- Joined
- Oct 1, 2013
- Messages
- 17,736
- Reaction score
- 31,795
A ticket comprising some of Canterbury's biggest names will take on chairman Ray Dib and the incumbent Bulldogs directors at February's board elections.
Bulldogs legends and premiership-winning internationals Chris Anderson, Steve Price and Paul Dunn are among those submitting a challenge to the establishment before Thursday's cut-off for nominations.
The ticket is headed by Lynne Anderson, the daughter of legendary Bulldogs supremo Peter Moore and wife of fellow board contender Chris. Lynne Anderson, the chief executive of the Australian Paralympic Committee and a former Bulldogs staffer, recently resigned from the Gold Coast Titans board to avoid conflicts of interest.
The other members of the "reform group" are:
Chris "Opes" Anderson enjoyed grand final glory with the club as a player and coach, while Dunn and Price have also made successful transitions into the corporate world after glittering playing careers. Dunn, the Clive Churchill medallist from Canterbury's 1988 premiership-winning side, unsuccessfully opposed Dib at the 2014 elections.
"We've been on the sidelines with the Bulldogs for a few years now and it's a given in professional sport that you're not going to win every year," Lynne Anderson told Fairfax Media.
"But what we've seen over the last few years in particular has been a real decline and movement away from everything that's good about the club. When we sat back and talked about it, it was apparent that respect was missing. A lot of fantastic things have happened at the club over recent years but that core value of respect across all levels [isn't there]. That's respect internally for players, staff, fans and the broader community and for rugby league. The result of that is we have lost respect in the game as well."
It has been a difficult 12 months for the Bulldogs. They missed the finals for the first time in five seasons and had to move on a host of players, contracted and otherwise, after overshooting the salary cap. However, Anderson said the tipping point was the sacking of coach Des Hasler, just five months after the Bulldogs announced his re-signing on a two-year extension. Hasler is taking Supreme Court action against the club.
"The trigger was in the days following the announcement that Des Hasler was sacked," Anderson said. "Every commentator repeated the phrase 'the Bulldogs used to be the most envied club'.
"That broke my heart. Dad [Moore] put in 35 years and that was heart, a lot of hard yards at a personal cost. Not just dad but everyone since him – every player and official has been brought through that way. To think that blood, sweat and tears developed something special – and to then see it talked about as being eroded – that really hurt.
"The decision was made to re-sign [Hasler] and it was touted to the whole rugby league world. Then a few months later, to be told that it wasn't a legally binding contract, that's misleading to everybody. It's misleading to Des and the players and to fans. To be treated like that is not the respect we want in the club.
"[The salary cap squeeze] was also really sad to watch from the sidelines. When you gamble on the salary cap, you're gambling with people. Good Bulldogs people were shopped around and that's not what we're about."
Lynne Anderson, a finalist in the leadership category at the AIS Sports Performance Awards, thanked the incumbent directors for their service to Canterbury. However, she said it was time for change.
"There's seems to be a flurry of activity [from the incumbents] with an election imminent and that doesn't fill me with confidence," she said.
"We're a club that demands success and we want to make that loud and clear. Dad was famous for building a welcoming and inclusive environment. It was the family club, but it came at a high price and that was an expectation of success. The club allowed you to be the best you could be. That's a business model we're keen to get back to.
"I know the board have been working hard to do that but ultimately we are a results-driven business.
"If you go back 10 years, we were sixth at the end of 2007. We were 11th last season. At the same time, the leagues club – which is heart and soul alongside the football club – has slid down the rankings [for revenue]. They are not good results."
'Reform' ticket group
- Steve Price (played 222 games with the Bulldogs, won two premierships and was named Dally M captain of the year in 2002 and 2004).
- Paul Dunn (played 100 games for the Bulldogs and won the Clive Churchill medal in Canterbury's 1988 premiership).
Chris Anderson (won the 1980 premiership with the Bulldogs and coached the Bulldogs and Melbourne Storm to grand final success)
- Lynne Anderson (daughter of late Bulldogs supremo Peter 'Bullfrog' Moore and Chris Anderson's wife. Gold Coast Titans board member and Australian Paralympic Committee CEO).
- John Ballesty (former Wallaby and Roosters player, managed Canterbury Leagues Club for 29 years)
- John Khoury (businessman, local with over 35 years involvement in Bulldogs junior rugby league)
- Nick Dimas (former Bulldogs director, senior executive at Subway Group).
