Bulldogs Army

A few weeks ago during Origin 3, I sat down at my computer and decided to type out a few thoughts I’d been having about my beloved Bulldogs. It was an open letter to Todd Greenberg and was published on this website.

It seems I struck a chord with Bulldogs supporters. Soon a little snowball formed and started to roll. My letter hit the twitterverse and was tweeted in Greenberg’s direction. I never expected him to read it, let alone respond to it. Cue to me shitting myself when the Bulldogs CEO responded by saying he wanted to meet with me face to face in his office.

I had a couple of weeks to stew over this meeting before it happened. What was I going to say to him? What was he going to say to me?? I was presented with such a unique opportunity; here I am, just 1 of almost 15,000 members plus thousands of other supporters, and I’d been given a voice to represent us all. Pressure was on. I didn’t want to stuff it up.

Initially when Todd asked to meet me it felt like I was being called to the principal’s office. You know when you’re about to do something big and you try to imagine what it’d be like? I imagined I would be summoned to his office by his assistant. He’d be suited up, sitting across a big desk from some keyboard hero from the Gong, dominating the conversation for 15 minutes before a handshake and a gesture towards the door.

How wrong I was.

Before the meeting I sat waiting in the reception area of Bulldogs HQ when Terry Lamb walked by and said hello. Somewhere up in the clouds, Nan was looking down and thinking that was pretty bloody awesome.

Shortly after, Todd walked out and greeted me. We went to his office and he asked me to take a seat; not behind his desk but rather at a round table in the middle the room. He sat just a little bit around from me, dressed casually. My letter had been printed out and he had it in front of him, with various points highlighted that he wanted to address. He then launched into what would be a very interesting and satisfying chat between the two of us.

First of all, it’s difficult to silence the cynical bitch inside me, so I know what some of you are thinking. Todd is a smooth operator, the whole meeting was just a token act to appear he was listening to fans, it was all a PR stunt, conspiracy!, etc. I’ll admit, Todd is great at what he does and yes, he was smooth. He was also very candid with me and said quite a few things I’d never expect him to say or admit. I have a pretty good bullshit detector and I assure you it was not going off during our discussion.

It was honestly like two passionate Bulldogs people having a chat. He offered me an insight to what he does and what he hopes to achieve, as well as the various obstacles that have stood and still stand in his way. He also gave me the opportunity to be frank with him and say things that he may not want to hear. This was something I really appreciated.

We discussed many points relating to the Bulldogs, but our conversation was centred on bridging the gap between the club, players and supporters.

An important factor in having the players understand who they’re playing for is having them actually interact with their supporter base. I was blunt with Todd and told him team store signings weren’t enough. I said that we need genuine meetings between players and fans. Bring back injured players walking around the concourse at ANZ before games. Bring back mid-season fan days and open training sessions. Most importantly bring back post-match functions at the leagues clubs where the players can talk to fans after a game and see the elation of a win, but also face the music after a loss.

I also told him that the club itself needs to be more in touch with fans on a personal level. I had the opportunity to have my voice heard by the right person, but there are tens of thousands of supporters out there who have there own concerns as well as ideas on how to improve the way in which our club operates. We resolved that establishing a fan focus group to work in partnership with the club would be an effective way to move in a brighter direction. After all, without the supporters there would be no club; something Todd acknowledged before I had the chance to say it.

We spoke about passion and the lack of it in recent times. Todd told me about his appreciation of Ennis’ competitive nature. After a loss, Ennis won’t talk to anybody for an hour or so. Todd said it sometimes annoys people, but he absolutely loves it and wishes more players were affected so deeply by a loss and expressed it.

Again, before I had the chance to say it, Todd spoke of how it’s not about winning every game, but putting in 100% and playing with a tonne of heart. From speaking with other supporters, I know that we would still be proud of a losing side if we knew they put in everything they had. This passion is something he is striving to instill in our players.

