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When Steve Price was last at the Bulldogs, other sporting franchises used to drop into Belmore in the hope of finding out what made the "family club" great.
The Canterbury Crusaders and West Coast Eagles were among the teams to do so before they went on winning runs of their own.
Glory days: Bulldogs great Steve Price (left) wants to put the Bulldogs back on top. Photo: Craig Golding
"All we want is the Bulldogs to be the leader again," Price told Fairfax Media.
"It all comes back to what my mum always said: Instead of sitting in the corner and saying, 'geez, it's disappointing', get in there and do something about it."
Giving his all: Steve Price played 222 games for the Bulldogs. Photo: Craig Golding
Which is why Price is attempting to return to the blue and whites. The former Canterbury captain is one of the biggest names on a ticket running for the Bulldogs board at February's elections, alongside fellow premiership-winning club men Paul Dunn and Chris Anderson. The "reform group", which also includes John Ballesty, John Khoury, Lynne Anderson and Nick Dimas, is challenging the status quo after a forgettable season for Canterbury on and off the field.
"This year was really disappointing," Price said.
"I look at body language and I listen. There are some quality players in that squad and I saw a different side to them this year that I've never seen before.
"You look at teams that win the comp and that's because every member is passionate about representing that jersey, a close-knit group that will do anything for each other, whatever the coach tells them to do. I didn't see that this year. I'm not blaming Des [Hasler] or anyone, I just don't know if there was that trust.
Sad end: James Graham after his last match for the Bulldogs. Photo: NRL Photos
"We heard during the year the innuendo about who the next player would be offloaded. That's not a healthy situation to be in in a team scenario.
"They don't know if the coach is going to be there, whether the CEO is going to be there, whether their teammates are going to be there. They don't know if they are going to be there.
"One of the big red flags at the start of the year was when Ray [chairman Ray Dib] came out and said he'd met with everyone in the organisation and stated everyone is on notice.
"I don't think you need to be told you're on notice, in an industry that is performance-based, by the chairman. I saw that as a really scary moment and the year went the way I thought it would after something like that.
"From the top, you have to be 'we're behind you, boys'. I don't think the players or the coaching crew felt that way this year."
Price knows what it's like to be squeezed out of the club he loves. The former Queensland and Australia prop played 222 games for Canterbury, but moved on after 2004. The club, which made the re-signing of players, including Sonny Bill Williams, a bigger priority, hasn't won a premiership since.
Now long-suffering fans have witnessed another skipper, James Graham, leave with a year remaining on his contract due to salary cap mismanagement.
"I really feel sorry for James," Price said.
"You don't like seeing players like James Graham [leave] and we're paying a large chunk of his salary to play against us. That's not ideal being the calibre of player James is.
"From what I read, most clubs were told what the scenario with the salary cap was going to be and if you go above that it would be to your own detriment. It came back and bit.
"The club has obviously changed a lot since I left, but some of the key things we were renowned for, you're seeing a bit less and less of that."
After more than a decade in New Zealand, Price has relocated his family to Queensland, where he is a commercial business development manager for private health insurer Westfund. After witnessing from afar several Canterbury crises – including the Hasler contract saga, the salary cap dramas and drops in performance in the football and leagues club – the 43-year-old wants a return to the values that made the Bulldogs great under patriarch Peter "Bullfrog" Moore.
"I don't want to be the coach or CEO, we just want to create a stable foundation we can all grow from," Price said.
"That is something Bullfrog did really well – you don't have to worry what's going on about you. You knew you would get all the tools and experience to go out there and enjoy yourself and perform."
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...ake-the-club-great-again-20171201-gzxbnv.html
The Canterbury Crusaders and West Coast Eagles were among the teams to do so before they went on winning runs of their own.
Glory days: Bulldogs great Steve Price (left) wants to put the Bulldogs back on top. Photo: Craig Golding
"All we want is the Bulldogs to be the leader again," Price told Fairfax Media.
"It all comes back to what my mum always said: Instead of sitting in the corner and saying, 'geez, it's disappointing', get in there and do something about it."
Giving his all: Steve Price played 222 games for the Bulldogs. Photo: Craig Golding
Which is why Price is attempting to return to the blue and whites. The former Canterbury captain is one of the biggest names on a ticket running for the Bulldogs board at February's elections, alongside fellow premiership-winning club men Paul Dunn and Chris Anderson. The "reform group", which also includes John Ballesty, John Khoury, Lynne Anderson and Nick Dimas, is challenging the status quo after a forgettable season for Canterbury on and off the field.
"This year was really disappointing," Price said.
"I look at body language and I listen. There are some quality players in that squad and I saw a different side to them this year that I've never seen before.
"You look at teams that win the comp and that's because every member is passionate about representing that jersey, a close-knit group that will do anything for each other, whatever the coach tells them to do. I didn't see that this year. I'm not blaming Des [Hasler] or anyone, I just don't know if there was that trust.
Sad end: James Graham after his last match for the Bulldogs. Photo: NRL Photos
"We heard during the year the innuendo about who the next player would be offloaded. That's not a healthy situation to be in in a team scenario.
"They don't know if the coach is going to be there, whether the CEO is going to be there, whether their teammates are going to be there. They don't know if they are going to be there.
"One of the big red flags at the start of the year was when Ray [chairman Ray Dib] came out and said he'd met with everyone in the organisation and stated everyone is on notice.
"I don't think you need to be told you're on notice, in an industry that is performance-based, by the chairman. I saw that as a really scary moment and the year went the way I thought it would after something like that.
"From the top, you have to be 'we're behind you, boys'. I don't think the players or the coaching crew felt that way this year."
Price knows what it's like to be squeezed out of the club he loves. The former Queensland and Australia prop played 222 games for Canterbury, but moved on after 2004. The club, which made the re-signing of players, including Sonny Bill Williams, a bigger priority, hasn't won a premiership since.
Now long-suffering fans have witnessed another skipper, James Graham, leave with a year remaining on his contract due to salary cap mismanagement.
"I really feel sorry for James," Price said.
"You don't like seeing players like James Graham [leave] and we're paying a large chunk of his salary to play against us. That's not ideal being the calibre of player James is.
"From what I read, most clubs were told what the scenario with the salary cap was going to be and if you go above that it would be to your own detriment. It came back and bit.
"The club has obviously changed a lot since I left, but some of the key things we were renowned for, you're seeing a bit less and less of that."
After more than a decade in New Zealand, Price has relocated his family to Queensland, where he is a commercial business development manager for private health insurer Westfund. After witnessing from afar several Canterbury crises – including the Hasler contract saga, the salary cap dramas and drops in performance in the football and leagues club – the 43-year-old wants a return to the values that made the Bulldogs great under patriarch Peter "Bullfrog" Moore.
"I don't want to be the coach or CEO, we just want to create a stable foundation we can all grow from," Price said.
"That is something Bullfrog did really well – you don't have to worry what's going on about you. You knew you would get all the tools and experience to go out there and enjoy yourself and perform."
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...ake-the-club-great-again-20171201-gzxbnv.html
