KiwiDog7
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Canterbury Bulldogs woeful nrl season self inflicted - nine.com
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GrogDog
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COPY AND PASTE OF ARTICLE
A month ago, in the middle of the Bulldogs’ insipid slump, I ran into one of the top halves currently in the NRL, and the conversation turned to how woeful Canterbury had become.
"I watch them and I can't work out how they've turned into such a bad team," he said.
"They've got a six (Josh Reynolds) who's won a State of Origin series and a seven (Moses Mbye) who's won lots of Friday night man-of-the-match awards and played Prime Minister’s XIII in PNG. But they look like they can't play. They're going side-to-side. It's not all their fault. No go forward. No shape. Nothing."
I then asked what he thought had gone wrong. A year ago the Bulldogs were sitting top four with the same roster.
"It looks to me like they've stopped learning,'' he said. "Des obviously can't teach them anymore and has run out of ideas. The structure's not working and they're not learning a new way.''
It can't go on. Last night the Bulldogs were so poor against Parramatta it was almost impossible to watch.
Des Hasler knew it. He had nothing in the post-match press conference. No fight. No optimism.
Last night he dropped Michael Lichaa from the 17, played Mbye at hooker again, moved Chase Stanley to five-eighth and Josh Reynolds to halfback.
It was a disaster. Stanley is a solid centre who's trying to stay on the field after an injury-riddled career.
To think he could perform in the halves against a top-four team was a brain-fade.
It was a desperation move to try and spark something, anything, but the battery is dead. Not flat. Dead.
Hasler survived a botched boardroom coup against him last October. Instead, the instigator who wanted him out, club legend Steve Mortimer, lost his directorship at the club because he spoke out of turn.
In April this year and under the pump again, Hasler, with the staunch support of CEO Raelene Castle (who is leaving at season's end), was re-signed by chairman Ray Dib until the end of 2019.
Dib himself faces re-election as chairman in February. Re-signing Hasler could cost him his job.
He may need to jettison Hasler and pay him $1 million to go away to save his own skin. There's no interest like self-interest.
The re-signing of Hasler was folly. Yes, he's a legend. Yes, in his five years he took the Dogs to the finals all five times and into two Grand Finals.
But it was clear through the back half of last year the team was faltering, losing a string of games then getting belted by the Panthers in week one of the finals.
It was time for fresh thinking. Time for a new teacher.
Just a fortnight ago the club held a scheduled board meeting at which Hasler was present. Castle and the Dogs were at pains to say to a frenzied media it was a regular "nothing to see here" board meeting. It may have been scheduled, but to say it was regular was belittling to their bewildered fans.
The following morning Hasler told the club's fans, via the media, that the board had merely asked him about budgets.
That's insulting to people who pay memberships and cop weekly emails imploring them to part with more hard-earned to attend games or turn out to support departing club hero Josh Reynolds (who's been sent on his way to make room for Kieran Foran).
This week Castle, on behalf of the club, publicly criticised The Daily Telegraph for its "Bulldog and a Bomb" headline over a photo of an arrested terror suspect who was wearing a Canterbury jersey.
But Castle, in her public message, wrote: "We will continue to have honest dialogue with all media outlets about the importance of positive and accurate reporting and the and the helpful effect that it can have on sharing the great stories of the Canterbury Bankstown district".
Sounds great. Except it never happens. The Bulldogs never let the light in. They are a closed shop. The worst in the NRL.
It's time they opened the shutters. And time they had honest dialogue with their fans.
A month ago, in the middle of the Bulldogs’ insipid slump, I ran into one of the top halves currently in the NRL, and the conversation turned to how woeful Canterbury had become.
"I watch them and I can't work out how they've turned into such a bad team," he said.
"They've got a six (Josh Reynolds) who's won a State of Origin series and a seven (Moses Mbye) who's won lots of Friday night man-of-the-match awards and played Prime Minister’s XIII in PNG. But they look like they can't play. They're going side-to-side. It's not all their fault. No go forward. No shape. Nothing."
I then asked what he thought had gone wrong. A year ago the Bulldogs were sitting top four with the same roster.