As I said before, our conversation covered many points relating to the Bulldogs, and to save both you and I from an epically long blog entry, I’ll take the lazy option and handball this one over to point form:

• Players have been put on notice. If they aren’t performing they will be dropped. NSW Cup players have been informed they have a genuine shot at a first grade call-up.
• Positions aren’t guaranteed and structures will be a focus in the future. Each player needs to know their role and must perform to the best of their ability in it. If they don’t put in 100% they will be dropped, regardless of whether the game is won or lost.
• The new coach will have to meet various criteria including a focus on discipline as well as having balls to make tough calls. Todd told me of how in recent weeks Jim Dymock had expressed to him his concerns regarding Morris’ form. When Dymock was given the coaching gig it was an opportunity to prove that he wasn’t all talk and had the balls to take action.
• I told Todd of how to this day, some of our supporters are still spat on in the street and called rapists. Todd said he was aware of this and related that when first arrived at the club, some players were hesitant to wear their team polos on the way to training due to the negative responses they received from the general public.
• Someone at News Limited once showed him the figures relating to increased sales generated every time a negative story was published about our club. It’s always been assumed people fed off negativity and innuendo surrounding the Bulldogs but to know someone out there actually has the stats to back it up? Wow. Talk about us against the world.
• Telling Kevin Moore that his services were no longer required next year was the toughest thing he’s had to do in his role of Bulldogs CEO. I expressed to him that although I had my qualms about Moore’s coaching ability, I felt heartbroken for the bloke when it all happened. I also said that from the outside looking in, the perception is that he was undermined in the media by board members pushing their personal agendas. I said the board leaks in the media were embarrassing and he agreed.
• Development of juniors will be a focus from now on.
• Although he didn’t want to lose Idris, he also didn’t want to spend that amount of money on a centre. His priority was to lock in the key positions of 1, 7 and 9, which he has done.
• He loves Tolman’s work ethic and Ennis’ and Payne’s passion.
• The “nice guy policy” is about finding the balance between good guy off the field and force to be reckoned with on field. See Ennis: Michael.
• There are plans to stream this year’s fan forum online to make it accessible to more people.
• There are also plans for a fan day based around an open training session.
• Fans should be invited to share what the Bulldogs mean to them. Every fan has a story.
• Improvement of game-day experience for the fans is important to him. This is one of the many issues the establishment of a fan focus group can address, as well as the annual fan forum.
• He’s excited by both the Independent Commission as well as the money that will be generated by the new tv deal. He aims to invest in club/supporter relations. He also hopes the new Commission will overhaul the reserve grade competition.

Again, I sense the cynicism out there. Sure, he was telling me what I wanted to hear but you know what? He looked me in the eye as he said it, with full knowledge that I’d write this blog about it, that I’d go back to my friends in the Army and tell them about it and that I’ll call him out on it if I ever need to. For him to not stay true to his words would not only be a very bad look, but also bad leadership.

I feel he was genuine. He was candid in his responses to my concerns, but also in other information he offered me. This is a guy who wants to take our club to bigger and better places. To do this, he needs to listen to the people matter the most. Sponsors may invest their money, but supporters invest their hearts.

After an hour of talking we wrapped things up. Todd walked me out of the building and I left a very encouraged Bulldog. The amazing game that was to follow was just the perfect way to end a truly positive day. Todd wants all of us to know that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. That night our boys showed us a glimpse of it.

As Barry Nelson once said, tough times don’t last, but tough people do.

And we’re tough people.

As I travel the 3.5hour journey down the F3 Freeway yet again to support my beloved Canterbury-Bankstown I’m thinking, despite our recent form slump I’m quite excited about this game.

Mt Smart, Auckland, New Zealand is this week’s destination and the New Zealand Warriors are whom we’re up against on Friday night.

I’m slightly confident for a Bulldogs victory as we haven’t had a win for a while and surely we cannot go through such a bad losing streak. Not with the team sheet we have.

