Bulldogs Army

2am Friday morning. I'm perched up in my bulldozer uncovering coal to be exported to China. Doing my thing for the Australian economy right? Does that make me feel special? Important? Not really... Why? Because I'm to busy singing "WE ARE THE ARMY, THE BULLDOGS ARMY..."

I keep searching the sky to see if the sun has peaked into the depths of the mine. I know that when it does it's time to venture home and prepare to infiltrate Brisbane with an Army of Blue and White.

I catch a quick 2.5hrs sleep and head to the airport, double-checking my precious cargo of a Bulldogs jersey and my Kennel scarf whilst nursing a can of Red Bull.

As I'm driving to the airport I'm seeing twitter messages from my fellow Blue and White soldiers from all over the state, checking into all different airports at different times, pumped with excitement and passion to get into Queensland.

That evening we will unite as one and transform the world famous Suncorp Stadium from a Pony stable into a Doghouse!

I arrive in warm and sunny Brisbane and am collected by my good friend Rusho bound for his and his lovely partner Tina’s house for a quick transition of bag drops.

No time to be wasted. There's a footy game to attend to!

We get a cab to the stadium and part ways as Rusho shoots off to his friends house and I search for my brothers and sisters from the premier state.

The majority of the Army were still on the train south of the city and good old Hog was keeping it real in the city at the casino.

I decided to waste time and do the people of Queensland a favor by decorating the bronze statue of Wally Lewis in my Kennel scarf and had my picture taken by an unimpressed local. I didn't see what the problem was. It looked better for it.

Interested in the stadium gift shop and what it had to offer, I popped in for a quick squiz to see what they had.

An A4 framed picture of Israel Folau going for a thieving 300 odd dollars and a figurine of Sonny Bill Williams insulting our club was enough for me to exit the store.

I had an interesting run in with the security and had to debate that his pathetic gift shop didn't sell the Kennel scarf’s *shakes head*.

Magro and I were in communication as he informed me that the group would be arriving at the Roma St train station shortly so I headed up to meet them there.

On my walk to the station, I randomly ran into Hog who was walking in the other direction. He had totally dominated the casino, so, we went for a bite to eat to celebrate his massive $20 win.

When we arrived the majority of the Army were present.

It was great to see everyone again.

I took my seat with Hog, Christine and Evan on the aisle.

It wasn't long before we were all together again to cheer as one for our beloved Bulldogs.... and it wasn't long before we all met the Suncorp Fun Police.

These female "security guards" were seriously out to just piss us off.

In the strange aspect of it all, WE copped abuse from THEM. Disgusting form and Magro let them know it bless him.

Everything from legs in the aisle to feet on the seat, our banners had been taken note of pre-game day and those not on the list were to be confiscated. No large flags. No this, no that. I didn't realise Suncorp was a church. How silly of me to think of it as a sporting venue.

After 3 first warnings and a threat of ejection for starting a Mexico wave (which isn’t banned according to their website), we came to the conclusion that this apparent "best stadium in Australia" was most defiantly not as our supporters had already been pre-judged. Especially Ali, only because of his flashing glasses, they created attention, which he kindly handed a few out to some children. Well-played Ali. I thought it was his way of a diversion...kidding.

Manly and Brisbane were playing the first of the NRL fixtures but none of us cared. Only Huss, but he made up for his poor display in a Broncos jersey later on though starting the Bulldogs chant. All was forgiven as the humor from the situation lightened all heckling.

William "Teddy" Chau was in fine form and kindly took time off from his acting career to unveil the first banner of the night as the Army started to disrupt the Manly/Brisbane game with the Bulldogs chant. Which I must add, in the absence of Ace, Hog's rendition may be a more regular occurrence.

As the Bulldogs took the field for the "main game" we were all in full voice.

We were going nuts within the first 10 minutes as the boys took and early lead.

Security left us alone enough for us to enjoy ourselves for the most part of the game. The same couldn't be said for the 3 girls across the aisle from us knocking down their passion pop and cracking onto married men. I thought Christine was going to get all Brazilian Jujitsu on them at one stage.

The Bulldogs totally dominated the Titans in the physical aspect of the game and it became a comedy fest as the Titans blew 8 tries, only to score on the 9th.

Josh Morris completed the 28-6 victory in our corner as he saluted us and 2 try monster Frank The Tank sent everyone wild by kissing the Bulldogs badge and paying his respects to us.

