How Dean Pay and the Bulldogs revived the Dogs of War

[craigo]

Weren’t the dogs of war also the entertainers. If they are the dogs of war now they definitely not entertaining. 5 hits ups and a bomb is boring as watching paint dry.

 

[James zac]

Weren’t the dogs of war also the entertainers. If they are the dogs of war now they definitely not entertaining. 5 hits ups and a bomb is boring as watching paint dry.

No watch some stuff on YouTube of the 80 team with Turvey and the Hughes brothers it was pure attack then watch stuff from circa 84/85/86 it was brutal trench warfare

 

[Spoonman84]

Weren’t the dogs of war also the entertainers. If they are the dogs of war now they definitely not entertaining. 5 hits ups and a bomb is boring as watching paint dry.

Ted Glossip coached the entertainers in 1980 and the dogs of war started once Warren Ryan became coach.

 

[James zac]

Ted Glossip coached the entertainers in 1980 and the dogs of war started once Warren Ryan became coach.

100% good summary

 

[D.O.W.]

Is hard to compare teams of different eras but the 2006 team of forwards had already taken us to a premiership in 2004. Very experienced by then at that at night in Kogarah .
The comparisons I take with today's team is toomaga and Ogden could be our new mason and asotasi. Jackson is the new Ryan. CHN is a lesser skilled SBW but improving. RFM maybe a nate myles/reni Matua hybrid ?. As for omeley i can't say napa is the equivalent. Napa is tough but inconsistent to be the enforcer that omeley was.
Whilst Napa owned the Burgess brothers,omeley owned every opposing forward every week. I like Napa but he needs to earn the cash more often.

Omeley was a beast, he turned up for every game.. it is the quintessential difference between quality forwards and fly-by’s

 

[dogwhisperer]

That 06 pack would destroy this 19 team. Absolutely fucking destroy them. How can you even compare the two Jesus

Yep, Agree, I've never seen such a ruthless pack than that 06 pack, even more ruthless than our mid 80's pack as I grew up in the 80's and remember it very well.
That 06 game at Kogarah, I was at that game on the hill in the sprinkling rain and I can hear each hit like as if it was 1 cm away from me. The most ruthless and most hard hitting game I have ever seen a dogs team inflict on an opposition.

The 2019 pack is no where near the 06 pack but in all fairness the 2019 pack does have a little bit of steel in them.

 

[bcmf]

I hate dean pay.

 

[dogwhisperer]

I hate dean pay.

And he probably doesn't give rats arse who loves him or who hates him

 

[Sandra's Bollocks]

I hate dean pay.

Why do you hate him?

 

[Dawgfather]

Way back in 2006 – on a cold, windy night in Kogarah – the Bulldogs dismantled the St George Illawarra Dragons.

Led by the bash brothers of Willie Mason and Mark O’Meley and the skilfulness of Sonny Bill Williams and Reni Maitua, the Bulldogs put the Dragons to the sword tearing holes through the middle of their ruck and hitting them with such force that each Dragons player was scared to take another hit-up in the game again.

Such a performance was not uncommon for the Bulldogs in that era, they simply sought to beat every team by physically imposing themselves on the opposition. Due to this, the Bulldogs were labelled as ‘Dogs of War’.

In that period the late great Steve Folkes was at the helm. Uncompromising as a player and as a coach, Folkes drove this ‘Dogs of War’ siege mentality into the playing group. The Bulldogs’ forward pack struck fear into the minds of other teams even before matches had started.

Fast forward to September 2019 and it appears the Bulldogs and their coach Dean Pay have revitalised this ‘Dogs of War’ mentality. Yes the Bulldogs won’t be playing finals football, but the past month has highlighted a return to the defence-wins-matches mentality.
Since beating the Sharks on June 30 the Bulldogs have only conceded 20 points or more in two matches – these being against the Roosters and the Broncos. The middle of Dylan Napa, Aiden Tolman, Jeremy Marshall-King, Adam Elliot and Josh Jackson have led the charge, coming quickly out of the line to stifle the opposition’s attack.

The supporting cast of the halves and backline including fullback Dallin Watene-Zelezniak have played their part in defence and provided the creativity necessary for the Bulldogs to strike.

Sure, the current Dogs’ forward pack and team at large is not as imposing or intimidating as the one from that night in Kogorah, but the principles of the ‘Dogs of War’ have returned – turning up for each other, giving 100 per cent effort and winning the game through a strong defence.

The Bulldogs have always performed well with their back against the wall and they will need to continue to do so in the coming years, especially due to the ongoing salary cap restrictions which have hampered their ability to manoeuvre in the player market and improve their roster. However – like Steve Folkes – Dean Pay is front and centre and will ensure that the Bulldogs remain competitive and fight until the very end.

The Bulldogs have not won the competition since 2004 and they have not made the finals for almost four years.

But with the ‘Dogs of War’ back, that could all change in the not too distant future.

I can still remember in a huge amount of detail this match from 2006. I can't believe 13 years have passed. It's probably single handedly (with the exception of state of origin) the hardest hits I've ever seen for 80 minutes.

I actually felt scared for the Dragons players (who I might add, tried their hardest to stand up to the onslaught and were pretty amazing in what they did).

 

[James zac]

Yep, Agree, I've never seen such a ruthless pack than that 06 pack, even more ruthless than our mid 80's pack as I grew up in the 80's and remember it very well.
That 06 game at Kogarah, I was at that game on the hill in the sprinkling rain and I can hear each hit like as if it was 1 cm away from me. The most ruthless and most hard hitting game I have ever seen a dogs team inflict on an opposition.

The 2019 pack is no where near the 06 pack but in all fairness the 2019 pack does have a little bit of steel in them.

Idk I’d have them on par I still remember the wacks at belmore of the 80s team

 

[Chrisaaar]

Yep, Agree, I've never seen such a ruthless pack than that 06 pack, even more ruthless than our mid 80's pack as I grew up in the 80's and remember it very well.
That 06 game at Kogarah, I was at that game on the hill in the sprinkling rain and I can hear each hit like as if it was 1 cm away from me. The most ruthless and most hard hitting game I have ever seen a dogs team inflict on an opposition.

The 2019 pack is no where near the 06 pack but in all fairness the 2019 pack does have a little bit of steel in them.

Was Corey Payne KO'd in that game?

 

[fooch]

Bring back the hockey pads

 

[SKY-DOG]

 

[Psycho Doggie]

They may have revived the dogs of war, but it's still lying in emergency with a weak pulse and a drip feed.

Which is better than it was early in the season - clinically dead...