Ennis’ all-time Bulldogs team

2144superman

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Iconic halves pairing and a goalkicking sensation: Ennis’ all-time Bulldogs team

Michael Ennis named his all-time Bulldogs side and his former teammate Hazem El Masri got a spot on the wing.
Fox League expert and former Bulldog Michael Ennis faced the tough task of naming his all-time Bulldogs team and he’s come up with an impressive outfit that has the likes of iconic halves Terry Lamb and Steve Mortimer while also acknowledging modern-day players Hazem El Masri, Josh Morris Andrew Ryan and James Graham.

Selecting the best from 85 years worth of players is no mean feat. Possibly the easiest of all the selections though was Terry Lamb and Steve Mortimer – the legendary halves duo.

“They pick themselves without a doubt,” Ennis told Fox Sports.

“Terry Lamb is the greatest of all time in terms of Bulldogs and Steve Mortimer is not far behind him. They’re as good a halves pairing as you can get.


Steve Mortimer landed a spot in Ennis’ all-time Bulldogs team.
Ennis’ back line has a healthy mix of old and new. Les Johns, a fullback with plenty of swagger from the 60s, nifty centres Chris Mortimer and Andrew Farrar from the club’s dominance in the 80s along with goalkicking sensation Hazem El Masri and most recent Bulldog Josh Morris.

“Obviously the experience there of (Chris) Mortimer, (Andrew) Farrar and (Les) Johns, the names that were common among the people I spoke to were those three.

“That centre pairing (Mortimer and Farrar) had was just so tough, aggressive and dominant throughout that successful era of the 80s.

“I played with both Hazem and Josh. El Masri was a wonderful pointscorer and a great finisher and I just had to find a spot for Josh Morris because he’s just such a quality player and a quality teammate.”
upload_2020-4-6_17-23-51.jpeg

Up front, Ennis has picked a brutal pack including former teammate and fellow club captain James Graham.

“I loved playing with James Graham, he was just heart and soul every week and has great skill,” Ennis said.

“He came over and played that unorthodox English type of game that we really hadn’t seen a lot of and I think what he implimented when he came over is still very much part of the way a lot of front-rowers are expected to play in the modern game with his ball-playing.

“It was just his toughness and competitiveness that made pulling on a jersey alongside him so special every week”

Up next is hooker. Ennis has given the No. 9 jersey that he wore for six seasons to George Peponis, but this wasn’t an easy decision.

“The dummy half position was tough.

“To be fair I never saw a lot of George Peponis play but he’s a huge part of the fabric at Canterbury, he’s a very successful dummy half and I had a lot of people from that era speak glowingly about him.

“But there’s Jason Hetherington as well. He was there in that era where I really fell in love with the game through the 90s, he was really crafty, great service from dummy half and ultra tough.”

The backrow is full of incredible work ethic and has one player Ennis idolised as a kid.


Michael Ennis named former captain Andrew Ryan in his team.
“Andrew Ryan was one of the great players that I played with, he was just super consistent and skilful and one of those blokes that got through so much work for the team that went unrecognised by a lot of people but was cherished by his teammates.

“David Gillespie, well no one ran near him he was a weapon.

“And Jim Dymock, I remember being a young boy down at the footy oval and I used to shave my head and wear No. 13 because I wanted to be like Jim Dymock.

“He was just ultra tough but had great skill, one of those traditional ball-playing locks.

“I was lucky enough to work alongside him when he became assistant coach and his footy brain is as good as I’ve experienced.”


Ennis idolised Jim Dymock growing up.
The talent doesn’t simmer down on the bench, in fact Ennis turns the intensity up a notch.

“You’ve got the toughness of (Dean) Pay and (Mark) O’Meley and then you get a bit of both with (Darren) Britt in terms of his offloading and his ball-playing.

“(Steve) Folkes was just heart and soul of Canterbury. Everyone you talk to whether it be players or whether it was when he was coaching he was just Canterbury. He was everything they stood for.”

Ennis even squeezed in an 18th man – Jason Smith.

“I know it’s No. 18 but I just had to find a spot. I loved him as a player.”

While he’s picked an excellent team, Ennis struggled leaving out a number of players.

“It could have been quite easy to pick two teams with the success and the quality of the players at the Bulldogs,” he said.

“There were a number of players that were really tough to leave out.

“A lot of people from those early eras said Kevin Ryan and in my time watching Willie Mason, Sonny Bill Williams, Paul Langmack, Steve Price, there’s so many guys.

“For me, Josh Reynolds was hard to leave out because playing with him he was the Steve Folkes for us, he was Canterbury. He played and delivered like a Bulldog.”

“I found it really challenging. I enjoyed parts of it but I also found it uncomfortable just because of the decisions you have to make and the players you have to leave out but over all I think it’s an incredible side.”


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https://coupler.foxsports.com.au/ap...004044203d9b65279c0?__twitter_impression=true
 

Scoooby

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Sweet thread superman, good insight and read. Thanks.!!
 

2144superman

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Mason
SBW
Hetherington

have to be in that team somewhere ..
 

2144superman

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Just select the 2004 Premiership winning Bulldogs team and there’s your “All time best team” that was a fucking team.
 

bricktamland

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Would if just said 04 but can’t leave out lamb or the great Mortimer
 

Alex Hunter

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For the limited time he was at our club he shouldn’t be picking a side
 

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View attachment 14372 View attachment 14373 View attachment 14374 View attachment 14372

Iconic halves pairing and a goalkicking sensation: Ennis’ all-time Bulldogs team

Michael Ennis named his all-time Bulldogs side and his former teammate Hazem El Masri got a spot on the wing.
Fox League expert and former Bulldog Michael Ennis faced the tough task of naming his all-time Bulldogs team and he’s come up with an impressive outfit that has the likes of iconic halves Terry Lamb and Steve Mortimer while also acknowledging modern-day players Hazem El Masri, Josh Morris Andrew Ryan and James Graham.