We all linked arms and bounced to the tune of "We Are The Army", not that anyone present didn't know who we were already.

After full-time the players all came to our bay and thanked us for the support. It made the trip that little more worthwhile.

It was time to celebrate.

We exited the ground as one and in full voice, turning the heads of everyone who was near as their curiosity of our roar got the better of them.

Random people were high fiving us and clapping along with our chants, our destination was the Wally Lewis statue for a Blue and White group photo. Even Wally would have been proud.

We headed up Caxton Street for some street dancing with the local buskers and a bite to eat, still on a high from the game.

It was great to see everyone so happy.

The thing is that not everyone knows each other, well I certainly don’t but in saying that I feel so at home with everyone, like I belong there with them all.

Sadly this is where I parted with the Army as they headed back to the Gold Coast.

To this day I am extremely grateful and I always will be for the hospitality of this group of amazing people.

The passion these guys and girls show for our beloved Bulldogs is second to none.

This is my first year as a Bulldogs Army member in the Kennel.

I joined alone and did not know one person when I arrived for the first round match at ANZ Stadium.

A big thank you goes to Hog, Costa and Magro for taking me in, making me feel welcome and introducing me to everyone.

This most defiantly will not be my last year with the Army. I'm now with you guys for life as family.

WE ARE THE ARMY - THE BULLDOGS ARMY

WHEREVER YOU GO... WE WILL FOLLOW

Brad Eveleigh

The below article is in retaliation to Gordon Tallis' post in The Courier Mail. This article can be found here.



Gordon Tallis - “IF I were boss for a day..”

When I read his column this morning, I couldn’t stop but laugh at some of the things he had said about my beloved club the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in ‘The Courier Mail’.

Gordie starts off saying that “Canterbury is the "family club", they've turned a lot of things around off the field, and they're a popular club” and the follows up with this statement “West Sydney is a key battleground for the game, but it’s well covered with the Tigers, Parramatta and Penrith, so the Dogs could be the team to go elsewhere”. What a ridiculous statement to make considering the Bulldogs have been one of the most successful clubs over the last 30 years with a proud history.

Where has this man been over the last few years? Has he not seen the club identity change we undertook (from ‘Bulldogs’ to ‘Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs’? Has he not witnessed our record home crowd averages? Or our membership numbers? Or even our increase in merchandiser sales? I guess not as he assumes that re-locating the Canterbury-Bankstown team called the Bulldogs would work because we have “played a number of games across the Tasman recently”.

So let’s stop for a minute and look at some stats released by the club on the 24th March 2011 on figures up to the end of the 2010 financial year.

·         Membership growth of 200%, leading to an increase of 90% in revenue. We have 14221 members signed up for 2011 compared to the low 4069 members in 2008. Our membership numbers have been significantly boosted by our ‘value for money’ season passes with the introduction of the $95 general admission ticket which the cheapest membership in Australia across all codes.

·         We boost the biggest rugby league crowd average in New South Wales and second overall to the Brisbane Broncos in the league. 2011 Crowd Average - 24 926

·         Sponsorship growth of 40%. During the 2009 pre-season, the club couldn’t attract any major sponsors. Since then major sponsors Jaycar, Autobarn, Harvey Norman and Doltone House have come on board to support the club.In-depth research that there has been ‘a major improvement in the perception of the Bulldogs brand and a sponsorship proposal that is widely regarded as one of the most professional in Australian sport have been further factors behind this growth.’

·         Growth of more than 200% in the number of Corporate Partners which has resulted in a 75% increase in revenue in this area.

·         40% growth in the merchandise program. The launch of the Canterbury branded football apparel and merchandise has been an astounding success. Recent figures indicate that the club experienced a 55% increase in sales revenue due a ‘more strategic selection of products from licensees and the internal design of new ‘Supporter’ and ‘Heritage’ ranges’. Members also have the 15% discount option when they purchase any Bulldogs merchandise at the team store in Bankstown or online via the Bulldogs team store site.

·          150% growth in funds raised for our Community Partners.

