A message from Lynne

Doomsdaydog

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To our Bulldogs family

As we start to look forward to the 2020 season, I wanted to say a big thank you on behalf of the Board, Management and Players to all our Bulldogs family for the ongoing support and loyalty you have given the Club.

When we were given the enormous privilege of being elected to your Board barely 20 months ago, we were excited to have the chance to deliver on the wishes of the Membership.

You made it very clear that our Club was a proud club, one used to success, but one that was built on true Bulldogs values. You asked us to return to the Bulldogs Way.

We believe we have made progress, but we know there is a lot more to do.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to let you know that the club is offering Kieran Foran all the support that he needs as he recovers from his shoulder surgery. Kieran is part of our family and we are making sure that he gets the best possible medical and emotional support as he begins his rehabilitation in the coming weeks.

The challenges with our salary cap and roster management were widely noted, but we believe we have the club in a far better place than when we first started. Once it was clear where we were, and importantly why we had got there, tough decisions were made with a clear eye on preparing the Bulldogs to once again be competitive in the recruitment market.

We were not prepared for the extent of the challenges we found with the salary cap, as we detailed publicly just prior to the June 30 deadline in 2018. We realised then that we could not be in the market for a marquee player until the 2021 season.

Astute salary cap management since then has meant that we have been able to make some changes to the roster. However, it also meant that we saw several senior representative players with significant NRL experience leave our club within the first twelve months of our term. This left us with the youngest team last season, and the least experienced in terms of NRL games.

An upside was we were able to secure key signings in Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Corey Harawira-Naera, and have now added Joe Stimson, Dean Britt and Sione Katoa for the 2020 season. These experienced players will add to a gutsy and committed young roster who are now a year older, who have played more NRL games, and, for many, who now have the all-important second full off-season training schedule under their belt.

We look forward to further positive progress on the field as we strive to get back on top. While performances on the field across the 2018 and 2019 seasons were mixed, and certainly results were not what this club demands, we nonetheless are very proud of not just our young squad’s efforts over the last two years, but also the work and commitment under significant pressure of CEO Andrew Hill, Coach Dean Pay and their staff.

They deserve credit, and we are excited about continuing the improvement of all of us at the Bulldogs. We look forward to further positive progress on the field as we strive to get back on top.

While performances on the field across the 2018 and 2019 seasons were mixed, and certainly results were not what this club demands, we nonetheless are very proud of not just our young squad’s efforts over the last two years, but also the work and commitment under significant pressure of CEO Andrew Hill, Coach Dean Pay and their staff. They deserve credit, and we are excited about continuing the improvement of all of us at the Bulldogs.

Each day we are getting closer to the 2021 season where we have significant salary cap room to shape the team that the club is looking for.

The re-set of the club was not just on the field, it went beyond the Football department. In a clear endorsement of what we are doing, I want to call out what we consider to be real coups for the Bulldogs, with the hiring of Jack Mesley and club legend Steve Price to head up our Commercial and Football Departments, respectively. CEO Andrew Hill now has a stellar Senior Leadership Team with Vince Costa, David Townsend and Selina Birchall to propel the club forward, both on and off the field. We also added to our Football Department with key experienced and talented staff in Tony Ayoub, Dr Dave Givney, Steve James, Dave Hamilton, Mark Hughes, Craig Wilson and more recently, John Grealy.

The Board has also tightened up the governance and accountability for all at the club, with processes now in place regarding key decisions, especially around the salary cap, recruitment and contract offers.

We know we need to have a team that is capable of winning a competition – it is who the Bulldogs are. We have looked deeply at all levels of the club, and worked hard to determine what needed fixing, and what needed to be in place to have us ready to win. While much work has been done, there is more to do to get to where this club’s proud history demands. 2018 and 2019 will be remembered as the years we re-set the Bulldogs back on our much loved and successful Bulldogs Way.

Our fans have recognised this. While we have not made the finals, we have been acknowledged for the way the club is fighting back, for the young men who are giving the club their all. We must now step up. The next stage is to build on the foundations we have built.

All of us at the Bulldogs want to see the club back where it should be – on top of the Rugby League world.

Thank you for being there in good and bad times.

We are heading in the right direction and to help celebrate this I would like to take this opportunity to invite each of you to join us at our Christmas Members Forum at Belmore Sportsground on Wednesday 11 December at 6pm.

On that night our full Top 30 squad will cook a BBQ and it will be a great opportunity to meet all your favourite players and grab some photos and autographs.


I look forward to seeing you there.

Lynne



Lets discuss fellas
 

Bulldogs09

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Stinks of feeling the pressure to be honest. Offers nothing new at all. Just more excuses and past blames while brushing over the fact the shredded all the big paid players bar Foran to get where we are. Finishing in the bottom 4-5 while offering little hope to improve for yet another season.
 

