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It has been over 10 years since the Bulldogs won the Premiership and they are well overdue.
Here are 9 reasons why I think the blue and white confetti will be sprayed amid wild scenes of celebration with "Who let the dogs out" blasting out on the stadium speakers.
9 reasons why the Bulldogs will add another title to their current 8,
1. Des Hasler
Not only is he in the top echelon of coaches in the league today, he also does not go too long without adding championship silverware to his burgeoning trophy cabinet. He started his coaching gig way back in 2004 ironically the last year the Dogs tasted the Dom Perignon champagne. 3 years later he takes Manly to his first coached Grand Final only to be dusted by the Storm before returning serve the next season with a 44 point drubbing in 2008. He only had to wait 3 years for another title in 2011 and despite going as close as you can with runner up medals in both 2012 and 2014 respectively, based on averages and astute judges predictions of winning a comp with the Dogs within 5 years - well guess what, it is either going to be this year (year 4) or next (year 5). Seeing he has not gone longer than 4 years without a title, 2015 will be that year.
2. A Balling Forward Pack
James Graham, Sam Kasiano are not only big humans, they are also very adept with the footy and can hold their own against genuine play makers across the league. You throw in boom second rower Shaun Lane, the ball playing ability of wrecking ball on the edge Frank Pritchard. Josh Jackson is Bradley Clyde esque, Greg Eastwood with his late footwork and Aiden Tolman thirst for work and you can see they have arguably the best pack in the comp. Oh, I haven't mentioned the "Beast of Belmore" wrecking machine D Klemmer either!
3. Spine
Let me the first to say the Dogs spine is not in the top 5 in the NRL, in fact be lucky to be in the top 10. However, they do offer the surprise element and the varying personalities of the other players making up the spine somehow ties in nicely as whole rather than the individual element and overly reliance that some teams rely on ala J Thurston at the Cowboys or S Johnson at the Warriors. Brett Morris offers speed and try scoring ability with his support play, Mbye strength is his running game and with Trent Hodkinson's ability to steer a team around the paddock he will only get better. Michael Lichaa offers a different point of attack that the Dogs lacked with previous hooker and skipper Michael Ennis who rarely took the line on.
4. Winning a comp at least once a decade.
Taking in some of my points from #1 (Des Hasler) you will also notice that the Bulldogs win a competition at least once in a decade with the 80s being their most successful period. 3 titles in the 80s (80,85,88), another in the 90s (95) and the most recent in the 00s (2004). 2010-2020 we currently sit halfway and if the stars align I see a successful finish to 2015.
5. Burn baby burn....
Speed kills and it is the only thing that cannot be coached. If you run the rule over the dogs backs you will see they have deliberately stocked up in 2015 as they realized last season despite going to the big dance they did not have the fleet footed players to compete with the likes of Alex Johnston and Greg Inglis. This season however Curtis Rona, Brett and Josh Morris, Tim Lafai and Moses Mbye are among the quickest in the league. If the pack adds emphasis then the backs add the exclamation mark!
6. Josh Reynolds
It looks ever so likely that the Des will play Reynolds off the interchange for the remainder of the season. This could well be the joker in the pack especially if you think back to the Dragons game when the man they call "Grub" entered the fray and in less than 20 minutes won the game for the Dogs. In the "Back to Belmore" game vs the Storm the boisterous crowd in unison chanted his name, so much is his ability to break games open and bring the crowd back into the contest in the all important "championship time" that is the last 20 minutes.
7. Trent Hodkinson
OK, ok so I am first to admit I have gone hard at Hokko in previous stories however I think he has just come right. His last game for the Dogs v Storm was easily his best and his last two Origin games were very solid which will fill him with so much confidence. He has also signed a new lucrative 3 year deal with the Knights so his future is sorted. What he will bring to the side in the run home is his cool head and kicking ability both general and shots at goal. He will also be hell bent on finishing his career at Belmore on a high after the side failed in last years big dance and missing from the side that lost to the Storm in 2012 with Des preferring Kris Keating.
8. Healthy Roster
Tony Williams (T Rex) aside, the Dogs enter the run home with healthy roster. The season to date has been disrupted by suspensions, origin and of course injuries however with noted big game players such as skipper James Graham having just completed his first full game in months, the latter part of the season suddenly looks assured.
9. Dogs of War Experience
The majority of the Bulldogs squad have experienced furnace like situations in pressure moments such as internationals, origin or grand finals. The vast majority of this group were there last year and some were their in 2012 so they are no strangers at the big dance and will know exactly how to reverse the trend should they enter the first week in October for the third time in 4 years. The Dogs are better than any other team with overcoming adversity and they have had a fair share of that in season 2015 from the infamous GF rematch with the bunnies which saw Klemmer and Graham sidelined for a long stint and injuries to key players such as T Rex and Brett Morris (the former having his season rubbed out).
Last season showed that it doesn't matter where the Dogs finish in the 8 as they went from sudden death 7th all the way to the GF. Trouble was that they ran into a red hot Souths side and lost Ennis for the GF with both halves running on one leg, despite all that, were only overrun in the last 10 minutes.
The last 8 weeks will see the Dogs build nicely into securing their spot in the 8 if not the top 4 on their way to adding title number 9 to the clubs rich history of success.