The club previously had an arrangement in the mid noughties to host a home game against New Zealand Warriors at Wellington; the club has since strategically moved home games to Suncorp Stadium (the double header match during the origin period), to Adelaide (which ‘proved to be a resounding success’ and to reach out to an untapped market since the Rams left the league in ‘98), Central Coast and Gold Coast over the years. These games reach out to the thousands of fans who live outside the Canterbury-Bankstown region and to attract more fans to support the club.

Let’s not forget the federal and state government grants given to the club to upgrade Belmore Sports Ground. After tireless lobbying by numerous individuals, the club will re-commence training and administrative duties at the sacred venue after the state of the art facilities have been built.

The club understands that there is a massive market of Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs fans and they are willing to listen and read feedback by the general public. This has been coincided with the launch of social media sites – Facebook and Twitter.

Maybe Gordie should download Google maps to assist with his geographical awareness after suggesting the “Eels also help to tie up the inner-west”. I never knew the Parramatta region covered areas like Annandale and Glebe.

The Bulldogs Army will be out in numbers this Friday night when we face-off against St George Illawarra Dragons at ANZ Stadium. The club is aiming to reach the magical 42k crowd figure which would eclipse the previous highest non-final NSW attendance record.

Seriously, there are more teams in metro Sydney that are far worse off than the Bulldogs. The league is currently in the process of receiving a major windfall from the upcoming television commercial rights deal and grants will be given across the board to the football clubs.

There will no doubt be pressure coming from the newly formed AFL Greater Western Sydney team in 2012 but I’m confident that the team behind the scenes at the club will succeed moving forward.

The ‘Raging Bull’ should conduct some in-depth research before making some outlandish statements as there is no real justification as to why we should re-locate based on some poor comments.

By Williams Chau

Bulldogs in the Community has an opportunity to fundraise through a concept called Doubles. 

Doubles is an institution in Rugby League culture where punters purchase $1 pre-printed tickets, containing a Number for the Home Team and for the Opposition. To win the game, the ticket must have the correct number for the first try scorer from each team. 

Money raised will be entered into a pool of funds used to support Bulldogs charity partners. The money will be used for charity initiatives, such as flying Camp Quality families from interstate to a game and providing merch for kiddies in hospitals.

What we need:
At each home game we will need 5 volunteers in selling doubles during the 2 hours (approx) prior to kick off. If you are 18+ and are able to get to the game early, we need you! You don't need to commit to every game, and you are certainly not expected to. Just give the army a shout if you're available for an upcoming home game and we'll get in touch with you with the details.

This is an opportunity for the Bulldogs Army to work with the club in supporting its charity partners. If you've felt inspired by the great work our club does in the community, now you can be a part of it!


To get involved with Bulldogs Army events in the community, send an email to sempy54@hotmail.com

In a recent interview COO of Bulldogs Dirk Melton reckons "... as fans, we're the best in the biz". Now I am horribly biased on this issue, but he couldn't be more right ! 

Ever wondered whether your fandom goes beyond the norms of what is normally considered sane behaviour ?

Ever been accused by friends or family as being "way over the top" ?

Have you ever lost a friendship because you snapped after hearing "Dont worry it's only a game !" ???

Well I'm here to tell you "fear not".
Below are 50 questions for every Bulldogs fan to determine just how much of a "tragic" you really are.

Simply answer YES or NO, and we'll tally 'em up at the bottom.

