League: The Warriors' Wollongong woes: 22 years since last win

The last time the Warriors won a game at Wollongong's WIN Stadium, Mission Impossible was about to show at the movies. Yes the first film. Quite fitting.

Stephen Kearney's side head to WIN Stadium on Saturday, a ground where they won once in 12 trips including a current 10-game losing streak that dates back to 1996.

And on that day the Auckland Warriors defeated the Illawarra Steelers. How times have changed, except for that fact that the Warriors can't get a victory at WIN Stadium.

The Warriors also have a one-win, five-loss record at Kogorah, the Dragons' other home ground.

The good news is the Warriors have recent history on their side, which probably counts the most compared to fixtures from 20 plus years ago.

The Warriors ran out 20-12 winners in round seven at Mt Smart Stadium handing the Dragons their first defeat of the season.

A win on Saturday would mean the first time they've beaten the Dragons twice in the same year. The Dragons have completed a season sweep six times against the Warriors.

It's not just on the road where the Warriors have struggled against the Sydney club.

The St George-Illawarra Dragons have been the Auckland club's toughest opponents across the competition, dating back to 1999.

In 26 previous clashes, the Warriors have enjoyed only six victories against the joint venture club. That win percentage (23per cent) is their lowest against any NRL opponent. The streak includes only two wins in the past 15 clashes, and just three since 2004.

It's difficult to fathom, as the Dragons, once a powerhouse in the 1960s and '70s, haven't always been heavyweights in the NRL era. They had a solid run in the 2000s, reaching the finals in nine years out of 12 during 2000-11, and made two grand finals, winning in 2010. But they have made the top eight only once in the past seven years - and yet have still dominated the Warriors in that time.

Along the way, there have been some season-defining defeats. In 2013, the Warriors' top eight hopes were extinguished by a meek 19-10 loss at Kogarah in the last game of the season, while an awful 31-12 loss at Eden Park in round two the following year indicated that the issues with Matt Elliott's regime hadn't been resolved. A 36-0 drubbing in Wellington was a low point of the 2015 season, and the 26-12 loss in Hamilton last year was a sign that the project under Stephen Kearney had a long way to go.

Even back in 1995, the Warriors were smashed 47-14 by a Gorden Tallis-inspired St George team in an eight-tries-to-three thrashing, which dulled some of the early optimism and hype around the new venture.

Since his 2005 NRL debut, Simon Mannering has just two wins in 14 attempts against the red and white V. His first was a 44-16 victory at Mt Smart in 2007, with Mannering (two), Wade McKinnon, George Gatis and Jerome Ropati among the try scorers.

"I'm not sure why they have that record," said Mannering ahead of the round 7 clash earlier this year. "I don't think there is a particular reason and there can be a few factors. But the Dragons always have tough, competitive teams [and] they are always a challenge."

Warriors away record against the Dragons

At Wollongong
2013 round 26 Lost 19-10
2012 round 25 Lost 38-6
2011 round 25 Lost 26-22
2009 round 8 Lost 12-11
2008 round 24 Lost 34-6
2006 round 10 Lost 22-16
2005 round13 Lost 32-18
2004 round 23 Lost 28-10
2001 round 17 Lost 38-18
2000 round 14 Lost 54-0
1996 round 6 Won 30-20 (v Illawarra)
1995 round 2 lost 40-28 (v Illawarra)

At Kogorah
2017 round 4 Lost 26-12
2014 round 7 Lost 20-10
2003 round 22 Won 30-20
1998 round 4 Lost 28-24
1996 round 19 Lost 36-5