"It looks to me like they've stopped learning,'' he said. "Des obviously can't teach them anymore and has run out of ideas. The structure's not working and they're not learning a new way.''
It can't go on. Last night the Bulldogs were so poor against Parramatta it was almost impossible to watch.
Des Hasler knew it. He had nothing in the post-match press conference. No fight. No optimism.
Last night he dropped Michael Lichaa from the 17, played Mbye at hooker again, moved Chase Stanley to five-eighth and Josh Reynolds to halfback.
It was a disaster. Stanley is a solid centre who's trying to stay on the field after an injury-riddled career.
To think he could perform in the halves against a top-four team was a brain-fade.
It was a desperation move to try and spark something, anything, but the battery is dead. Not flat. Dead.
Hasler survived a botched boardroom coup against him last October. Instead, the instigator who wanted him out, club legend Steve Mortimer, lost his directorship at the club because he spoke out of turn.
In April this year and under the pump again, Hasler, with the staunch support of CEO Raelene Castle (who is leaving at season's end), was re-signed by chairman Ray Dib until the end of 2019.
Dib himself faces re-election as chairman in February. Re-signing Hasler could cost him his job.
He may need to jettison Hasler and pay him $1 million to go away to save his own skin. There's no interest like self-interest.
The re-signing of Hasler was folly. Yes, he's a legend. Yes, in his five years he took the Dogs to the finals all five times and into two Grand Finals.
But it was clear through the back half of last year the team was faltering, losing a string of games then getting belted by the Panthers in week one of the finals.
It was time for fresh thinking. Time for a new teacher.
Just a fortnight ago the club held a scheduled board meeting at which Hasler was present. Castle and the Dogs were at pains to say to a frenzied media it was a regular "nothing to see here" board meeting. It may have been scheduled, but to say it was regular was belittling to their bewildered fans.
The following morning Hasler told the club's fans, via the media, that the board had merely asked him about budgets.
That's insulting to people who pay memberships and cop weekly emails imploring them to part with more hard-earned to attend games or turn out to support departing club hero Josh Reynolds (who's been sent on his way to make room for Kieran Foran).
This week Castle, on behalf of the club, publicly criticised The Daily Telegraph for its "Bulldog and a Bomb" headline over a photo of an arrested terror suspect who was wearing a Canterbury jersey.
But Castle, in her public message, wrote: "We will continue to have honest dialogue with all media outlets about the importance of positive and accurate reporting and the and the helpful effect that it can have on sharing the great stories of the Canterbury Bankstown district".
Sounds great. Except it never happens. The Bulldogs never let the light in. They are a closed shop. The worst in the NRL.
It's time they opened the shutters. And time they had honest dialogue with their fans.
KiwiDog7
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GrogDog
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No worries. I reckon Cronk and for no reason other than he is pretty available to the media through his work? Nothing new again but well written I thought.....ohh and true!
JackDog
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All criticism of Des, the executives and the board all warranted.
But saying they should "let the light in" is naive, considering how much of a bad treatment the dogs get from MSM.
Just run the club in the interests of the team performance, the rest will follow.
But saying they should "let the light in" is naive, considering how much of a bad treatment the dogs get from MSM.
Just run the club in the interests of the team performance, the rest will follow.
fiordog
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I reckon Thurston, just for lulz and for the tears in the car park. Oh the irony.
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Who is the author of this masterpiece?
GrogDog
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By Neil Breen...whoever that is
KiwiDog7
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Agree a v good article
dekepefc
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His a tosser. He used to be the sports editor f o r courier mail then he became editor of alpha sports magazine. The guy is a massive ego tripper but i agree with his article this time
Doggone1975
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Brilliant article it resonates deeply in the hearts of bulldogs fans... I feel like a traitor wanting us to lose games to put Hasler under the pump. The rot starts at the top and a day of reckoning looms for the self serving bastards ruining this great club.
It's not about the blame game it's about people in charge repeating mistakes over and over again and not taking responsible measures to fix them.
Take a hard look at the Canterbury club and fix the fuck up.
Sack des and dib.... NOW!!!!
It's not about the blame game it's about people in charge repeating mistakes over and over again and not taking responsible measures to fix them.
Take a hard look at the Canterbury club and fix the fuck up.