Selecting the best from 85 years worth of players is no mean feat. Possibly the easiest of all the selections though was Terry Lamb and Steve Mortimer – the legendary halves duo.

“They pick themselves without a doubt,” Ennis told Fox Sports.

“Terry Lamb is the greatest of all time in terms of Bulldogs and Steve Mortimer is not far behind him. They’re as good a halves pairing as you can get.


Steve Mortimer landed a spot in Ennis’ all-time Bulldogs team.
Ennis’ back line has a healthy mix of old and new. Les Johns, a fullback with plenty of swagger from the 60s, nifty centres Chris Mortimer and Andrew Farrar from the club’s dominance in the 80s along with goalkicking sensation Hazem El Masri and most recent Bulldog Josh Morris.

“Obviously the experience there of (Chris) Mortimer, (Andrew) Farrar and (Les) Johns, the names that were common among the people I spoke to were those three.

“That centre pairing (Mortimer and Farrar) had was just so tough, aggressive and dominant throughout that successful era of the 80s.

“I played with both Hazem and Josh. El Masri was a wonderful pointscorer and a great finisher and I just had to find a spot for Josh Morris because he’s just such a quality player and a quality teammate.”
View attachment 14373

Up front, Ennis has picked a brutal pack including former teammate and fellow club captain James Graham.

“I loved playing with James Graham, he was just heart and soul every week and has great skill,” Ennis said.

“He came over and played that unorthodox English type of game that we really hadn’t seen a lot of and I think what he implimented when he came over is still very much part of the way a lot of front-rowers are expected to play in the modern game with his ball-playing.

“It was just his toughness and competitiveness that made pulling on a jersey alongside him so special every week”

Up next is hooker. Ennis has given the No. 9 jersey that he wore for six seasons to George Peponis, but this wasn’t an easy decision.

“The dummy half position was tough.

“To be fair I never saw a lot of George Peponis play but he’s a huge part of the fabric at Canterbury, he’s a very successful dummy half and I had a lot of people from that era speak glowingly about him.

“But there’s Jason Hetherington as well. He was there in that era where I really fell in love with the game through the 90s, he was really crafty, great service from dummy half and ultra tough.”

The backrow is full of incredible work ethic and has one player Ennis idolised as a kid.


Michael Ennis named former captain Andrew Ryan in his team.
“Andrew Ryan was one of the great players that I played with, he was just super consistent and skilful and one of those blokes that got through so much work for the team that went unrecognised by a lot of people but was cherished by his teammates.

“David Gillespie, well no one ran near him he was a weapon.

“And Jim Dymock, I remember being a young boy down at the footy oval and I used to shave my head and wear No. 13 because I wanted to be like Jim Dymock.

“He was just ultra tough but had great skill, one of those traditional ball-playing locks.

“I was lucky enough to work alongside him when he became assistant coach and his footy brain is as good as I’ve experienced.”


Ennis idolised Jim Dymock growing up.
The talent doesn’t simmer down on the bench, in fact Ennis turns the intensity up a notch.

“You’ve got the toughness of (Dean) Pay and (Mark) O’Meley and then you get a bit of both with (Darren) Britt in terms of his offloading and his ball-playing.

“(Steve) Folkes was just heart and soul of Canterbury. Everyone you talk to whether it be players or whether it was when he was coaching he was just Canterbury. He was everything they stood for.”

Ennis even squeezed in an 18th man – Jason Smith.

“I know it’s No. 18 but I just had to find a spot. I loved him as a player.”

While he’s picked an excellent team, Ennis struggled leaving out a number of players.

“It could have been quite easy to pick two teams with the success and the quality of the players at the Bulldogs,” he said.

“There were a number of players that were really tough to leave out.

“A lot of people from those early eras said Kevin Ryan and in my time watching Willie Mason, Sonny Bill Williams, Paul Langmack, Steve Price, there’s so many guys.

“For me, Josh Reynolds was hard to leave out because playing with him he was the Steve Folkes for us, he was Canterbury. He played and delivered like a Bulldog.”

“I found it really challenging. I enjoyed parts of it but I also found it uncomfortable just because of the decisions you have to make and the players you have to leave out but over all I think it’s an incredible side.”


View attachment 14374


https://coupler.foxsports.com.au/ap...004044203d9b65279c0?__twitter_impression=true
Wow Ennis is way of the mark, Josh Morris, James Graham your kidding, I'm thinking Ennis copped too many hits to the head.
 

Freakzilla

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Josh Morris over Andrew Farrar
 

FaceBreaker

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They got arguably the biggest drop kick who ever put on a dogs jersey to select a side. LMAO.

The great one would be an automatic selection for any side.
 

gbrussell

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Would if just said 04 but can’t leave out lamb or the great Mortimer
Most of you jokers on this forum would not have seen Les Johns play. Absolute genius. The equal of Lamb and Turvey at the very least. It annoys me greatly when great players of the past get overlooked for best ever teams and players of far less calibre get picked instead. Same when people refer to Billy Slater as the best fullback ever when best fullback in the modern era is a more apt description. Ennis in his selected team shows he has a brain.
 

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No SBW? Sherwin? Holland? Mason?
What's this guy smoking

and you can tell he's trolling by including El Masri there.

He just wants to add a random name in there for a stir I think.
 

KLil

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No Mason, Langmack or Price??

Should also throw on Sherwin, Hetho or Polly for a bench spot...
 
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GoTheDoggies

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How did journey man Ennis get this job of picking the greatest Bulldogs team?

Not a fan of naming the greatest teams, this is just adding to the fact that the off season hasn't ended.
 
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