Doomsdaydog

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Stinks of feeling the pressure to be honest. Offers nothing new at all. Just more excuses and past blames while brushing over the fact the shredded all the big paid players bar Foran to get where we are. Finishing in the bottom 4-5 while offering little hope to improve for yet another season.
Are you always a negative individual?
 

Horse

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Open, honest and responsible.

They’ve done a tremendous job in rectifying the salary cap woes. That was a huge job, cannot be understated.

We’ve assembled a promising young squad who all look ready to mature into quality first graders. I’m confident we can add a couple of high quality established players in the positions required over the next 12 months and be a real force come 2021.

We have very good people making very good decisions within the club at present. Long may it continue.

Future looks bright, thanks Lynne.
 

KambahOne

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Stinks of feeling the pressure to be honest. Offers nothing new at all. Just more excuses and past blames while brushing over the fact the shredded all the big paid players bar Foran to get where we are. Finishing in the bottom 4-5 while offering little hope to improve for yet another season.
Not a cry for help, but for more time imo.
 

LFC Bulldogs

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To our Bulldogs family

As we start to look forward to the 2020 season, I wanted to say a big thank you on behalf of the Board, Management and Players to all our Bulldogs family for the ongoing support and loyalty you have given the Club.

When we were given the enormous privilege of being elected to your Board barely 20 months ago, we were excited to have the chance to deliver on the wishes of the Membership.

You made it very clear that our Club was a proud club, one used to success, but one that was built on true Bulldogs values. You asked us to return to the Bulldogs Way.

We believe we have made progress, but we know there is a lot more to do.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to let you know that the club is offering Kieran Foran all the support that he needs as he recovers from his shoulder surgery. Kieran is part of our family and we are making sure that he gets the best possible medical and emotional support as he begins his rehabilitation in the coming weeks.

The challenges with our salary cap and roster management were widely noted, but we believe we have the club in a far better place than when we first started. Once it was clear where we were, and importantly why we had got there, tough decisions were made with a clear eye on preparing the Bulldogs to once again be competitive in the recruitment market.

We were not prepared for the extent of the challenges we found with the salary cap, as we detailed publicly just prior to the June 30 deadline in 2018. We realised then that we could not be in the market for a marquee player until the 2021 season.

Astute salary cap management since then has meant that we have been able to make some changes to the roster. However, it also meant that we saw several senior representative players with significant NRL experience leave our club within the first twelve months of our term. This left us with the youngest team last season, and the least experienced in terms of NRL games.

An upside was we were able to secure key signings in Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Corey Harawira-Naera, and have now added Joe Stimson, Dean Britt and Sione Katoa for the 2020 season. These experienced players will add to a gutsy and committed young roster who are now a year older, who have played more NRL games, and, for many, who now have the all-important second full off-season training schedule under their belt.

We look forward to further positive progress on the field as we strive to get back on top. While performances on the field across the 2018 and 2019 seasons were mixed, and certainly results were not what this club demands, we nonetheless are very proud of not just our young squad’s efforts over the last two years, but also the work and commitment under significant pressure of CEO Andrew Hill, Coach Dean Pay and their staff.

They deserve credit, and we are excited about continuing the improvement of all of us at the Bulldogs. We look forward to further positive progress on the field as we strive to get back on top.

While performances on the field across the 2018 and 2019 seasons were mixed, and certainly results were not what this club demands, we nonetheless are very proud of not just our young squad’s efforts over the last two years, but also the work and commitment under significant pressure of CEO Andrew Hill, Coach Dean Pay and their staff. They deserve credit, and we are excited about continuing the improvement of all of us at the Bulldogs.

Each day we are getting closer to the 2021 season where we have significant salary cap room to shape the team that the club is looking for.

The re-set of the club was not just on the field, it went beyond the Football department. In a clear endorsement of what we are doing, I want to call out what we consider to be real coups for the Bulldogs, with the hiring of Jack Mesley and club legend Steve Price to head up our Commercial and Football Departments, respectively. CEO Andrew Hill now has a stellar Senior Leadership Team with Vince Costa, David Townsend and Selina Birchall to propel the club forward, both on and off the field. We also added to our Football Department with key experienced and talented staff in Tony Ayoub, Dr Dave Givney, Steve James, Dave Hamilton, Mark Hughes, Craig Wilson and more recently, John Grealy.

The Board has also tightened up the governance and accountability for all at the club, with processes now in place regarding key decisions, especially around the salary cap, recruitment and contract offers.