That morning as I’m travelling to Sydney’s International Airport I’m in conversation with Mark Geyer – former League legend and co-host of the Triple M Grill Team, about my trip.

MG agrees I should be in contact with Bulldogs CEO Todd Greenberg about a possible rendezvous with the team in Auckland.

I shoot Greenberg a message and to my surprise he replies with an invitation to their training session on the Thursday afternoon! Of course, I gladly accepted the invitation.

I arrive in rainy Auckland late Wednesday night with Karen and after being totally screwed by our hotel with the dodgiest room with no heater and no hot water, we are relocated to a normal room and call it a night.

Thursday morning we enjoyed a nice sleep in then hit the city for some sight seeing.

We checked out the War Memorial Museum as the Bulldogs were training at the fields just next door in over an hour at 3pm.

At 3pm Karen heads back to the city to do some shopping and I head to the sports fields to find no sign of the team anywhere.

Heavy rain is still falling and the park was quite large but it’s not everyday you get this opportunity so I venture off in the mud to find them (I wasn’t paying $35 for an umbrella at the museum gift shop either).

I searched the park for a good 45 minutes before I double-checked the message form Todd Greenberg and it works out I was at the wrong park. Such similar names though…

Easy mistake and I was unbelievably annoyed with myself.

Next mission was to find a cab. If anyone has been to Auckland they would know that’s not the easiest assignment, especially in a park, so, I hitchhiked.

This lovely Maori couple were headed my way and were more than happy to give me a ride.

Turns out I was a pretty far away from where I should’ve been and these amazing locals had a giggle at me. I didn’t blame them really.

To their surprise I left them a financial thank you gift for saving me from the rain and delivering me to my special afternoon with my Blue and White boys. I cannot explain how grateful I was and how beautiful at heart they were.

I arrive at training over an hour late but had missed nothing. The boys were hitting the fields as I arrived.

After meeting a few of the lads they got into their drills and set plays.

The team was being run by Jim Dymock and Tony Grimaldi, which I thought was a normal warm up routine for them while Kevin Moore took a few calls.

Something just didn’t seem right…

I was there with Greg Eastwood’s cousin Rex and his 3 boys and that’s all that was in attendance but the players seemed a little quiet.

Todd Greenberg walked passed me from the sheds, I went to say hi and have a chat with him but he was busy talking over near the team bus, same as Moore. They seem to be having an in depth conversation, one that I didn’t want to interrupt. They both then boarded the team bus.

Dymock ran the team all session, which I then thought was odd and knew something was up.

Idris and Ryan both looked like they didn’t want to be there at all. I tried to talk to Ryan but got nothing but a “hey mate”.

Zap was out kicking goals and Ben Roberts was having a great time in the rain.

I caught up with Ben Barba at spoke about his hometown which I was visited last week and would have loved the Mackay weather right now.

The player who had the most time for me was Trent Hodgkinson. He was really appreciative for my support and dedication to the team for travelling all that way, a truly fantastic guy.

Dene Haletau, Chris Keating, Steve Turner and David Stagg were all great as well. After meeting them all I’m kind of glad Idris is going, he just wasn’t interested and I was disappointed in our captain Andrew Ryan.

It’s not hard to have a quick chat with someone who has flown to another country and stood in the freezing rain to support them. I could have easily sat in my lounge room in front of the fire and watched.

I soon realise during my travels I had missed the news of Coach Kevin Moore quitting the club with immediate effect as a result of the club not requiring his services next season.

The pieces of the puzzle are coming together, Moore not training, Greenberg in deep conversation, Ryan not happy. I was at a training session that will go down in the history of the club as the one where Moore walked out.

I couldn’t believe it.

The session wasn’t what I had expected. I thought I would have been able to interact with the players a little more considering there were only 5 of us there watching but with what had just happened I totally understand the distance that players and coaching staff took.