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...bulldogs-board-challenge-20171129-gzvb3f.html
Bulldogs legends and premiership-winning internationals Chris Anderson, Steve Price and Paul Dunn are among those submitting a challenge to the establishment before Thursday's cut-off for nominations.
The ticket is headed by Lynne Anderson, the daughter of legendary Bulldogs supremo Peter Moore and wife of fellow board contender Chris. Lynne Anderson, the chief executive of the Australian Paralympic Committee and a former Bulldogs staffer, recently resigned from the Gold Coast Titans board to avoid conflicts of interest.
The other members of the "reform group" are:
- John Ballesty, a former Wallaby and Roosters star who managed the Canterbury Leagues Club for 29 years;
- John Khoury, a local businessman and juniors coach with executive experience at global equity firms and publicly listed companies;
- Nick Dimas, a former Bulldogs director and senior executive at the Subway Group.
Chris "Opes" Anderson enjoyed grand final glory with the club as a player and coach, while Dunn and Price have also made successful transitions into the corporate world after glittering playing careers. Dunn, the Clive Churchill medallist from Canterbury's 1988 premiership-winning side, unsuccessfully opposed Dib at the 2014 elections.
"We've been on the sidelines with the Bulldogs for a few years now and it's a given in professional sport that you're not going to win every year," Lynne Anderson told Fairfax Media.
"But what we've seen over the last few years in particular has been a real decline and movement away from everything that's good about the club. When we sat back and talked about it, it was apparent that respect was missing. A lot of fantastic things have happened at the club over recent years but that core value of respect across all levels [isn't there]. That's respect internally for players, staff, fans and the broader community and for rugby league. The result of that is we have lost respect in the game as well."
It has been a difficult 12 months for the Bulldogs. They missed the finals for the first time in five seasons and had to move on a host of players, contracted and otherwise, after overshooting the salary cap. However, Anderson said the tipping point was the sacking of coach Des Hasler, just five months after the Bulldogs announced his re-signing on a two-year extension. Hasler is taking Supreme Court action against the club.
"The trigger was in the days following the announcement that Des Hasler was sacked," Anderson said. "Every commentator repeated the phrase 'the Bulldogs used to be the most envied club'.
"That broke my heart. Dad [Moore] put in 35 years and that was heart, a lot of hard yards at a personal cost. Not just dad but everyone since him – every player and official has been brought through that way. To think that blood, sweat and tears developed something special – and to then see it talked about as being eroded – that really hurt.
"The decision was made to re-sign [Hasler] and it was touted to the whole rugby league world. Then a few months later, to be told that it wasn't a legally binding contract, that's misleading to everybody. It's misleading to Des and the players and to fans. To be treated like that is not the respect we want in the club.
"[The salary cap squeeze] was also really sad to watch from the sidelines. When you gamble on the salary cap, you're gambling with people. Good Bulldogs people were shopped around and that's not what we're about."
Lynne Anderson, a finalist in the leadership category at the AIS Sports Performance Awards, thanked the incumbent directors for their service to Canterbury. However, she said it was time for change.
"There's seems to be a flurry of activity [from the incumbents] with an election imminent and that doesn't fill me with confidence," she said.
"We're a club that demands success and we want to make that loud and clear. Dad was famous for building a welcoming and inclusive environment. It was the family club, but it came at a high price and that was an expectation of success. The club allowed you to be the best you could be. That's a business model we're keen to get back to.
"I know the board have been working hard to do that but ultimately we are a results-driven business.
"If you go back 10 years, we were sixth at the end of 2007. We were 11th last season. At the same time, the leagues club – which is heart and soul alongside the football club – has slid down the rankings [for revenue]. They are not good results."
'Reform' ticket group
- Steve Price (played 222 games with the Bulldogs, won two premierships and was named Dally M captain of the year in 2002 and 2004).
- Paul Dunn (played 100 games for the Bulldogs and won the Clive Churchill medal in Canterbury's 1988 premiership).
Chris Anderson (won the 1980 premiership with the Bulldogs and coached the Bulldogs and Melbourne Storm to grand final success)
- Lynne Anderson (daughter of late Bulldogs supremo Peter 'Bullfrog' Moore and Chris Anderson's wife. Gold Coast Titans board member and Australian Paralympic Committee CEO).
- John Ballesty (former Wallaby and Roosters player, managed Canterbury Leagues Club for 29 years)
- John Khoury (businessman, local with over 35 years involvement in Bulldogs junior rugby league)
- Nick Dimas (former Bulldogs director, senior executive at Subway Group).
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...bulldogs-board-challenge-20171129-gzvb3f.html
