LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
Jamie Soward has expressed his frustration over the St George Illawarra Dragons management's failure to contact him directly for an upcoming players' reunion, despite his recent role as the NRLW coach.
Soward, a club legend known for helping end the Dragons' premiership drought in 2010, revealed that club officials did not have his phone number or email, forcing them to reach out to a third party for his contact information.
Soward, who played 141 games for the Dragons from 2007 to 2013, had an unceremonious exit from the club when offered only a one-year deal.
After playing for the London Broncos and Penrith Panthers, he returned to the Dragons as the NRLW coach in 2021, but that tenure ended poorly with his sacking last year.
He has openly discussed the emotional toll of being dismissed, highlighting the support he received from his family during that tough time.
While discussing the situation on 'The Bye Round' podcast with James Graham, Soward emphasized how the breakdown in his relationship with the Dragons has manifest.
"There's [a former player's day] coming up next month, and this sums it up for me," he noted.
"They had to ring someone, a mutual person that works at the club, to get my details to invite me to it.
I worked there last year.
I went 'surely you've got my email and phone number'."
Graham, who played for the Dragons from 2018 to 2020, reported that he received his invitation via email, further underscoring the disparity in how former players are treated.
Soward concluded with a sense of disappointment, stating, "To me it's arrogance from them," highlighting the perceived lack of respect from the club towards its former players.