Kiraz Crazy
Hasler_For_PM
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http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...clubs-commitment/story-fni3g67w-1227258914251
IF bad news travels fast it also travels far.
Raelene Castle, the Bulldogs chief executive, is in San Francisco for business and called after Wednesday’s column, keen to clarify the Bulldogs no-show at The Children’s Hospital, Westmead.
She beat coach Des Hasler by about five minutes.
The Bulldogs do a lot of charity work and were greatly concerned they looked callous and uncaring in light of Parramatta’s decision to go ahead anyway, particularly after the Eels changed their training schedule to accommodate Canterbury.
Parramatta assured her it was none of their doing. They assured Castle they did not even change their schedule, even though they told me they did.
I can understand the Bulldogs’ stress. They were concerned it was a bad look for the club, that I hadn’t checked.
Problem was, I had. More, the Bulldogs called us.
Clubs do a lot of community work and often when it coincides with a promotion, such as Friday’s Bandaged Bear Cup, media is invited.
It ticks several boxes. It gets their NRL-required media appearance out of the way while also publicising something worthy. Everybody wins.
Bulldogs CEO Raelene Castle has attempted to explain the club’s absence.
That was the case Tuesday. Here in the office, we had no idea Canterbury was planning a visit until the Bulldogs called.
A photographer was booked.
Then the Dogs called back to cancel, saying, “Des was concerned about the short turnaround”.
So, Wednesday, Castle explained requests and scheduling clashes happen a good 10 times a week and were sometimes unavoidable, and this was one of them.
“While we did have a rearrangement this week we give hundreds of hours of community service and are really proud of the work that we do in the community,” she said.
“We’re really proud of the work the players and the Bulldogs family do in the community over a 12-month period.”
And I know. I wrote about Trent Hodkinson’s charity work last year, unprompted by the Dogs, and received this text from Castle: “Thanks for giving Trent a plug in the paper this morning for his community work! A lot of the guys do a lot for charity and don’t always get recognised!” she wrote.
“No problems Raelene,” I replied. “They do a lot which goes unseen. He deserves it after the season he has had.”
Hodkinson went on to win the NRL’s Ken Stephens Medal last year for community service.
Hasler also said he had no idea. Like Castle, he was upset he did not receive a call and said he did not know the visit was on, let alone that he had apparently cancelled it.
But, again, it was the Bulldogs club who said that.
Des Hasler also followed up reports the Bulldogs has missed the charity visit.
Hasler gets a little stick from time to time, by those who know him, for being tight with a dollar.
He has hung on to his first dollar so tightly, they claim, he has rubbed Queen Elizabeth right off the coin.
But he has a charitable heart.
He was on NRL360 in grand final week last year and the moment his segment ended he popped up in his chair and asked how much his fee was.
“Give it to Men of League,” he said, pulling off his microphone and was gone.
He was the only one all season to donate his fee to the charity.
IF bad news travels fast it also travels far.
Raelene Castle, the Bulldogs chief executive, is in San Francisco for business and called after Wednesday’s column, keen to clarify the Bulldogs no-show at The Children’s Hospital, Westmead.
She beat coach Des Hasler by about five minutes.
The Bulldogs do a lot of charity work and were greatly concerned they looked callous and uncaring in light of Parramatta’s decision to go ahead anyway, particularly after the Eels changed their training schedule to accommodate Canterbury.
Parramatta assured her it was none of their doing. They assured Castle they did not even change their schedule, even though they told me they did.
I can understand the Bulldogs’ stress. They were concerned it was a bad look for the club, that I hadn’t checked.
Problem was, I had. More, the Bulldogs called us.
Clubs do a lot of community work and often when it coincides with a promotion, such as Friday’s Bandaged Bear Cup, media is invited.
It ticks several boxes. It gets their NRL-required media appearance out of the way while also publicising something worthy. Everybody wins.
Bulldogs CEO Raelene Castle has attempted to explain the club’s absence.
That was the case Tuesday. Here in the office, we had no idea Canterbury was planning a visit until the Bulldogs called.
A photographer was booked.
Then the Dogs called back to cancel, saying, “Des was concerned about the short turnaround”.
So, Wednesday, Castle explained requests and scheduling clashes happen a good 10 times a week and were sometimes unavoidable, and this was one of them.
“While we did have a rearrangement this week we give hundreds of hours of community service and are really proud of the work that we do in the community,” she said.
“We’re really proud of the work the players and the Bulldogs family do in the community over a 12-month period.”
And I know. I wrote about Trent Hodkinson’s charity work last year, unprompted by the Dogs, and received this text from Castle: “Thanks for giving Trent a plug in the paper this morning for his community work! A lot of the guys do a lot for charity and don’t always get recognised!” she wrote.
“No problems Raelene,” I replied. “They do a lot which goes unseen. He deserves it after the season he has had.”
Hodkinson went on to win the NRL’s Ken Stephens Medal last year for community service.
Hasler also said he had no idea. Like Castle, he was upset he did not receive a call and said he did not know the visit was on, let alone that he had apparently cancelled it.
But, again, it was the Bulldogs club who said that.
Des Hasler also followed up reports the Bulldogs has missed the charity visit.
Hasler gets a little stick from time to time, by those who know him, for being tight with a dollar.
He has hung on to his first dollar so tightly, they claim, he has rubbed Queen Elizabeth right off the coin.
But he has a charitable heart.
He was on NRL360 in grand final week last year and the moment his segment ended he popped up in his chair and asked how much his fee was.
“Give it to Men of League,” he said, pulling off his microphone and was gone.
He was the only one all season to donate his fee to the charity.