• I own every DVD of the Bulldogs History available from the Bulldogs store.
• I own DVD's of all the Grand Final's we lost.
• I own a jersey which pre-dates the birth of my children.
• I own a jersey which pre-dates my own birth.
• I still wear them.
• I own an item of apparel worn by a player, other than a jersey.
• I attended the last game at Belmore in 1998.
• Since 1998, I have been to Belmore to watch a game.
• I still call us the Berries out of habit.
• I can recite the entire lyrics to the original Canterbury theme song.
• At least one room in my house is secretly dedicated to the colours blue and white (ie: sheets, cushions, paint, picture frames).
• I have purchased a car based solely on the colour “blue” it had.
• I have enquired about the cost of a house in the street nearest to BSG Eastern end.
• I have been to Terry Lamb Oval AND took a rugby league ball with me.
• I have been to Turvey Park, took a rugby league ball AND took a pic of the sign.
• I know the address of the shop in Campsie where Bulldogs were born in the 1920's.
• I have purchased an unrelated item from there, just so I can say I've been there.
• My family's history with the Bulldogs pre-dates the grandstand at Belmore.
• I have named a pet after a favourite player.
• I have named children after a favourite player.
• Somewhere on my person, exists a tattoo related to Bulldogs.
• In my time as a member, I have occupied the same seat for three or more seasons in a row.
• I am a non-local member of the Canterbury Leagues just because it's our club.
• Considering I live outside the greater Canterbury/Bankstown area, I have decorated some portion of my living quarters to let it be known to neighbours alike where my loyalties lie.
• I have cancelled attending a family event because it clashes with a Bulldogs game. (ie: Sorry Aunty Beryl, I cant make your 60th birthday because Dogs are playing Parra.)
• I can recite the names of our entire 1st grade squad from the first ever match we played.
• I can recite the names of all our Captains since inception.
• I can name at least 20 international rep players we have had, off the top of my head.
• I can recall more than 5 leading try scorers, in the last 20 years, off the top of my head.
• Friends send me text messages (or emails) asking for statistical clarification on certain arguments they're having elsewhere.
• I have compiled a tribute video and put it on YouTube.
• I have created a Bulldogs themed website/web-page.
• I have a Twitter account and message the current players.
• I have sledged @robbiefarah and/or @jarrydhayne_1
• I have manufactured a banner and taken it to more than 3 games.
• I have manufactured a flag and stitched it to a pattern to make it big, and it's lasted more than a season.
• Given the chance, I've worn Bulldogs merchandise to work on casual days.
• My office/truck is decorated in Bulldogs merch.
• I know at least 12 other people I see regularly at games by their full name.
• I have a photo of me with “Ace”.
• I have a photo of me with the actual Bulldog mascot (the dog, not the character in the suit).
• Reception at head office knows my name/voice on the phone.
• I openly admit to having be caught dancing along to the sound of Lebanese drums at a Bulldogs game.
• I openly admit to having worn face paint at a Bulldogs game.
• I openly admit to turning my back on Willie Mason at ANZ when he lined up for the Roosters.
• I openly admit to crying when Steve Price left.
• I openly admit to breaking something when SBW left.
• Despite what the “records” say – I still tell anyone we would have won 2002 by a lap !
• Despite what the “records” say – I still tell anyone we were robbed by Steve Clarke and Jamie Soward at Kogarah.
• I have physically destroyed merch belonging to Roosters, Dragons or Eels with my own hands.

If you answered more then 10 of these with a YES – Congrats, you qualify as a legitimate, card-holding, DNA-carrying, undeniable Bulldogs tragic !!!

But dont worry ... when people doubt your sanity, remember this : You're one more of us, and one less of them !


By Captain Kickass

"Captain Kickass is a 4th generation Bulldogs fan, married father of two, and self confessed pain in the arse online. Among other things, he sometimes writes blogs for 'The Roar', and is the organiser for Sydney No Pants Train Ride. Follow him here -http://twitter.com/#!/CKtwitfeed

Anyone who knows me personally would be familiar of my English Super League passion. Well before it was Channel 9 I would watch the ESL at the early hours on FoxSports. To me the competition was fresh. I didn't know a lot about the players or the clubs so i was watching with open eyes. I guess I need to thank Jason Hetherington for getting me interested when he went over to the London Broncos (now called the Harlequins).

My favourite team was St Helens. If you don't know St Helens, they were the team which Darren Britt, Barry Ward and Willie Talau would eventually play for after existing the Bulldogs.

At my height of Super League interest I found two kids in the St Helens academy (junior grade) who I was certain to make a big impact- James Roby and James Graham. What I saw in them was the talent to create a winning culture not just at St Helens but also in the English national team. Unfortunately James Roby found himself behind Keiron Cunningham for many years which stunted his development but James Graham was thrown into first grade quickly.

So... James Graham will be a Bulldog as of 2012. If you don't know much about the latest potential English import, let me give you a formal introduction.

James Graham is a one time Man of Steel (Dally M equivalent), he is the current Captain of England, he has been in the Super League Dream Team twice and he will be coming over at the peak of his career.

James is a hard hitting prop forward who averages over 155 metres a game, he is a solid defender with an average of 25 tackles and has scored 52 tries to date.  While Steve Price is a club legend i am willing to go out on a limb and say we have the new Steve Price.