I’m glad I was there though. The team needs the supporters to get behind them and have faith. Even though I had received the cold shoulder from a few of them I was happy to be there to support my team and my club in a time they need me, all of us.

I hitchhiked a ride back to the city with Rex and his 3 boys, as I was nowhere near a main road to get a cab/bus/train.

That evening Karen and I went into the city for a few drinks and went home with a nice donation from the Auckland casino for my card skills on the Blackjack table.

Friday morning I woke with excitement. Not only was it game-day but we were also booked in to Bungy Jump off the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

A long story short – I was pumped to do it – Karen was nervous but when we got there, I shat myself. We both did it and would totally do it again!!

In the afternoon we ventured to the Transport Centre to catch the train to Mt Smart Stadium.

It was approximately a 1km walk from the train station to the ground.

What do you know? It was still raining!! This time it was torrential rain.

Not a good thing when you have front row seats. Ponchos to the rescue! Well…. kind of.  We got soaked!!

The two teams ran out with the Bulldogs leading the way.

I stood up, waved my Kennel scarf, clapped and whistled only to turn around to the greetings of a few dozen locals sticking their fingers up and me and having people simulating my throat being cut.

Welcome to Mt Smart Brad!

Karen kept a low profile as she doesn’t support either team but I wasn’t ashamed to show my passion and love for the Canterbury-Bankstown boys.

We took a 12 – 0 lead in the game and I was getting excited. “Come on boys” I was yelling, please win it!

It wasn’t to be. We went down convincingly and I copped abuse from every angle. To be honest it was all fun and games after I congratulated them on the win and they were all great about it. Well, I had to. They would have killed me otherwise.

After such a massive few days with the announcement of Moore stepping down, the freezing temperatures, the rain, the hotel room debacle, the rain, turning up to the wrong training ground, the rain, the death threats at the game, the rain and the loss to the Warriors it was only fitting that the trains were replaced by busses for the trip back from the stadium.

Of course we missed the last one. Did I mention it was raining?

We finally got back to the city after 4 guys kindly said they’d show us to the bus station only to jump in a cab and leave us in the middle of Whoknowswhere! Hmm, there seems to be a trend of misfortune here.

We finally make it back to our hotel for one of the best hot showers I’ve ever had and drift off to sleep, cranky I might add.

For those of you Bulldogs Army guys and girls reading this and thought the Tigers game at Campbelltown was cold – be very grateful.

All in all, I am glad I made the trip across “The Ditch”. The experience was fantastic. The training session was something special. Mt Smart Stadium put on a spectacle in all its precipitational glory and it was great to be introduced to the warm-hearted people of New Zealand.

The fans of the Bulldogs fraternity need to stick by the team. We need to support our boys through thick and thin. Don’t lose hope. Every team has its down time and ours seems to be now. Lets not bite the hand that has fed us such glories and happiness in the past.

I hope one day, no matter who you support, get to experience the Rugby League culture of the Kiwi way. You’ll never forget it. I know I wont.

Just for the record, our flight home was delayed for hours due to a snowstorm. Just to keep the trend of the trip continual.

“EVERYWHERE YOU GO… WE WILL FOLLOW

By Brad Eveleigh
(Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Kennel/Club Member)

In preparation for Anna’s meeting with Todd Greenberg, the Bulldogs Army would like to create a multimedia package that illustrates to Todd what the Bulldogs really mean to the fans... and to do that we need your help.

What we looking for are photos, statements, quotes, stories, videos or anything you would like to contribute to help us tell our story. Everybody’s contributions are valued regardless of the time you have been supporting the Bulldogs. This club means a lot to many people.

We believe the Canterbury Bulldogs biggest asset in their business is there fans because without us there would be no audience, no one to buy their merchandise and no stream of income. We are a family.

Please send your contributions to bulldogsarmy@hotmail.com 

 
Thank you
Anthony Magro

Let me preface this letter by saying I’m not calling for anyone’s head.

