He Penrith junior player who would join the Sea Eagles early on in his playing career and he would go on to play over 250 games for the club. Des Hasler might not have started out at the Manly Sea Eagles, but in some way, it just seems to be where he belongs. It wasn’t…
AS a Bulldogs fan I know just what it’s like to feel frustrated. Our brand of footy for much of last year and this year has been boring, predictable and down right annoying. Fans have asked for change because of just that – our style. They want to see some fluid attack. They want to…
When I was in high school I had a friend that supported the South Sydney Rabbitohs. It was something he didn’t mention too much though. This was when George Piggins was running the club and they looked like they did not belong anywhere near the top level of the game. After high school I remember…
Seven News is reporting that Canterbury Bulldogs coach Des Hasler has no interest in signing Manly Sea Eagles fullback Brett Stewart. Stewart is one of a number of Manly players who have asked for an early release from their contract due to unrest at the club. The Bulldogs have been looking for a top class…
The Wests Tigers have beaten the Canterbury Bulldogs 46-18 in a sensational game of Sunday afternoon football. This was a really good game of footy with a lot of attacking football being played. There are probably two reasons why people will remember this game for a long time though… Firstly, this game saw a number…
The Daily Telegraph claims it has proof that the Canterbury Bulldogs were negotiating with Des Hasler to leave the Many Sea Eagles with a year left to run on his contract, and that the club was willing to pay for any legal costs an early exit from the club would leave him with. Why any…
The Canterbury Bulldogs incredible spending spree has continued with news that centre Josh Morris is set to re-sign with the club through to the end of the 2018 season. Morris spoke of his decision to remain at the Bulldogs with the Sydney Morning Herald. For most of last season there were very strong whispers that…
When the Canterbury Bulldogs named their squad for the 2014 Auckland 9’s the first thing I thought about was Des Hasler telling some NRL official that he doesn’t care one little bit about winning the Auckland 9’s. The Bulldogs are not the only team to not quite put their best foot forward for the Auckland…
From South Africa to Wembley Stadium, England’s 2013 Rugby League World Cup buildup and results were interesting to say the least. The Rugby Football League invested a lot of time, money and effort to make sure that England got the best preparation for the 2013 World Cup. No team that has come before had a…
In the interests of perpetuating the stereotype of rugby league’s fickle water cooler, where memories are short, determinations are rash and a week is a long time, I’m going on the record today by saying the Bulldogs are back, baby! For those reasonable and sensible who don’t exaggerate whilst canvassing over a plastic cup, this…
It is very rare that a terrible coach can manage to win a Premiership. It does happen from time to time (Hello Michael Hagan) but for the most part, the best coaches normally share the spoils. With the NRL salary cap strictly policed and teams not recruiting youngsters from all over the place, the biggest…
Going into the 2013 NRL season you would have been hard pressed to find someone that didn’t have the Canterbury Bulldogs down as one of the premiership favorites. Their less than idea start has horrified some within their fan base and it begs the question, is it already time to start worrying about the Bulldogs…
From the point of view of a card carrying pessimist such as myself, the major talking point from last weekend’s round of NRL will not be the glorious half-ton that my re-tootled Roosters poured on to the outstripped Eels at Allianz Stadium on Monday night. Inside my cynical headspace, this titillating 80 minutes of tri-coloured…
If the 2012 season showed us anything it was that a great coach is worth their weight in gold to any club. With top coaches now commanding million dollar salaries, clubs are more than aware that a top coach controls the entire destiny of a club. A coaches performance can make or break a club, not just…
The title says it all really. Not again. Not again as the Bulldogs who, in my opinion, were certainly the cream of the crop throughout the season came crashing back down to Earth after audio of someone within the club calling out abusive comments to a media contingent. Compounding the matter, the comments were of…
So here we are, Grand Final week and in a few days time lives will be changed. As a fan this whole week reminds me of 2003 when my Penrith Panthers made the Grand Final. I was never nervous at all, just confident.I enjoyed that entire season and I wouldn’t change a single thing about…
Two battle-dusty sheriffs stand at opposite ends of the ANZ corral in the Wild West, wearily upright among piles of the steaming fallen as the only remaining gunslingers from a drawn-out bloody battle carried out over 1 score and 6 rounds. And a couple of finals. Both wear an engulfing tattoo of strain on their…
No one gives a stuff about teams that lose in the semi finals. They get so close to being in the Grand Final, and yet they are not even a footnote in history when it comes down to it. This week we have four teams all with stories to tell about their journey to get…
Bulldogs fullback Ben Barba has won the 2012 Dally M player of the year with in what is fittingly a run away victory. Matthew Bowen finished second in the count while Cooper Cronk finished third. Barba also won the headline moment of the year, the fullback of the year and the Provan Summons medal which…
I love a good grudge match and tonight’s Bulldogs vs Sea Eagles match is about as good of a grudge match as you will find. It all stems back to the Sea Eagles implosion after winning the Grand Final. Their success on the field had been masking a lot of issues off the field and…
Daly Cherry-Evans is a 23 year old halfback that has proven himself in big games, won a premiership with the Manly Sea Eagles and represented Australia. You simply don’t get many young halfbacks that tick all of those boxes. I don’t mean right now in 2012….I mean ever! Right now Daly Cherry-Evans is one of…
It is a sad day in Rugby League today with news of the passing of Queensland and Australian Rugby League legend Arthur Beetson. I met Beetson once at a function at St Marys Rugby League club. I got a few autographs and he signed off with “Enjoy The Game”. That pretty much summed up the…
Grand Finals are life changing experiences. For players, it is about that life long goal they have always had to reach the great pinnacle of the sport. It is a chance to live a childhood dream. For coaches, it is about going over everything a million times in their heads. As their team walks out…
So here we are, the last weekend of big NRL games for the season. I say the last weekend of big games for a reason. Next week, next week is more than a big game. Next week will be life changing. We are now down to four teams and I have to say, I liked…
Last season felt like most of the competition was in transition and only a couple of teams were really primed for a real shot at the title. This season we have a number of different clubs ready to roll. The Storm are looking for redemption. The Dragons are looking to prove it wasn’t just a…
I know, I know…..I apologize! We all know it should be me, but because far to busy and important to take up the role, I thought I should force my opinions onto the like of you, ya know, kind of like what I’ve been doing for the last 11 years. I’ve said for a long…
The Manly Sae Eagles are the 100th Premiers after they destroyed the Melbourne Storm 40-0 in the Grand Final. It is the biggest winning margin in Australian Rugby League history. The game was close and predictably hard fought early on, and while the Sea Eagles scored two unconverted tries early in the game you just…
The Melbourne Storm beat the Manly Sea Eagles at Brookvale Oval last night but Manly can take heart. If it wasn’t for the terrible, shambolic play of their halfback, Matt Orford, Manly would have won the game. Orford started his game off with a forward pass that dribbled across the ground just a couple of…