Sack des and dib.... NOW!!!!
I just rage every time I read an article now. Every time we play all I see is anger, and I would want nothing more than to kick the shit out of des and his fucking smug attitude and that fucking lappy of his, dib.
We are the dogs, we don't tolerate this bullshit. Someone needs to come out and give them the proverbial bullet or else the fans will continue to wither away.
We are the dogs, we don't tolerate this bullshit. Someone needs to come out and give them the proverbial bullet or else the fans will continue to wither away.
chisdog
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Someone needs to come out & apologise to the members, sponsors & fans for what they have consistently dished up this season. They have badly damaged the club's image & reputation.
It's too late for that. The way des treated fans at the meeting after the dragons game shows how arrogant he is. Everyone saw this coming but him.
I want him and dib fucking gone.
Kenya
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Two cents worth.
Like the truth about we were faltering from the second half of last year. We all knew that.
Des was put on notice to change (he obviously is out of ideas) - there was talk of decisions after round 8 and Dib and board betrayed the fans and team by acting sooner and re-signing. He's had his shot, blew his load, make a very poor call and in the interests of the club he ought to consider stepping aside.
As for the Telecrap linking the 'bomb to the Bulldogs' - Pathetic gutter based journalism from Murdoch and his team and the club has every right to protest.
Like the truth about we were faltering from the second half of last year. We all knew that.
Des was put on notice to change (he obviously is out of ideas) - there was talk of decisions after round 8 and Dib and board betrayed the fans and team by acting sooner and re-signing. He's had his shot, blew his load, make a very poor call and in the interests of the club he ought to consider stepping aside.
As for the Telecrap linking the 'bomb to the Bulldogs' - Pathetic gutter based journalism from Murdoch and his team and the club has every right to protest.
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dogluva
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Would be good but can't see it happening. Those in control, from the coach to the board and the CEO do not believe they have anything to apologize for. About the only ones who have uttered an apology are some of the players in their obligatory media interviews. I never thought I would see the day that our club was the laughing stock of the league but that is now the case. I am advanced in years but I am just so disillusioned by what I am seeing from the team. I believe hate is a very strong word and one I usually hesitate in using but I do more than dislike our coach now. Does he even realise what he has done to our club?
At the school that I work at we have a special ed unit and in that special ed unit is a young man who I have befriended and chat to quite frequently because he is a Dogs supporter and loves talking about the games etc. Dogs are his focus, his love outside of family.
I try to get him little things now and again, anything Bulldog and the delight on his face at receiving something as small as a trading card or a poster warms my heart no end.Can you imagine his joy when one week I handed him a training singlet that one of my kids had grown out of..his mum has told me that it is a struggle to get it away from him, even though it is winter he runs around in that singlet because he loves the Dogs and thinks that he looks rather like the players when they are training. He has a keen mind for stats and can quote the scoreline including the scorers each and every week. Everything is Bulldogs, everything.
I was extremely dismayed today however when I saw him, because he looked so sad.
I asked him what was bothering him and he said to me " Did you watch the game last night?" I nodded. " Why were we so bad?" How do you answer that without going too far considering his tender young age?
My comment to him was not to be sad, it is only a game of football and he should just think about the good things in his life like his family. After a while and a few comforting words he settled and his mum who was with him mouthed the words " Thanks"
THESE are the ones that are truly owed an apology. The kids who just adore the team, live and breathe the game; it is their rock in an otherwise puzzling world. I have not enquired as to his situation only that I know he has learning difficulties and is being cared for by parents not biologically his own.
The one thing I do know; he will continue to watch the Bulldogs, he will continue to tell me all about the game and I will continue to supply whatever Bulldog items I can. That is his joy.
GrogDog
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Great post mate for many different reasons. It IS only sport but sometimes it is more than that when we need it to escape other things in life. Dogs use to be my little something to lean back on and have always known (having played myself for fun) we get periods of hard times but what we are doing at the moment is as the article says, "self inflicted".
This is all avoidable but the people who are responsible for the integrity of our club have failed and it would seem consider themselves to be a higher regard. For that if nothing else, that moment when you have made yourself more important than the thing you have sworn to protect you need to walk away OR be removed!
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