, including 10 in 2016 when he achieved the rare feat of being the club's outright leading try-scorer. The former Queensland Origin Under-20s representative departed the club for the Newcastle Knights ahead of the 2019 season.
Brett Morris (2006-2014)
Dragons appearances: 169 (108 games in the 2010s)
There wasn't much an opposition defence could do to stop Brett Morris from finding the try-line. Whether via a long-range effort, individual brilliance, through the air or sticking to the sideline, Morris had no problems finding the white stripe. The local Kiama junior and son of Dragons premiership winner Steve Morris, BMoz was always destined to don the Red V. Morris made his first grade debut in 2006 before departing the club for the Bulldogs in 2014 – a whopping 169 appearances and 114 tries (second-most in joint-venture history) later. Morris's pivotal role as the club's leading try-scorer (20) in the Dragons' 2010 premiership campaign translated to representative honours; becoming a mainstay for New South Wales and Australia. Morris was also duly awarded Red V Members' Player of the Year and the prestigious Dragons Medal in 2012.
Jason Nightingale (2007-2018)
Dragons appearances: 270 (212 games in the 2010s)
The ever-dependable Jason Nightingale earned the standing as one of the Dragons' greatest wingers throughout his 12-year career playing for the Red V. From scoring a try on debut in 2007 to retiring as St George, Illawarra and St George Illawarra's third-most capped player ever in 2018, Nightingale became synonymous with the Dragons in the 2010s. The man affectionately known as Gypsy scored 110 NRL tries for the Dragons and became a mainstay for New Zealand, representing the Kiwis on 33 occasions. Nightingale's impact on the Dragons is highlighted by his impressive haul of club awards: twice claiming the Geoff Selby Memorial Trophy (2010 and 2016), the Immortals Trophy (2011), Red V Members' Player of the Year (2011 and 2013), the Mark Coyne Trophy (2014) and the prestigious Dragons Medal (2011).