We know we need to have a team that is capable of winning a competition – it is who the Bulldogs are. We have looked deeply at all levels of the club, and worked hard to determine what needed fixing, and what needed to be in place to have us ready to win. While much work has been done, there is more to do to get to where this club’s proud history demands. 2018 and 2019 will be remembered as the years we re-set the Bulldogs back on our much loved and successful Bulldogs Way.

Our fans have recognised this. While we have not made the finals, we have been acknowledged for the way the club is fighting back, for the young men who are giving the club their all. We must now step up. The next stage is to build on the foundations we have built.

All of us at the Bulldogs want to see the club back where it should be – on top of the Rugby League world.

Thank you for being there in good and bad times.

We are heading in the right direction and to help celebrate this I would like to take this opportunity to invite each of you to join us at our Christmas Members Forum at Belmore Sportsground on Wednesday 11 December at 6pm.

On that night our full Top 30 squad will cook a BBQ and it will be a great opportunity to meet all your favourite players and grab some photos and autographs.


I look forward to seeing you there.

Lynne



Lets discuss fellas
20 embellished paragraphs which basically could have been summed up with the following :

We’ve made no marquee signings for 2020 so just bear with us for another couple of years.
 

Bulldogs09

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20 embellished paragraphs which basically could have been summed up with the following :

We’ve made no marquee signings for 2020 so just bear with us for another couple of years.


Oh we sucked cause we offloaded and paid others to take them for a few years too.
 

wendog33

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Not wishing to sound negative...what else could she say? The long, slow process continues.

Written professionally.

No wonder Fiz is saying what he's saying...no pressure from the Club it appears...then again
..what else could she say.

I've accepted it's gonna be years before we are Top 4 even. Years till we have a genuine x factor player for young fans to idolise and follow.

It will happen. This club is founded on the hopes and dreams of it's supporters...I just wonder if we have the calibre of power brokers and movers and shakers to bring about sustained success.

We all hope so, rely on them, and wish them well.
 

AlzzBulldog

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She’s preparing everyone for the reality that we are gonna suck again in 2020, and this is her attempt to soften the blow, which doesn’t lol
 

Shire Dog

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I think the management are just being honest and realistic
The club was in an awful mess which has taken years to fix,unfortunately not everybody understands the complexities of running a football club and keeping a salary cap in check
This is a deadline and result driven industry these days,no doubt the board will survive the election in February and should be given time to prove themselves
Members will then vote again in 2022 with possible changes
Time will tell.
 
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El Padrino

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images (23).jpeg

Dear Bulldogs family......

To our Bulldogs family

As we start to look forward to the 2020 season, I wanted to say a big thank you on behalf of the Board, Management and Players to all our Bulldogs family for the ongoing support and loyalty you have given the Club.

When we were given the enormous privilege of being elected to your Board barely 20 months ago, we were excited to have the chance to deliver on the wishes of the Membership.

You made it very clear that our Club was a proud club, one used to success, but one that was built on true Bulldogs values. You asked us to return to the Bulldogs Way.

We believe we have made progress, but we know there is a lot more to do.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to let you know that the club is offering Kieran Foran all the support that he needs as he recovers from his shoulder surgery. Kieran is part of our family and we are making sure that he gets the best possible medical and emotional support as he begins his rehabilitation in the coming weeks.

The challenges with our salary cap and roster management were widely noted, but we believe we have the club in a far better place than when we first started. Once it was clear where we were, and importantly why we had got there, tough decisions were made with a clear eye on preparing the Bulldogs to once again be competitive in the recruitment market.

We were not prepared for the extent of the challenges we found with the salary cap, as we detailed publicly just prior to the June 30 deadline in 2018. We realised then that we could not be in the market for a marquee player until the 2021 season.

Astute salary cap management since then has meant that we have been able to make some changes to the roster. However, it also meant that we saw several senior representative players with significant NRL experience leave our club within the first twelve months of our term. This left us with the youngest team last season, and the least experienced in terms of NRL games.

An upside was we were able to secure key signings in Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Corey Harawira-Naera, and have now added Joe Stimson, Dean Britt and Sione Katoa for the 2020 season. These experienced players will add to a gutsy and committed young roster who are now a year older, who have played more NRL games, and, for many, who now have the all-important second full off-season training schedule under their belt.

We look forward to further positive progress on the field as we strive to get back on top. While performances on the field across the 2018 and 2019 seasons were mixed, and certainly results were not what this club demands, we nonetheless are very proud of not just our young squad’s efforts over the last two years, but also the work and commitment under significant pressure of CEO Andrew Hill, Coach Dean Pay and their staff.

They deserve credit, and we are excited about continuing the improvement of all of us at the Bulldogs. We look forward to further positive progress on the field as we strive to get back on top.