So consider our possible 2012 forward pack;
8. Aiden Tolman
9. Michael Ennis
10. James Graham
11. Frank Pritchard
12. Greg Eastwood
13. David Stagg

Maybe it is just me but that reminds me of our 2004 Premiership winning forward pack.

As I watch the media and Todd Greenberg tweets closely for the confirmation, I continue to salivate at the thoughts of him in the mighty blue and white jersey. When I think about all the big name players that we have lost, it will be exciting to see one of our own.

By Anthony Magro

Rugby League fans have been dealt another blow by the farce named Channel 9. It is no surprise really from this network that currently is fighting for the renewed rights of broadcast. Rugby League fans are used to the mistreatment because it has gone on for years.

If you haven't kept up with the news you might have missed that Friday nights salivating clash between the top of the table Brisbane Broncos against our excitement filled Canterbury Bulldogs has been delayed. Delayed for what you might ask... The Royal Wedding.

But for Channel 9 to do that must surely mean they have the exclusive rights to the wedding... wrong!

Despite Freeviews expansion of 5 commercial channels to 15 a few years ago, Channel 9 will simultaneously broadcast the wedding with ABC, SBS, Channel 7, Channel 10 and various Foxtel channels like UKTV. Channel 9's digital channel GEM will also be showing the wedding. WTF?!

Yet Channel 7 will be airing the AFL match up between the Sydney Swans and Carlton Blues live in their digital channel 7mate.
Back to Rugby League and you might be thinking that  surely this is an isolated incident, Rugby League has been on Channel 9 for years and they trust and value us... wrong!


Every week we Rugby League fans are delayed two matches a week. Friday night has a delayed game and so is Sunday afternoon. Not only are they delayed but they are filled with ads. If you live in Melbourne where the Storm has controversially leaded the NRL for half the decade, you won't get any live games from Channel 9. Not even the State Of Origin.

This is in an age where you can socialise with your friends without talking and where multiple websites provide live score updates from the grounds.

This relationship we (Rugby League) are in with Channel 9 is toxic. They tell us how much they love us and value us yet they keep mistreating us. They promise things they can't deliver on and they expect to keep us. They have two digital channels yet we still are delayed with the premium clash this Friday.

I'm no expert on the contractual agreement between broadcasters and the NRL. What i do know is that the next contract has some holes which need to be filled;

* Live NRL coverage. Should this coverage not be met they must on sell the match to another network.

* NYC coverage. The NYC competition in 2010 out rated the Super 14's Rugby and this competition is rising in popularity every year. There is no reason why the Sunday game couldn't include the NYC match prior. There isn't anything else worthwhile on at 2pm on commercial television.

These are just two points that i would like fixed up outside of the obvious team expansion and extra funding.

What else would you like to see foe the 2013 agreement?



By Anthony Magro

With 5 victories from 7 games, and the horrors of 2010 well and truly behind us, we can enjoy the satisfaction that in 2011 we are contenders again. Two victories over Souths to go with one over Parra, and couple against last years semi-finalists Roosters and Tigers. Not bad !

The losses against a rampant Storm and St George Bennett-trons, were stark reminders of where we need to be once September appears on the calendar. Competetive in parts, and capable of swinging momentum, but accumulating mistakes has been our downfall. 

That being said - For the most part this Dog's fan is happy.
To use horse racing parlance ... we've just reaching the end of the straight in the Melb Cup.

It's the next two games that will have me chewing fingernails, as we attempt to position ourselves for the rest of the finals race.

The impenetrable wall of Broncos is next on the agenda, and if you're one who reads the writing on the wall, you'd have to be blind Freddy not to see what it says at the moment : LOCKYER WAS HERE !!! 

Locky's farewell tour is proving to be a party only Broncos are invited to. The man is in rare form. He's kicking arse and taking names, and he's all outta pens !!!

On the back of successive victories scoring 30+points - Momentum is WITH us.
But a repeat of the mistakes in the games where we lost will guarantee the Locky farewell party continues at our expense.

THEN ... after a week including the Bye, we have a 14-day turnaround before we meet the St George Bennett-Trons again.

Last time, they pulled our pants down real-good at the SCG. 

Some will argue there were mitigating circumstances. It was the week of Jamal announcing his departure. And lets not forget Darius Boyd's intercept. - One of the biggest knockout punches Dogs fans have ever sustained watching a game !

Confidence is with the Big-Red-Vomit : Accordingly so.