Source: http://www.fansunite.com.au/2015/07/12/14436/9-reasons-why-the-bulldogs-will-win-the-comp
Here are 9 reasons why I think the blue and white confetti will be sprayed amid wild scenes of celebration with "Who let the dogs out" blasting out on the stadium speakers.
9 reasons why the Bulldogs will add another title to their current 8,
1. Des Hasler
Not only is he in the top echelon of coaches in the league today, he also does not go too long without adding championship silverware to his burgeoning trophy cabinet. He started his coaching gig way back in 2004 ironically the last year the Dogs tasted the Dom Perignon champagne. 3 years later he takes Manly to his first coached Grand Final only to be dusted by the Storm before returning serve the next season with a 44 point drubbing in 2008. He only had to wait 3 years for another title in 2011 and despite going as close as you can with runner up medals in both 2012 and 2014 respectively, based on averages and astute judges predictions of winning a comp with the Dogs within 5 years - well guess what, it is either going to be this year (year 4) or next (year 5). Seeing he has not gone longer than 4 years without a title, 2015 will be that year.
2. A Balling Forward Pack
James Graham, Sam Kasiano are not only big humans, they are also very adept with the footy and can hold their own against genuine play makers across the league. You throw in boom second rower Shaun Lane, the ball playing ability of wrecking ball on the edge Frank Pritchard. Josh Jackson is Bradley Clyde esque, Greg Eastwood with his late footwork and Aiden Tolman thirst for work and you can see they have arguably the best pack in the comp. Oh, I haven't mentioned the "Beast of Belmore" wrecking machine D Klemmer either!
3. Spine
Let me the first to say the Dogs spine is not in the top 5 in the NRL, in fact be lucky to be in the top 10. However, they do offer the surprise element and the varying personalities of the other players making up the spine somehow ties in nicely as whole rather than the individual element and overly reliance that some teams rely on ala J Thurston at the Cowboys or S Johnson at the Warriors. Brett Morris offers speed and try scoring ability with his support play, Mbye strength is his running game and with Trent Hodkinson's ability to steer a team around the paddock he will only get better. Michael Lichaa offers a different point of attack that the Dogs lacked with previous hooker and skipper Michael Ennis who rarely took the line on.
4. Winning a comp at least once a decade.
Taking in some of my points from #1 (Des Hasler) you will also notice that the Bulldogs win a competition at least once in a decade with the 80s being their most successful period. 3 titles in the 80s (80,85,88), another in the 90s (95) and the most recent in the 00s (2004). 2010-2020 we currently sit halfway and if the stars align I see a successful finish to 2015.
5. Burn baby burn....
Speed kills and it is the only thing that cannot be coached. If you run the rule over the dogs backs you will see they have deliberately stocked up in 2015 as they realized last season despite going to the big dance they did not have the fleet footed players to compete with the likes of Alex Johnston and Greg Inglis. This season however Curtis Rona, Brett and Josh Morris, Tim Lafai and Moses Mbye are among the quickest in the league. If the pack adds emphasis then the backs add the exclamation mark!
6. Josh Reynolds
It looks ever so likely that the Des will play Reynolds off the interchange for the remainder of the season. This could well be the joker in the pack especially if you think back to the Dragons game when the man they call "Grub" entered the fray and in less than 20 minutes won the game for the Dogs. In the "Back to Belmore" game vs the Storm the boisterous crowd in unison chanted his name, so much is his ability to break games open and bring the crowd back into the contest in the all important "championship time" that is the last 20 minutes.
7. Trent Hodkinson
OK, ok so I am first to admit I have gone hard at Hokko in previous stories however I think he has just come right. His last game for the Dogs v Storm was easily his best and his last two Origin games were very solid which will fill him with so much confidence. He has also signed a new lucrative 3 year deal with the Knights so his future is sorted. What he will bring to the side in the run home is his cool head and kicking ability both general and shots at goal. He will also be hell bent on finishing his career at Belmore on a high after the side failed in last years big dance and missing from the side that lost to the Storm in 2012 with Des preferring Kris Keating.
8. Healthy Roster
Tony Williams (T Rex) aside, the Dogs enter the run home with healthy roster. The season to date has been disrupted by suspensions, origin and of course injuries however with noted big game players such as skipper James Graham having just completed his first full game in months, the latter part of the season suddenly looks assured.
9. Dogs of War Experience
The majority of the Bulldogs squad have experienced furnace like situations in pressure moments such as internationals, origin or grand finals. The vast majority of this group were there last year and some were their in 2012 so they are no strangers at the big dance and will know exactly how to reverse the trend should they enter the first week in October for the third time in 4 years. The Dogs are better than any other team with overcoming adversity and they have had a fair share of that in season 2015 from the infamous GF rematch with the bunnies which saw Klemmer and Graham sidelined for a long stint and injuries to key players such as T Rex and Brett Morris (the former having his season rubbed out).
Last season showed that it doesn't matter where the Dogs finish in the 8 as they went from sudden death 7th all the way to the GF. Trouble was that they ran into a red hot Souths side and lost Ennis for the GF with both halves running on one leg, despite all that, were only overrun in the last 10 minutes.
The last 8 weeks will see the Dogs build nicely into securing their spot in the 8 if not the top 4 on their way to adding title number 9 to the clubs rich history of success.
Source: http://www.fansunite.com.au/2015/07/12/14436/9-reasons-why-the-bulldogs-will-win-the-comp
