STEVE Price isn't sure how Hazem El Masri's farewell will go tomorrow. Maybe because he's still coming to grips with his arrival at the Bulldogs over a decade ago.
"He had a Honda CRX and he was speaking very fresh," the Warriors captain said, laughing, this week before adding in his best Lebanese accent, 'Fully sick, CRX mate. Get the sounds going and fully worked mate, ya know'.
"He takes things all in his stride. There was a lot of humour at the time and all the boys were giving him heaps about, 'Haz, can you get us any stuff?' And he'd always take it the right way."
Price, who played alongside El Masri from 1996-2004 but will miss today's game with an eye injury, wasn't being disrespectful. Disrespect is a word that simply doesn't belong in a sentence about El Masri.
Former teammate and Sydney Roosters forward Willie Mason agrees that El Masri's ability to go along with the gag made for some memorable times at Belmore. Even if the jokes were the furthest thing from the truth.
"It was probably stereotypical of everyone -- him being a Lebanese bloke and playing for the Bulldogs, they used to think he was the dodgiest bloke in the world," Mason said.
"But he couldn't be any straighter."
How straight is he? Well, consider this testimony from Mason who was one of the select few alongside Price that El Masri invited to a dinner in June to hear the Bulldogs winger announce that this season would be his last.
"I went to his farewell dinner and no one could find any dirt on him at all," Mason said. "He's never judged anything I've done, and that's why I've always respected him.
"And I don't think many people can look back on their career and say they've achieved what he's achieved.
"He's done nothing wrong, he's an absolute gentleman and I couldn't say a bad word about him."
Neither could Bulldogs fans who, along with other NRL supporters, are expected to give El Masri a fitting farewell at ANZ Stadium tomorrow against the Warriors. While no figure has been released, Bulldogs officials are hoping for a crowd of more than 45,000.
He will bow out with a stack of NRL records to his name. To name a few, most points (2384 and still counting), most points in a season (342, 2004), most goals in a season (139, 2004) and most consecutive goals (35, 2003).
He has a City Origin jumper in his wardrobe, a NSW State of Origin jumper, a Test jumper for both Australia and his country of birth, Lebanon. And a premiership ring from 2004.
Having been named in the inaugural Ring of Champions in 2005, Price said El Masri deserved to be added to the list when he hangs up the boots after this season. The board makes the decision on any new additions and can look at the list again in 2010.
"I'm sure his name was nominated the first time around anyway, and that was back when I was at the club," Price said.
"That was five years ago and we know what he's achieved since then. You talk about the Ring of Champions and you talk about the records at the Bulldogs and I think he's got almost every record.
"He probably should be captain of it, he's achieved so much."
To illustrate his point, Price points to the fact the Bulldogs winger could hold the NRL's pointscoring record by an even greater margin given he didn't take over the goalkicking duties from Daryl Halligan until 2000.
However, it is not just his deeds on the football field that sets El Masri apart. Off the field, he has held himself with just as much distinction.
He was the only player to refuse a DNA test when the squad was under investigation for an alleged gang rape in 2004. It wasn't because he had anything to hide, it was because he knew he had done nothing wrong, so why bother?
He is also a practising Muslim. He doesn't drink, doesn't smoke and doesn't gamble. He will take the field tomorrow unable to drink water because he is fasting in daylight hours during the period of Ramadan.
"How passionate he is about his religion and the things that have gone on during his career haven't changed him as a person," Price said.
"If anything, it's taught us all a lot about different backgrounds and different religions and he's been at the forefront of that.
"The moral things that he believes in is what gains people's respect more and more than what he does on the footy field."
The Australian
"He had a Honda CRX and he was speaking very fresh," the Warriors captain said, laughing, this week before adding in his best Lebanese accent, 'Fully sick, CRX mate. Get the sounds going and fully worked mate, ya know'.
"He takes things all in his stride. There was a lot of humour at the time and all the boys were giving him heaps about, 'Haz, can you get us any stuff?' And he'd always take it the right way."
Price, who played alongside El Masri from 1996-2004 but will miss today's game with an eye injury, wasn't being disrespectful. Disrespect is a word that simply doesn't belong in a sentence about El Masri.
Former teammate and Sydney Roosters forward Willie Mason agrees that El Masri's ability to go along with the gag made for some memorable times at Belmore. Even if the jokes were the furthest thing from the truth.
"It was probably stereotypical of everyone -- him being a Lebanese bloke and playing for the Bulldogs, they used to think he was the dodgiest bloke in the world," Mason said.
"But he couldn't be any straighter."
How straight is he? Well, consider this testimony from Mason who was one of the select few alongside Price that El Masri invited to a dinner in June to hear the Bulldogs winger announce that this season would be his last.
"I went to his farewell dinner and no one could find any dirt on him at all," Mason said. "He's never judged anything I've done, and that's why I've always respected him.
"And I don't think many people can look back on their career and say they've achieved what he's achieved.
"He's done nothing wrong, he's an absolute gentleman and I couldn't say a bad word about him."
Neither could Bulldogs fans who, along with other NRL supporters, are expected to give El Masri a fitting farewell at ANZ Stadium tomorrow against the Warriors. While no figure has been released, Bulldogs officials are hoping for a crowd of more than 45,000.
He will bow out with a stack of NRL records to his name. To name a few, most points (2384 and still counting), most points in a season (342, 2004), most goals in a season (139, 2004) and most consecutive goals (35, 2003).
He has a City Origin jumper in his wardrobe, a NSW State of Origin jumper, a Test jumper for both Australia and his country of birth, Lebanon. And a premiership ring from 2004.
Having been named in the inaugural Ring of Champions in 2005, Price said El Masri deserved to be added to the list when he hangs up the boots after this season. The board makes the decision on any new additions and can look at the list again in 2010.
"I'm sure his name was nominated the first time around anyway, and that was back when I was at the club," Price said.
"That was five years ago and we know what he's achieved since then. You talk about the Ring of Champions and you talk about the records at the Bulldogs and I think he's got almost every record.
"He probably should be captain of it, he's achieved so much."
To illustrate his point, Price points to the fact the Bulldogs winger could hold the NRL's pointscoring record by an even greater margin given he didn't take over the goalkicking duties from Daryl Halligan until 2000.
However, it is not just his deeds on the football field that sets El Masri apart. Off the field, he has held himself with just as much distinction.
He was the only player to refuse a DNA test when the squad was under investigation for an alleged gang rape in 2004. It wasn't because he had anything to hide, it was because he knew he had done nothing wrong, so why bother?
He is also a practising Muslim. He doesn't drink, doesn't smoke and doesn't gamble. He will take the field tomorrow unable to drink water because he is fasting in daylight hours during the period of Ramadan.
"How passionate he is about his religion and the things that have gone on during his career haven't changed him as a person," Price said.
"If anything, it's taught us all a lot about different backgrounds and different religions and he's been at the forefront of that.
"The moral things that he believes in is what gains people's respect more and more than what he does on the footy field."
The Australian