You can poin to Jamal's deficiencies in defence all you like, but the fact remains we'll have to bring our A-game and leave the errors on the training paddock to be competetive in Round Ten. There's simply no such thing as a bad day at the office with Bennett running the meetings and Soward and Co will look to squeeze the air out of us.

Brisbane > St George.
What will happen ???

Lets go through the scenarios ...

Option #1 - WE lose BOTH - This leaves us 5 from 9, and in a wrestle for finals contention.

Option #2 - We win ONE - Here's a result I can stomach nicely. This leaves us 6 from 9, and we dictate our own fate comfortably during the Origin period.

Option #3 - We win BOTH - (I can dream can't I ???) This leaves us 7 from 9, we're in the proverbial 'box-seat' in the races to finals.

This time last year, we were 2 from 7, with plenty of heads being scratched.
Right now, the story is much, much different.

We'll all learn a lot about our Dogs as the next two games unfold.

Brisbane in Brisbane, and the reigning premiers at the venue of the Grand Final.

An early taste of September if ever there was one !

By Captain Kickass

Hey Team

We are looking at hiring a bus for the Friday night clash in Canberra and we want you to join us.

It's on Friday the 20th and it starts at 7:45pm. With that time in mind I would say the bus will leave Canterbury Leagues at 2pm. We will return to back to this point at night.

The bus ticket will be $30. This is not including the ticket into the game.

While the bus is quiet large (50 seats) we are quickly filling up seats. 

You do not need to be a Bulldogs Army member to join us on the bus. This is for anyone who wishes to join us in Canberra, support the Bulldogs and have some fun in the process.

To book your ticket, contact Tony, Costa, Ali or Myself at any of the games or you can email Me (Anthony) at anthony.r.magro@gmail.com

We would love to have you on board because it is going to be a fantastic trip.

KENNEL MEMBERSHIP & GUEST PASS GUIDELINES

Thank you for signing up as a 2011 Canterbury-Bulldogs Member.  

Your financial contribution to the club has helped secure our future and you are now part of Bulldogs family.

To make your game day experience run as smooth as possible, we have placed a guideline on how to purchase Kennel Guest Passes.

As a Kennel Member, you are entitled to purchase up to 3 guest tickets per Member. These are available for:

Adult $30

Concession $20

Junior $10

Family $70

Should you wish to buy a guest pass you MUST do the following:

1. Contact the Bulldogs Membership Team on 02) 8762 6800

2. Purchase the ticket by no later than 5pm on Thursday leading up to each home game. No exceptions!

3. Credit card over the phone is accepted or cash at the Bulldogs Office. You MUST pick up the guest pass on day of game at Ticket Window H (Opposite P1 Parking Station), tickets will not be posted in the mail. If you are purchasing at the office, you can collect it on the spot

4. You must supply the club with guest name, address and contact number upon purchasing the guest pass

5. NO SALES are to be made on game day. We must have a full list of Kennel Members to ANZ Stadium prior to game day.

KENNEL MEMBERSHIP

With eight games remaining, there is still time for your friends or family to sign up for Season 2011 and save just under 20% on box office prices. 



2011 Kennel Membership Prices:

Adult $195 / Concession $130 / Junior $65 / Family $455

Please forward this onto friends/family and have them contact the Bulldogs Membership Team directly on 02) 8762 6800 and we can join them up over the phone with Credit Card or CLICK HERE to join up online!

KENNEL SCARF SPECIAL OFFER - TWO FOR $30!



As a Kennel Member, you also have the opportunity to purchase a Kennel Scarf which is valued at $20. 

We have a special game day offer for the Bulldogs v Rabbitoh's Game on Saturday 28th April. You are able to buy 2 Kennel Scarfs for just $30! Save $10!

To take up this offer, they can be purchased at our Merchandise Hut 127. You too can be part of the Kennel Experience, wave your flags, take part in the chants and show off your Kennel Scarf!

Last week was perhaps the toughest week of the year for a lot of Bulldogs fans. We all knew it would be a long, depressing week coming off a hiding from the much despised Dragons for the 6th time in a row (9th if you want to include trials). But to most, the week was sent into a further spin when it was announced that Jamal Idris would be signing with the Titans on a five year deal.