This is a letter of the heart.

I grew up in Kiama and now reside in Wollongong, yet the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs are my team. Why? Family.

My Nan was a Bulldog. She grew up in Enfield and lived in Greenacre until the day she died. She took her children and grandchildren to Belmore to watch the boys play. She was buried with blue and white flowers adorning her coffin.

Nan and I were very close. She was a kick arse woman who I miss dearly. When I go to games I feel close to her. On my way to the stadium I drive through the streets she used to walk down. I’ve never lived in the area, but when I’m there I think of her and I feel like a part of me is home.

I know she’d be proud of me for supporting her Bulldogs. If she were still here today I know she’d be sitting with us in the Army, swearing loudly and mispronouncing players’ names.

Family, though, is more than just bloodlines. I now have another family: the Bulldogs Army. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from; when you’re in the Army you’re united. You feel your spirits soar together after a win and you take the kick in the guts of a loss as one.

And the Bulldogs are our family. When we’re at a game we feel like we’re a part of something. No matter what’s going on in our lives, for 80 minutes a week it’s forgotten, and we’re right there with the 17 men on the field. They play for us and they play for each other. Family.

Except lately it doesn’t feel that way.

For reasons I can’t comprehend, it feels as though it all matters more to us than it does to the guys on the field. It feels as though all the heart and pride that came from being a Bulldog has been drained from our team.

Take St George for example: I used to feel indifferent toward them. They were just another opposition I wanted to beat. Then came round 10, 2009, Kogarah. Idris crossed the line in the dying minutes of an 80 minute arm wrestle. Looking around the ground, all I could see were blue and white people, jumping up and down and embracing. The players ran over in front of the Army and pumped their fists in the air. Pure elation.

Then it was taken away.

The video ref called no try and ripped our hearts out in the process. Ever since that day we have despised St George. They’re no longer a team we want to beat; they’re a team we want to demolish. St George robbed us of a win and stole our minor premiership. We’ve called for blood ever since. But where is our team?

They have not avenged this loss. In every game since we’ve effectively bent over for St George. Where’s the heart? Where’s the pride? Smashing St George means SO much to the Bulldogs fans. Why doesn’t the team understand this? Why don’t they feel the same way?

Is it because they don’t care? Is it because we’ve bought so many players since that they simply don’t get it because they weren’t there?

I spend a lot of my time talking Bulldogs with a lot of passionate supporters. The common theme arising from our conversations is that we can’t identify with our team anymore. The Bulldogs were once synonymous with aggression, pride and strength in the face of adversity. Steve Folkes spoke recently about the “us against the world” mentality. No matter what was thrown at us, both on-field and off, it couldn’t defeat us. Why? Because we were the Bulldogs: a successful team with a rich and proud history.

Oppositions feared playing us. They dreaded their upcoming games against us. Now I can only assume they look forward to the 2 competition points gifted to them.

I watch footage from old games and I can see the hunger to win oozing from the players. They ran hard, hit harder and backed each other. Their energy was contagious. I urge you to watch some of these old games and ask yourself, when was the last time you saw us play with that amount of heart and passion?

I understand the desire to recruit “nice guys”. We made the headlines for the wrong reasons and it cost us financially. We have sponsors to please and an image to sell, but how long can you maintain a happy sponsor relationship as their exposure dwindles due to an underachieving team?

I know you’re an astute leader, but you must never take for granted the willingness for people to part with their hard-earned for you. We battle the traffic, pay our $20 to park, pay to wear your merchandise, pay for our memberships or gate tickets, sit in the cold and then battle the traffic on the way home. At some point we have to ask, why bother for an insipid display from our team? Why spend money we worked hard for when the team gives the impression that it’s not appreciated?

