Phantom Siren reveals why he went off early during Dragons fiasco
The man behind the Phantom Siren has revealed why he acted early on the weekend.
St George Illawarra's famous Phantom Siren has explained why he broke with tradition and went off early as his beloved Dragons were crashing to a humiliating NRL defeat in last Sunday's local derby against Cronulla. The Siren – aka Sydney's Gosh Daher - told Yahoo Sport Australia he unleashed his fake siren call 15 minutes before full-time in a bid to rouse dejected Saints fans from their slumber.
The Dragons were trailing 32-8 at the time and would go on to lose 40-8, conceding 28 unanswered points in the process. Daher's siren mimic could be clearly heard around Netstrata Jubilee Stadium and on TV, prompting Fox League caller Andrew Voss to quip: "That could be the Phantom Siren.
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"I don’t think they're going to fall for it with 15 to go. Maybe he's got an early morning, tomorrow."
The truth was Daher was so upset by the scenes around him in the grandstand that he let loose early instead of waiting until the dying minutes, as he usually does. "It was just so fu**ing boring. It was more like a funeral than a game of footy," Daher told Yahoo Sport Australia.
"Everyone was just so upset. It was like a morgue, a funeral, in the members' stand. I thought I'll just bring a bit of entertainment and I ripped it and everyone clapped and laughed.
"That's what the fans needed - entertainment. We're not at a funeral when we're watching St George, although it felt like it. Fifteen minutes from full-time is the earliest I've ever gone off. It was just so diabolical watching such a proud club be routed like that.
"That's two weeks in a row where they're in games and something happens and they capitulate. Nicho Hynes hasn’t played for five weeks and has been dealing with family problems and comes out and embarrasses them all by himself."
Dragons supporters fed up with club's form
Daher, who is close mates and business partner (in the Indigenous-inspired MGM – Mundine Gosh Management) with Dragons great Anthony Mundine, is undecided whether he will attend St George Illawarra's clash with the Dolphins in Wollongong on Saturday night. If he does, the siren might be unleashed at half-time unless there is a dramatic form reversal.
"I'm not sure at this stage but I probably wouldn’t go to Wollongong," Daher said. "They need to know the fans are pi**ed off with them. We shouldn’t have to tolerate that.
"Last week they played the first half like a first grade side. The second half was like an A-Reserve park football side. I don’t think I can put myself through it again."
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