It seems to be the same old story as a Bulldogs fan. Willie Mason walks out. Sonny Bill Williams flies out. Ben Hannant cries out. Could the departure of Jamal Idris so early in his career not have been anymore unambiguous? One would think Bulldogs fans have dealt with so much heartbreak over losing our star players that we’ve gone numb with our emotions. Some fans are content he wasn’t re-signed claiming he wasn’t worth the cash, and there are others who can’t help but feel bitterness over the idea that Idris somehow owes the club another contract for having been nurtured at Canterbury.

However one feels about Jamals signing with the Titans, one thing is for sure. We all would have loved to see how Idris would have developed at the Bulldogs at the end of the year. It’s almost like an unsolved crime, our baby Jamal has been taken away and we’ll never know how good he could have been with the Bulldogs in coming years.

The great thing about being a Bulldogs fan, and as much as it might sound like an overused cliché at this club – we really are a strong group of clubmen and women, not just supporters. We stick through thick and thin no matter how many Masons, Sonny Bills and Jamals walk out on our beloved club.

No greater example could exemplify this than what happened last Friday night. So turbulent were the past few days, it almost seemed like the NRL season had come to a halt. Personally I had forgotten we were versing disputably our greatest rival in the Parramatta Eels. Hello! Just like the Dragons, we hadn’t beaten them in years! It was sure to be a huge occasion, win or lose.

And a huge occasion it was. Not just for the fact the Bulldogs buried the Eels along with a terrible losing streak into the dirt, but the game signalled a rebirth in our beloved team. After playing poor football for 20 or so odd minutes into the game, Corey Payne sparked up a burning desire within the team to lift themselves and decimate the Eels on the park that night. The transformation that had occurred was mind-bogging to say the least. The team seemed all but on the field in the first quarter of the game, blame it on the coach or blame it on the Idris fiasco.

It was a pinnacle moment of not only the game, but of many years for Bulldogs fans to come. The incident with Payne getting heated with Hayne sent the crowd into an absolute tumult of pure passion. It was a sight of so many painful moments versing the Eels finally being put to its death, with its lead man Jarryd Hayne being at the centre of it. For a moment, it felt like we were on the field with Corey Payne laying metaphorical punches into Hayne. As much as violence is not a beautiful thing (but we can’t lie, it was heavenly in this case for the fans), it wasn’t the physical nature of the violence which felt blissful for every Dogs fan watching. It was the fact that somebody wearing the blue and white was finally showing some true heart and emotion for the sake of the jersey. Something we have not seen in many years here at the Bulldogs.

And of all men to finally bring back even a speck of that passion, who else better to have revived it than Corey Payne. I’m not talking the irony of exchanging blows with somebody who’s name rhymes with him, but the fact it has been well documented just how much Payne really does love the blue and white. Growing up supporting the team, looking up to legends such as Terry Lamb and Jim Dymock and always pushing the dream to one day finally wear the clubs colours. And with his dreams being brought to reality, so were the fans dreams of seeing the Eels put to their misery through pure Bulldogs passion.

The interesting and quarrelling thing about our victory was seeing Jamal Idris, of all players, putting the final try down and showing so much passion as he was on his way to almost completing a lap around the park. It was good to see him still feeling a lot of pride in our colours and geeing up the fans. Despite what might have been documented about him and his feelings toward the club, actions speak louder than words.

With not even a week passing after Idris breaking the news he would be departing Belmore at the end of the season, it’s quite intriguing how quickly things can be put into perspective for the club, the fans and its direction. With one great player leaving our club, another is showing his mark with not just footballing prowess, but something which no multi-million dollar contract or TV show can buy – passion and heart. Something we used to see so much of in the decades which passed at this great club, and something which brought so much success and Premierships to the name Canterbury-Bankstown.

At the end of the day, we could despair and lament as much as we like about Jamal Idris leaving the club. But if there is anything Friday night’s match against the Eels should teach any of us, it’s you can throw all the money you like at a player, and have the best skills in the NRL. But if you truly don’t want to be at a club, no money can ever buy you your passion. It’s something that comes from within, as Corey Payne so flamboyantly displayed to the NRL world on Friday night.

There is no need to despair, for every class player that has walked out the doors of Belmore, there is always dozens more who are waiting their turn to don the big blue jersey and rip it apart for the club. Whether raised within the club or bought from somewhere else, passion will be the one thing that continues to bring much success to this club.

By Ronne