While performances on the field across the 2018 and 2019 seasons were mixed, and certainly results were not what this club demands, we nonetheless are very proud of not just our young squad’s efforts over the last two years, but also the work and commitment under significant pressure of CEO Andrew Hill, Coach Dean Pay and their staff. They deserve credit, and we are excited about continuing the improvement of all of us at the Bulldogs.

Each day we are getting closer to the 2021 season where we have significant salary cap room to shape the team that the club is looking for.

The re-set of the club was not just on the field, it went beyond the Football department. In a clear endorsement of what we are doing, I want to call out what we consider to be real coups for the Bulldogs, with the hiring of Jack Mesley and club legend Steve Price to head up our Commercial and Football Departments, respectively. CEO Andrew Hill now has a stellar Senior Leadership Team with Vince Costa, David Townsend and Selina Birchall to propel the club forward, both on and off the field. We also added to our Football Department with key experienced and talented staff in Tony Ayoub, Dr Dave Givney, Steve James, Dave Hamilton, Mark Hughes, Craig Wilson and more recently, John Grealy.

The Board has also tightened up the governance and accountability for all at the club, with processes now in place regarding key decisions, especially around the salary cap, recruitment and contract offers.

We know we need to have a team that is capable of winning a competition – it is who the Bulldogs are. We have looked deeply at all levels of the club, and worked hard to determine what needed fixing, and what needed to be in place to have us ready to win. While much work has been done, there is more to do to get to where this club’s proud history demands. 2018 and 2019 will be remembered as the years we re-set the Bulldogs back on our much loved and successful Bulldogs Way.

Our fans have recognised this. While we have not made the finals, we have been acknowledged for the way the club is fighting back, for the young men who are giving the club their all. We must now step up. The next stage is to build on the foundations we have built.

All of us at the Bulldogs want to see the club back where it should be – on top of the Rugby League world.

Thank you for being there in good and bad times.

We are heading in the right direction and to help celebrate this I would like to take this opportunity to invite each of you to join us at our Christmas Members Forum at Belmore Sportsground on Wednesday 11 December at 6pm.

On that night our full Top 30 squad will cook a BBQ and it will be a great opportunity to meet all your favourite players and grab some photos and autographs.


I look forward to seeing you there.

Lynne
Sorry I couldn't help myself
 

CrittaMagic69

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I think the management are just being honest and realistic
The club was in an awful mess which has taken years to fix,unfortunately not everybody understands the complexities of running a football club and keeping a salary cap in check
This is a deadline and result driven industry these days,no doubt the board will survive the election in February and should be given time to prove themselves
Members will then vote again in 2022 with possible changes
Time will tell.
Lol they released some players and waited until some others contracts run out...hardly anything out of the ordinary for people in that position to do.
 

Paulie Gualtieri

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Lynne has actually already mentioned how we will become a power house again and win the comp. In June 2019 she said "in the 90's they targeted a front-rower and a goalkicker. He got Marty Bella and Daryl Halligan and we went from there. We have a similar plan. It worked then and it can work again. We can do it.’' I am just wondering Lynne why haven't we signed a front-rower and goal kicker yet? We will win the comp then won't we?
 

no1bulldog

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If they’ve done so well with the cap why did we extend chris smith til the end of 2021?

Surely with all the backend contracts over with and paying players to play else where over and the so call mega war chest we should have better for 2021???

don’t send Lynn to Bunnings to buy a shovel for a job..... she’ll come back with a pack of plastic tea spoons

Next we’ll be importing cheap players from the Phillipines
 
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B-Train

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I appreciate Lynne and the club trying to keep the dialogue open with the fanbase but that whole letter didn't tell us anything we didn't already know nor inspire any confidence...

Lynne and the club referencing the mess they inherited every time they talk is also getting tiresome. It's not an excuse, we all acknowledge they inherited a horrible mess. However we're in year three of their leadership now... At some point they have to accept responsibility for their signings and decisions..

If the team regresses next season and they don't recruit well for 2021 then they won't have anyone to blame but themselves... Hopefully they recruit well and retain our best prospects and players so that we don't have to hear about Des and Dib again and we can start looking forward instead of backwards..
 

no1bulldog

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I think the management are just being honest and realistic
The club was in an awful mess which has taken years to fix,unfortunately not everybody understands the complexities of running a football club and keeping a salary cap in check
This is a deadline and result driven industry these days,no doubt the board will survive the election in February and should be given time to prove themselves
Members will then vote again in 2022 with possible changes
Time will tell.
that same management drummed it in to us that 2021 was the year we’d be back with a top line team.... those players are on the market now.... we get chris Smith
 
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