At some point we lost our way. Perhaps the influx of new players meant that the Bulldogs mentality was never learnt. Yes, we need to maintain a healthy image, but not at the expense of passion. We need to find the balance between good guys off-field and passionate players on-field who can harness competitive nature and aggression and turn it into a weapon against our oppositions. This is what the fans are crying out for.

Our players need to know who we are and where we come from. They need to know who our greatest rivals are and why. They need to know what it means to be a Bulldog, what it meant to the past champions of our club and what it means to the supporters. They need to appreciate that it is a privilege to play for a club with such a rich and proud history, and for fans whose passion cannot be rivalled in the NRL. They need to know that they are playing for us and for their brothers on the field. For their family.

I write to you today to implore you to restore the Bulldogs culture. Our identity needs to be instilled in every player who walks out onto that field in the blue and white. Until this happens I fear it’ll be more of the same. 17 men dressed in blue and white, but no one wearing it.

Yours sincerely,

Anna Barwell

It goes without saying that the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs are a team in crisis. Over the past weeks they have been the ire of criticism due to their underachieving results which have poorly reflected on the team and the coach in particular.

Many would argue that the first to be lined up at the Belmore shooting range is Kevin Moore. On the heels of a disastrous 2008 season, Kevin Moore steered the Bulldogs to one game away from the Grand Final and enjoyed the fruits of a successful 2009 season. However, the blockbuster game between the Eels and Bulldogs in front of 75000 at ANZ Stadium began to show cracks which would eventuate into the 2010 season.

In 2010 as a Bulldogs member, I along with many others, whether it be in the members stand or even at home watching the game, sat through 26 rounds of cringe-worthy footy. At times, the Bulldogs showed glimmers of hope only to trample our happiness with lacklustre footy material as the inside ball reared its ugly head many a times throughout the game. It was a season which many, including myself, choose not to remember.

Fast forward to 2011 and the Dogs along with their supporters enjoyed three straight wins however soon faced a predicament as the engine room couldn’t match it with the teams sitting above us in the form of Melbourne and St George. Personally, I thought the team was starting to gel and would eventually click to soon become top four material. The cracks soon began to show after the team travelled to Canberra Stadium and couldn’t execute a win against a team who were clearly lacking in form. Our halves were nowhere to be seen and had it not been for the livewire known as Ben Barba then we’d probably have been left at zero for the entirety of the game.

Soon after, the team lacked any go forward against the Sharks and in one of the most humiliating games of the season, the team fell apart against the Manly Sea Eagles. If I could just touch on that game for a second and as I was sitting in the stands I couldn’t help but wonder what game plan this team had because the Sea Eagles were all over them and they looked like a team of scrambled eggs. Perhaps some may not share the same argument as me but I have always believed the Dogs play better under an expansive style of footy compared to a one out style.

The axe had to be wielded. Bulldogs supporters across the state and perhaps the country voiced their anger at a team which seemingly had it all but produced nothing. Some were calling for the axing of some players while others pointed the finger at Kevin Moore. I write this blog not to be critical of a team which I passionately support but as a supporter to voice my concern at the state of our team.

The media always likes to pry on such cases of turmoil and as my intro paragraph stated the Dogs are in turmoil. It has gotten to the stage where the Board of Directors have provided our coach with an ultimatum…beat the Melbourne Storm or you’re gone. It’s easy to point the finger and victimise somebody however a coach can only do so much. It does come down to a team effort and the Dogs need to show that they are long from gone and Kevin Moore needs to prove that not only to him but to the thousands of loyal Dogs supporters everywhere.

Canterbury needs to be careful because although as a club they may enjoy a large membership base and produce great revenue from merchandising, the performance of one club can easily take away these fruits.

In closing, it’ll be interesting to see what the team does this weekend against the Melbourne Storm. Could the team turn its fortunes around against a side which in my opinion will be there on the first Sunday of October or will we be reading about the exit of Kevin Moore from the Bulldogs?

All in all, this is a big week for everybody involved with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. 

By Moodey